Queen Latifah: I was sexually abused

Queen Latifah has revealed a traumatic chapter of her personal life – the singer-actress was sexually abused as a child.

In the latest issue of Essence magazine, Latifah said the abuse occurred over a period of time, and at the hands of a teenager charged with looking after her.

According to Latifah, she never told anyone about the abuse. Instead, she “buried” the secret and “kept people at an arm’s distance”.

The 39-year-old entertainer, whose new album 'Persona' arrives in July, said the abuse affected her relationships.

She said she eventually told her parents and had gone through therapy to come to terms with what happened.