Shania Twain is opening up about one of the darkest chapters of her life.
During a candid appearance on NPR’s Wild Card with Rachel Martin, the country icon revealed she grew up in what she described as a “very violent” home, where physical fights between her parents were a regular part of childhood.
“They loved each other. They went through so many ups and downs together, but they fought a lot, and they got violent often,” Twain recalled.
When asked whether the violence also extended to her and her sisters, Jill and Carrie Ann, Twain didn’t hesitate.
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“Yeah, with me too. If I was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, definitely,” she said.
Twain said both of her parents “were pretty harsh physically,” adding, “We definitely got smacked around a lot, and kicked around sometimes, literally kicked around.”
A Violent Childhood
Although Twain said she and her sisters experienced physical abuse, she explained that her parents often inflicted the worst violence on each other.
It was very violent. My mom, you know, she would lose clumps of hair. She was bruised often in the face … it was pretty bad sometimes. I mean, our house would shake — those walls would shake.
Looking back, Twain described those years as “traumatic,” comparing the fights to “a really bad thunderstorm.”
She also recalled the cycle that played out between her parents, saying her mother often tried to leave but ultimately returned.
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“My mother did often try to leave,” Twain said. “She did leave — we did leave — but he’d always find us, or she’d always give in and go back.”
A Different Kind of Love
Twain has spoken openly in recent years about the importance of healthy communication in her marriage to husband Frédéric Thiébaud.
Most recently, she credited their willingness to talk through problems as one of the biggest reasons their 15-year marriage has remained strong.
Her life story will soon be brought to the big screen as well. Earlier this year, Sony Pictures announced that a biopic titled Shania is in development, with Leah McKendrick attached to write and direct.
The film is expected to chronicle the remarkable journey that took Twain from a traumatic childhood to becoming one of country music’s biggest stars.
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