SHANIA TWAIN'S HORRIFIC ABUSE AT HANDS OF HER OWN STEPDAD BEFORE DISTURBING END

Before her rise to fame as a country music sensation, Shania Twain overcame a brutal childhood that saw her face childhood poverty, abuse, and heartbreak.

The singer was born in Canada in 1965, one of three daughters to parents Sharon and Clarence. Her parents sadly divorced when Shania was just two years old and her mother's second husband Jerry Twain adopted her and her two sisters.

Shania said her family were dirt poor and she would often go to school hungry. When her mum realised her singing talents, Shania got used to making money. She recalls being woken in the middle of the night to perform in bars full of drunk punters.

“I would go to do the after-hours set and everyone was already intoxicated,” the five-time Grammy winner has revealed. It was a terrible environment for a kid. But I was very professional about it and I took it very seriously," she said.

Shania said if she did not earn enough cash for the family, her step-father would take his anger out on her mother. Shania said Jerry would beat her mum unconscious and later turned his attention towards his step-daughter.

The That Don't Impress Me Much star, 58, who is playing the Glastonbury Legend's slot today, admitted: "you didn't want to be a girl in my house" as she spoke about her guardian. Shania said she took drastic measures to keep herself safe at home as she defended herself against physical and sexual abuse.

Explaining she would 'flatten her boobs to go unnoticed', Shania said: "I hid myself and I would flatten my boobs. I would wear bras that were too small for me, and I'd wear two, play it down until there was nothing girl about me. Make it easier to go unnoticed."

"Because, oh my gosh, it was terrible - you didn't want to be a girl in my house," she told The Sunday Times. The star previously opened up about her stepfather's abuse in her 2011 memoir From This Moment On. Shania said she would fight back against Jerry out of "anger" when he was abusing her and her mother.

She said she also faced unwanted attention regarding her body outside of her home as well: "You go into society and you're a girl and you're getting the normal other unpleasant stuff too, and that reinforces it. So then you think, 'Oh, I guess it's just s**t to be a girl. Oh, it's so s**t to have boobs.' I was ashamed of being a girl," she wrote.

When Shania was about to make her big breakthrough into the music industry she was given the news that her mum and step-dad had both been killed in a car crash. Her dreams had to be put on hold as she became a carer for her sisters.

Shania said she became a 'single mum' overnight and barely slept with the pressure. Thankfully, despite her tough hand, the star did not give up on her ultimate dream and when her siblings were adult enough to take care of themselves she sent off demo tapes of her singing to record companies across Nashville and was finally handed a lifeline.

Shania went on to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, shifting more than 100 million records.

The star has hailed her Glastonbury Legends slot this weekend as a "once in a lifetime invite" while reflecting on the challenges of being a woman in music.

She said of starting out performing when she was just eight-years-old: "I didn't open myself up to intimidation, but I recognise it is intimidating for most women. The industry is mostly men, not just in the higher positions, but also musicians," reports Radio Times.

The country superstar will take to the Pyramid Stage today for the coveted Legends gig at the iconic festival. Over the years, the likes of Diana Ross and Johnny Cash have performed in the slot and the The Man! I Feel Like A Woman! icon revealed she was waiting on the edge of her seat for her stint to be confirmed.

Shania is on the star-studded lineup alongside headliners Dua Lipa, SZA, and Coldplay, as well as 00s pop star Avril Lavigne. Speaking of bagging the star-studded slot, the singer told the outlet: "My manager said, 'I wouldn't be surprised if that comes up,' but it's an invite that feels like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I was on the edge of my seat until it became a reality."

* If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads

2024-06-30T10:03:04Z dg43tfdfdgfd