Tina Turner Opens Up About Physical And Sexual Abuse From Ike Turner

The physical abuse that Tina Turner has experienced at the hands of her late ex-husband, #IkeTurner, has never been a secret. 

Now, in an excerpt from her upcoming memoir “My Love Story,” the singer is opening up about the sexual abuse she says she experienced. According to the 78-year-old,  she was always “too embarrassed” to speak about the extent of the abuse, which she claims began directly after their wedding.

“What kind of bridegroom takes his brand-new wife to a live pornographic sex show, right after their marriage ceremony? There I sat, in this filthy place, watching Ike out of the corner of my eye, wondering: ‘Does he really like this? How could he?’” Turner recalled. 

“It was all so ugly. The male performer was unattractive and seemingly impotent, and the girl — well, let’s just say that what was on display was more gynecological than erotic,” Tina wrote. “I was miserable, on the verge of tears, but there was no escape. We couldn’t leave until Ike was ready, and he was having a fine old time.”

Next, according to Turner, Ike began to use cocaine to enhance his sexual stamina, thus creating even more hell for her. 

“Sex with Ike had become an expression of hostility — a kind of rape — especially when it began or ended with a beating,” she said.⠀⠀

“What had been ugly and hateful between us before became worse with every snort of cocaine. He threw hot coffee in my face, giving me third-degree burns. He used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang. He broke my jaw. And I couldn’t remember what it was like not to have a black eye. The people closest to us saw what was happening, but they couldn’t stop him: any attempt to help me would make him more violent.”