English soccer player Ian Wright is gearing up to get candid about his abusive childhood and the domestic violence he witnessed at the hands of his stepfather in a forthcoming BBC documentary. That doc will also examine domestic violence from the perspectives of both victims and abusers.
Earlier this year, the pro athlete turned broadcaster tearfully recounted how his brother would cover his ears to avoid hearing their mother Nesta being assaulted by their stepfather.
“I remember my brother Maurice, when my stepfather used to be really, really manhandling my mum, my brother used to cover my ears so you couldn’t hear it. When this song comes on, it just takes me back to that place.” He continued, “She was 4ft 11in, and he was 6ft 4in, and I would see him lift her and do stuff to her.”
According to sources close to the documentary told The Sun, the 56-year-old will interview both victims as well as abusers while reflecting on his own experiences.
“It’s also incredibly rare to see a black man talking about these experiences. He hopes that will remove some of the taboo around topics like abuse. It’s going to be a powerful piece of work,” one source revealed, adding that Wright will also take viewers, “behind the smiles.”
“Behind the smiles lies an incredibly traumatic childhood which Ian wants to tell in his own words. He had an abusive stepfather who would cruelly make him face the wall when Match Of The Day was on,” the source said.
Wright has been open about how his traumatic childhood affected his own behavior.
“When I played football, as soon as it got to a point where I couldn’t deal with it, I would lash out. The therapy was the best thing that ever happened to me because I realized that a lot of it stemmed from my youth,” he said.
