Actors, Musicians, Other Celebrities Acknowledge Being Victims of Sexual Abuse

    PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA, May 09, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Quite a few performers in the arts and entertainment field are linked by one painful common thread: they have been victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Ranging across the industry, actors, singers, writers, comedians, and others are disclosing both in interviews and in their autobiographies that they have been victims of childhood sexual molestation and sexual predation. These painful admissions often describe the devastating and ongoing impact the sexual violations have had on their adult lives, including problems with addiction, intimacy, depression, and even suicidal ideation.

"With many celebrities coming forward and speaking so openly about their sexual abuse, it helps raise public awareness about this pandemic issue," says Peter S. Pelullo, author of the newly released book "Betrayal and the Beast," in which he reveals his own struggles as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

For many adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, knowing they are not alone can be crucial to the start of their healing process. Even though they may suffer lifelong consequences of the horrors they endured, the knowledge that someone else can relate to what they are going through can help them recover.

According to ABC News, when celebrities speak out about the abuse they endured, they have the power to get people to listen--and to bring attention to this silent pandemic. When actress Mackenzie Phillips revealed she had an ongoing sexual relationship with her father, singer John Phillips, RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest Network) experienced an eighty-three percent jump in traffic to its web site and received twenty-six percent more calls to its hotline.

Celebrities who have come forward about their experiences with childhood sexual abuse include:

* Media mogul Oprah Winfrey
* Actors Anne Heche, Queen Latifah, Gabriel Byrne, Tom Arnold, and Rosie Perez
* Singers Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Axl Rose, Wynonna Judd, Shania Twain, and Marilyn Manson
* Model Janice Dickinson
* Comedians and writers Tyler Perry and Roseann Barr
* Writers Maya Angelou and Antwone Fisher

"Although celebrities might appear to be very successful, on one level or another they're still dealing with the aftermath of the sexual abuse they've experienced," says Peter S. Pelullo. "Being famous doesn't erase their childhood trauma. In order to start on the road to recovery, professional help is needed. And the sooner they can receive therapeutic support the better."

Peter S. Pelullo was the founder of Philly World Records and owner of a premiere recording studio in the '70s, where he worked with the Rolling Stones, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Cashmere, and Eugene Wilde. He is now an entrepreneur and financier focusing on technology startups. During his journey in recovery, he created the Let Go...Let Peace Come In Foundation, which supports adult victims of childhood sexual abuse throughout the world.

Website: http://www.letgoletpeacecomein.org

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