Shania Twain has revealed that she flattened her breasts as a teenager to avoid sexual abuse from her stepfather.
The Canadian singer-songwriter, 57, has spoken openly about her difficult childhood growing up in poverty in Ontario with four siblings, living with her mother Sharon and stepfather Jerry Twain, who legally adopted the children.
In order to cope with his physical and sexual abuse, Shania stated in a candid interview that she would do anything to remain unnoticed in the house.
Opening up: Shania Twain has revealed that as a teenager she flattened her breasts to avoid sexual abuse from her stepfather (pictured last month)
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Shania said: “I hid and flattened my breasts. I would wear bras that were too small for me and I would wear two, downplaying it until there was nothing girly about me anymore. Make it easier to go unnoticed.
“Because oh my god it was awful – you didn’t want to be a girl in my house.”
She went on to explain that this only continued as she grew up and left the household to experience it in everyday society.
Shania added: “But then you go out into society and you’re a girl and you also get the normal other awkward things and that reinforces it. So then you’re like, “Oh, I guess it’s just s*** being a girl. Oh, it’s so s*** having boobs.” I was ashamed to be a girl.’
Hitmaker: The man! The “I Feel Like a Woman” hitmaker (pictured in the music video) grew up in poverty in Ontario with four siblings, living with her mother Sharon and stepfather Jerry Twain, who legally adopted the children
In 2018, Shania said the abuse began when she was around 10 years old.
She admitted to being sexually abused, telling The Guardian: “Uh huh, uh huh. I won’t go into detail. I don’t mind saying it because I think it’s important for people to understand that you can survive these things.
She explained: “I feel like the sexual abuse goes hand-in-hand with the physical and psychological abuse when it comes to someone you know. I’ve learned to hide it.
“Abusers need to manipulate you, before or after, and what I said to myself was, ‘Okay, there’s something wrong with this person and this person isn’t okay.’
Open: In order to cope with his physical and sexual abuse, Shania explained in a candid interview that she would try everything to go unnoticed in the house
Shania did not know her biological father. Her stepfather, Jerry, and her mother, Sharon, died in a car accident in 1987.
It comes after Shania recently revealed she once had a very awkward moment with talk show icon Oprah Winfrey over dinner when the conversation turned to religion.
The 57-year-old country singer sat down with Jessie and Lennie Ware for a podcast interview on Table Manners to promote their latest single, “Waking Up Dreaming,” and revealed how things quickly “pissed” with Oprah, 68. became.
While she explained that it was “one of my most memorable dinners” with Oprah, which took place at a restaurant, Shania recalled how she could sense a disagreement between them over their religious beliefs.
“It was great just having real conversations, but as soon as we started talking about religion, everything went wrong,” Shania confessed.
“So I said, ‘Let’s stop talking about religion,'” Twin recalled, adding that Oprah — who was raised in the Baptist Church and is a Christian — is ‘pretty religious.’
The country singer called Oprah “a smart lady.”
She clarified her position on the issue, noting that she “is not religious in the sense that I subscribe to a religion. I’m much more of a spiritual person. I would say I am a seeker.’
Tragedy: Shania did not know her biological father. Her stepfather, Jerry, and her mother, Sharon, died in a car accident in 1987