Common Revealed That He Was Molested As A Child In New Memoir

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Let Love Have The Last Word the new memoir written by the rapper Common was released on Tuesday. The book which is a follow-up to his 2012 New York Times bestseller One Day It’ll All Make Sense is an exploration of love, mindfulness, and their ability to serve as community building and life-enhancing tools. The new book also apparently reveals some previously unknown aspects of the Hip Hop legend’s personal life.

According to People, the 47-year-old musician opened up for the first time about being molested as a child. The alleged assault occurred on a family trip when Common was just 9 or 10, the rapper said and was committed by a relative of the rapper’s Godbrother. “I pushed him away. I don’t remember saying a whole lot besides ‘No, no, no,’” Common wrote in his memoir, according to People. “I felt a deep and sudden shame for what happened.”

According to Common, his memories of the incident were triggered during rehearsals for the HBO film The Tale. “One day, while talking through the script with Laura [Dern], old memories surprisingly flashed in my mind,” he writes in the book. “I caught my breath and just kept looping the memories over and over, like rewinding an old VHS tape…I said ‘Laura, I think I was abused.’”

The Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Golden Globe-winning artist says he hasn’t seen his accused abuser in over 25 years, but that he has forgiven him. “I want to be a person who helps break cycles of violence,” he writes. “This is love in action and I intend to practice it.”

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