Every 9 seconds, a woman in the United States is assaulted or beaten. Statistics show that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women, more than car accidents, robbery, and rapes combined. These celebrities show that domestic violence can truly happen to anyone, and it's a very difficult thing to admit and escape.
1. Halle Berry
Halle Berry has opened up about growing up in a house in which domestic violence was a part of daily life, where she witnessed her mother be continually battered by her father. In 1996, Halle Berry opened up to People magazine about being in an abusive relationship with a former boyfriend, leaving her 80% deaf in one ear. She is now a key member of the Jenesse Center, a national domestic violence prevention and intervention organization. At the Imagine VIP cocktail party to benefit the Jenesse Center in 2015, Berry talked about her ongoing struggle with her abuse, saying, "It seems like I've overcome it, but I really haven't. In the quiet of my mind, I still struggle. So while I'm helping these women, I'm helping myself through it, too. And that's largely why I'm here."
2. Sarah Hyland
In 2014, actress Sarah Hyland obtained a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Matthew Prokop, stating that he physically and emotionally abused her throughout their relationship. When she ended the nearly five year relationship, Hyland stated in court documents that Prokop "relentlessly bombarded me with vile, threatening and emotionally disturbing texts and voicemails including his own suicide threats."
3. Rihanna
In 2009, Rihanna's then boyfriend and superstar Chris Brown famously left her bruised and bloodied on the side of the street. The abuse was shocking and publicized but was not the first time Rihanna had experienced domestic violence in her relationship. Growing up, she witnessed her father repeatedly physically abuse her mother. In a Vanity Fair article in 2015, Rihanna addressed her domestic violence with Chris Brown and being "a poster child for victims of domestic abuse." She said, "for me, and anyone who's been a victim of domestic abuse, nobody wants to even remember it. Nobody even wants to admit it."
4. Amber Heard
In 2016, Amber Heard accused ex-husband Johnny Depp of domestic violence, with photos of her bruised head. Their divorce proceedings followed suit. Depp denied the allegations and the pair reached a divorce settlement in which she withdrew the charges of domestic abuse. However, Amber Heard later wrote an open letter on domestic abuse, speaking about how difficult it is for women to come forward, and how the label of a victim is a hard one to accept. She says, "When a woman comes forward to speak out about injustice or her suffering, instead of aid, respect and support, she will be met with hostility, skepticism and shame," she wrote. "Her motives will be questioned and her truth ignored."
5. Tina Turner
Singer Tina Turner repeatedly suffered sexual and physical abuse by her then husband, Ike Turner. He raped her and nearly killed her on several occasions before they finally ended their relationship. Ike has since publicly admitted to abusing Tina.
6. Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron's alcoholic father consistently abused her mother, and threatened to kill her and her mother repeatedly. When Theron was 15-years-old, her mother shot her father dead. In South Africa, Charlize Theron has worked to open up rape crisis centers.
