Famous People & Celebrities Who Have Survived Abuse: Whose Inspiring Story Do You Want to Read?
My library is full of the stories of famous people and celebrities who have survived abuse and gone on to thrive and find joy.
To celebrate my 200th post, I’m asking for feedback from my readers about which inspiring survivor stories you would most like to read.
Some of these people ~ Maya Angelou and Augusten Burroughs ~ have written prolifically. Many stories have been published in books or articles. Other stories have been mere whispers. And, a few of the people listed break down the walls of silence with their actions rather than their words.
The names in purple are links to stories I’ve already told. Please feel free to ask for more in-depth information. If you don’t have the patience to wait for me to write a post, I’ve included the titles of the books on my shelves.
My Own Top Five
- Eve Ensler, writer (The Vagina Monologues) and activist (V-Day): child abuse
- Alice Miller, psychologist/writer (The Drama of the Gifted Child, Breaking Down the Wall of Silence, The Body Never Lies, The Truth Will Set You Free, etc.): child abuse
- Tyler Perry, comedy/writer (Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings), producer (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Precious/PUSH, Madea’s Family Reunion, I Can Do Bad All By Myself): child abuse
- Gloria Steinem, feminist/writer/Ms. Magazine (Revolution from Within): child abuse
- Tina Turner, singer/actress (I, Tina): child abuse and neglect; domestic violence (Ike Turner)
Child Abuse/Neglect Survivors Who Are Making a Difference
- Christina Aguilera, pop singer/songwriter: Womens Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburg; Lifetime’s End Violence Against Women Campaign
- Mary J. Blige, singer/songwriter/actress: FFAWN, The Mary J. Blige Center for Women, Yonkers, NY
- Doris Buffett, philanthropist: Sunshine Lady Foundation
- William J. Clinton, former president: Violence Against Women Act (My Life)
- Pat Conroy, best selling author/screenwriter (father was an officer in the U.S. Marines, Prince of Tides. The Great Santini)
- Lee Daniels, movie director (father was a police officer, Precious/PUSH)
- Sally Field, actress: multiple DV charities
- Jane Fonda, actress: V-Day (My Life, So Far)
- Erin Gray, model/actress: Haven House, National Coalition Against DV, co-produced PSAs, speaker
- Billy Hudson, entrepreneur/Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry: Aspirnaut Initiative
- Dr. Patrick J. Kelly, physician
- Susan Murphy-Milano, activist/writer (father was a police officer, Defending Our Lives)
- WA Rep. Toby Nixon (R), politician
- Rosie O’Donnell, comedy/actress (Celebrity Detox)
- U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R), sheriff/congressman: solved Green River murders
- Victor Rivas Rivers, NFL lineman/actor/activist: Verizon Community Champion, NNEDV spokesperson
- Lorenzo Romar, Univ. of WA basketball coach: Lorenzo Romar Foundation, Men’s Network Against DV, PSA
- Charlize Theron, actress (her mother shot her abusive, alcoholic father in self-defense): V-Day
- Joe Torre, major league baseball player and coach (father was New York City police officer, Chasing the Dream, Joe Torre’s Ground Rules for Winners): Safe at Home Foundation, Coach Boys into Men campaign, Founding Fathers
- Clara Ward, community activist featured on Extreme Makeover: Clara’s Way
- Sela Ward, actress; Hope Village for Children
- Wynona Ward, attorney: Have Justice Will Travel
Child Molestation/Incest Survivors Who Are Making a Difference
- Maya Angelou, global Renaissance woman (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Letter to My Daughter, “Phenomenal Woman”)
- Martha Beck, psychologist, life coach, O Magazine columnist (Leaving the Saints ~ her father was a leader in the Mormon church)
- Louise L. Hay, founder/publisher of Hay House (You Can Heal Your Life)
- Anglea Shelton, film producer, writer, activist (Searching for Angela Shelton, Angela Shelton Foundation, National Family Court Watch Project board of directors, The Survivor Manual blog)
- Oprah Winfrey, talk show host/producer/actress (The Color Purple)
- Virginia Woolf, writer (A Room of One’s Own)
Child Abuse/Neglect/Incest Survivors (Physical and/or Emotional)
- Walter Anderson, Parade Magazine Chairman & CEO (Meant to Be)
- Arcadian Broad, dance contestant on America’s Got Talent (bullying)
- Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), U.S. Senator (sexual molestation/child abuse/Against All Odds)
- Christopher Buckley, writer (son of William F. Buckley, Losing Mum and Pup)
- Augusten Burroughs, writer (his father was an Ivy League professor, Running with Scissors, A Wolf at the Table, Possible Side Effects, etc.)
- Chevy Chase, comedy/writer/actor (society family, I’m Chevy Chase. . .and You’re Not)
- Christopher Dickey, Newsweek journalist (father was poet and Deliverance writer James Dickey, Summer of Deliverance)
- Christopher Paul Gardner, investment banker/venture capitalist (The Pursuit of Happyness)
- Monique (Mo’Nique) Imes, actress
- Jewel, singer
- Stacey Lannert, prisoner (incest: murdered her father)
- Michael Lisagor, executive and consultant (child abuse, Romancing the Buddha)
- Steve Martin, comedy/writer (Born Standing Up)
- Tom Petty, musician (allegations he is a child abuse perpetrator)
- Mackenzie Phillips, actress (father: John Phillips)
- Christopher Quincy Maryatt, prosecuting attorney (descendant of John Quincy Adams)
- Frank McCourt, best-selling author (Angela’s Ashes, Tis)
- Alyse Myers, former New York Times marketing executive/writer (Who Do You Think You Are?)
- Sandra Oh, actress
- SARK, writer (A Creative Companion, Prosperity Pie, Eat Mangoes Naked, Succulent Wild Woman)
- Tavis Smiley, talk show host (What I Know for Sure)
- Norm Stamper, former Seattle, WA chief of police
- Hillary Swank, actress
- Amy Tan, best-selling author (The Joy Luck Club)
- Meg Tilly, actress/writer (Gemma, Singing Songs)
- Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles, CA
- Jeannette Walls, best-selling author (Glass Castle)
- Mary Wilshire, illustrator of female superheroes
Dating Abuse Survivors
- Christina Applegate, actress
- Robin Rihanna Fenty, singer
- Elyse Umemoto, beauty queen, platform: “Embracing Diversity, Empowering Women.”
Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Survivors
- Barbara Hall, producer of Joan of Arcadia
- Jamie Leigh Jones, administrative assistant for KBR: Jamie Leigh Foundation (sexual assault)
- Cathy L. Lanier, Washington, DC chief of police
IPV/Domestic Violence/Stalking/Litigation Abuse Survivors Who Are Making a Difference
- Barbara Bentley, retired quality assurance manager, political activist, writer (A Dance with the Devil): lobbied to change CA divorce laws
- Halle Berry, actress: The Jenesse Center in Los Angeles, CA
- Vernetta Cockerham, activist (featured in August, 2009 issue of O Magazine)
- Charlotte Fedders, ex-wife of SEC official John Fedders (Shattered Dreams)
- Lorena Bobbitt Gallo, Realtor/cosmetologist: Lorena’s Red Wagon
- Robin Givens, actress/activist (ex-wife of Mike Tyson)
- Mo Therese Hannah, Ph.D., scholar/activist (Battered Mothers Custody Conference)
- Monica Hunter, WA State Trooper
- Carolyn Jessop, writer (ex-husband was leader of the FLDS church, Escape)
- Rita Henley Jensen, editor in chief of Women’s eNews: Dangerous Trends, Innovative Responses
- Kathy Lambert, King County, WA Council Person
- Rita Anita Linger, former executive director of the North Carolina Coalition
- L.Y. Marlow, corporate executive, writer: Color Me Butterfly; advocate: Saving Promise campaign
- Christy Salters Martin, boxing champion; advocate
- Fern Michaels, best-selling romance novelist: Revenge of the Sisterhood series
- Prof. Linda G. Mills, JD/Ph.D./academic: controversial viewpoint (Insult to Injury)
- Mildred Muhammad, writer/activist: After the Trauma (ex-wife of DC Sniper John Allen Muhammad, Scared Silent)
- Sherri Peak, activist: hi-tech stalking
- Denise Richards, actress (ex-wife of Charlie Sheen/spoke up for Brooke Mueller, his next ex-wife)
- Kalyn Risker, human resources manager/activist: SAFE, Detroit
- Nancy P. Tyler, attorney: CT Coalition
- Iyanla Vanzant, attorney/writer/spiritual leader (Faith in the Valley, In the Meantime, One Day My Soul Just Opened Up, etc.)
- Elissa Wall, FLDS child bride (testified against Warren Jeffs, Stolen Innocence)
- Dr. Michelle Ward, criminal psychologist (stalking, host of Stalked: Someone’s Watching)
- Prof. Elaine Weiss, University of Utah School of Medicine (Surviving Domestic Violence: Voices of Women Who Broke Free)
- Karen M. Welch (stalking/changed NJ’s stalking laws/”Dangerous Games”)
- Marie C. Wilson, The White House Project and She Source (Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World)
IPV/Domestic Violence/Litigation Abuse Survivors (Emotional, Financial, Physical, Spousal Rape, Adultery)
- Sandra Boss, corporate consultant (her ex-husband “Clark Rockefeller” kidnapped her daughter)
- Christine Brinkley, model/actress (divorcing a narcissist)
- Juanita Bynum, televangelist (two marriages)
- Connie Culp, received facial transplant
- Carlene Cross, writer/instructor (ex-wife of mega-church preacher, Fleeing Fundamentalism)
- Elizabeth Edwards, attorney (wife of Sen. John Edwards, D-NC)
- Mary Margaret Farren, attorney at Skadden, Arps (estranged wife of J. Michael Farren, deputy White House counsel in G.W. Bush Administration)
- Elizabeth Gilbert, writer (Eat, Pray, Love; Committed)
- Katherine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post (Personal History)
- Lula Hardaway, mother of Stevie Wonder (Blind Faith)
- Whitney Houston, singer/actress/model (ex-wife of Bobby Brown)
- Dr. Kate Jewell, physician
- Beverly Johnson, supermodel, actress, singer, beauty mogul (IPV)
- Virginia Dell Cassidy Blythe Clinton Dwire Kelley, First Mother (Leading with My Heart)
- Dr. Jeanne I. King, psychologist (ex-wife of an OB/Gyn MD, All But My Soul)
- Dr. Christine McFadden, veterinarian (ex-husband murdered all four of their children)
- Brooke Mueller (ex-wife of Charlie Sheen)
- Vicki Myron, librarian (Dewey)
- Katha Pollitt, feminist poet/The Nation columnist (Learning to Drive)
- Emily Post, etiquette maven
- JoAnn Viola Salazar, attorney/librarian
- Jenny Sullivan Sanford, heiress/investment banker/former First Lady of SC (ex-wife of Gov. Mark Sanford ~ ”hiking the Appalachian Trail”, Staying True)
- Barbara Sheehan, prisoner (murdered her husband: New York City police officer)
- Dr. Robin L. Smith, psychologist/Oprah contributor (Lies at the Altar)
- Leslie Morgan Steiner, Harvard graduate/writer (Crazy Love)
- Donna Summer, singer/songwriter
- Elizabeth Taylor, Academy Award winning actress/perfume mogul/HIV, AIDS activist
- Michele Weldon, journalist/writer (ex-wife of attorney, I Closed My Eyes, Writing to Save Your Life)
- Hanah Nyala West, tracker/writer/Ph.D. candidate (Point Last Seen)
- Mary C. White, WA teacher
- Debra Winans, gospel singer (ex-wife of BeBe Winans)
Multiple or Unspecified Experiences of Abuse
- Karen Armstrong, writer/former nun/comparative religion (The Spiral Staircase)
- Cheryl Burke, dancer (sexual molestation and dating violence in two relationships, Dancing Lessons)
- Ellen Burstyn, actress (Lessons in Becoming Myself)
- Georgia Durante, stunt driver (incest/ex-wife of a mobster/domestic violence/stalking, The Company She Keeps)
- Ann Goetting, professor (Getting Out)
- Catherine Lanigan, writer (Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, Evolving Woman)
- Quincy Lucas, teacher (her sister was murdered by her ex-boyfriend/founder of Witney’s L.I.G.H.T.S./introduced Joe Biden at the Democratic Convention in 2008)
- S. Epatha Merkerson, actress
- Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI4), sponsor of H.R. 4116
- Joanne (J.K.) Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series
- Prof. Karen J. Wilson (When Violence Begins at Home)
© 2010-2011, Anne Caroline Drake
All Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights Reserved and Strictly Enforced.
Very informational. I am trying to get some attention to raise awareness on the Mothers that are victims of Domestic Violence and that are losing custody of their kids to their abusers. PROTECTING CUSTODIAL RIGHTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS http://www.change.org/petitions/protecting-custodial-rights-of-domestic-violence-victims?share_id=dKDtOOjZOQ&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter via @change
All I want to say is that ALL of you guys are amazing, God fearing roll models and most of us(teenagers) look up to you guys,thanks for having the courage to tell us about your stories, and thanks to you guys, I have learnt more about abuse and I could give better advice to my friends that are going through what you guys have gone through
<3 lots of luv….Dire
Am very glad I found this site. I work at Rainbird Foundation, a new non-profit dedicated to ENDING all forms of child abuse. I believe the only org on the planet with this goal. My question is regarding the “Sponsor of this site”. We are in the early stages of fundraising and looking for opportunities to generate donations, in lieu of a powerful board of directors with deep pockets. Can you please check us out at http://www.rainbirdfoundation.org? The site itself is in the process of being updated with an important piece of research regarding all contributing forms of life that perpetuate child abuse. I hope I have piqued your interest.
I NEED HELP FROM ANY AND EVERYONE. I AM STARTING A PROGRAM FOR ABUSE OF ALL KIND BUT AM BEGINNING AND SPEAKING ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE DATE RAPE INCEST MOLESTATION. I NEED INFORMATION RESOURCES STORIES BROUCHURES INFO ON SUPPORT GROUPS OR HOW TO START ONE….I NEED ANY AND EVERYTHING AVAILABLE. I AM IN AN AREA WHERE A LOT OF ABUSE IS GOING ON BUT I AM FINDING VERY LITTLE SUPPORT OR I JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GO TO GET REAL SOLID HELP…. I AM WONDERING ABOUT CHRISTIAN GROUPS AS WELL THANK YOU… YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT vflife@yahoo.com
The synposis on Carolyn Jessop includes incorrect information. Her ex-husband was a leader of the FLDS church, which is a completely seperate entity from the Mormon (LDS) church.