Vanessa Williams Opens Up About Being Molested At 10

In a recent appearance on Oprah’s Master Class, actress, grammy award winning singer and former Miss America, Vanessa Williams opened up about being molested by a family friend at the young age of 10 years old. What’s even crazier is that it was a female.

Via Essence

The summer before fifth grade, Williams went to California with family for the first time. While there, she stayed with a family friend and was introduced to their then 18-year-old daughter. She described the girl as being “one of the cool girls” who “made you feel like you were a grown up.”

When the girl came into Williams’ room one right, what was once admiration, took a new turn. “She told me to lie down on the floor,” says Williams. “She took my bottoms of and she told me to be quiet, and she went down on me. And at 10 years old, I had no idea what it was, but I knew it felt good and I knew I shouldn’t be saying anything…I knew it felt good, but it was also something that I knew wasn’t supposed to be happening.”

This conflicted feeling stuck with Williams, long after that night. But because of family drama surrounding the death of her father’s brother, Williams thought it wasn’t the right time to say anything. Her molestation left her with years of shame and guilt.

“At that young age, having that happen to you, in your body, it awakens your sexuality at an age that it shouldn’t be awakened,” she said. “I think that had that not happened in my life, and I had an opportunity to have a normal courtship with a boyfriend at 16 or whatever, and have your normal first kiss, you know, there wouldn’t have been that shame that was kind of always haunting me.”