“One day, while talking through the script with Laura, old memories surprisingly flashed in my mind. I caught my breath and just kept looping the memories over and over, like rewinding an old VHS tape…I said ‘Laura, I think I was abused,’” he writes, according to PEOPLE.
Common, in the book which was released on Tuesday, shared graphic details of the incident.
“I was excited for a road trip I was about to take with my family. My mother; my godmother, Barbara; her son and my godbrother Skeet; and his relative, who I’ll call Brandon…”
Common said he and Brandon were made to share a bed together one night of the trip.
“At some point, I felt Brandon’s hand on me. I pushed him away. I don’t remember saying a whole lot besides ‘No, no, no.’
“He kept saying ‘It’s okay, It’s okay,’ as he pulled down my shorts and molested me. After he stopped he kept asking me to perform it on him. I kept repeating ‘No’ and pushing him away. I felt a deep and sudden shame for what happened.
“I just pushed the whole thing out of my head. Maybe it’s a matter of survival—Even now, two years after that flash resurgence of memories, as I’m writing, I’m still working through all of this in myself and with my therapist.
“I want to be a person who helps break cycles of violence. This is love in action and I intend to practice it.”
Common said he’s never spoken about the incident to Brandon and he’s not seen him in about 25 years.
Speaking to TMZ, Common says he wants to help people like him who have surprised things like this. He says he wants to let people know that it’s safe to talk about their experiences and find healing.
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