Country singer Shania Twain has revealed that she was sexually and physically abused by her stepfather as a child. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Twain said she taught herself to fight back and protect herself and her mother, but the experience left her feeling angry and ashamed. Twain said she also tried to hide her femininity to avoid attracting attention from her stepfather.
She turned to songwriting to help her process her emotions and cope with the “unpleasant stuff” outside her home that made her “ashamed” to be a woman.
