Acclaimed actor Viola Davis is one of the most popular and beloved stars of her generation.
The actor had a heartbreaking and tragic upbringing.
That upbringing took place in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she and her family lived in poverty.
But poverty wasn’t the only issue Davis faced growing up.
But adding to the problem was the fact that her alcoholic father was physically abusive.
“And not one window opened.
No one came out to help.”
The trauma was so bad, that Davis used a technique to deal with what she was going through.
She credited that process for helping her cope with her situation.
“Was I actually running for my life?
Would they actually have killed me?
Davis also described being physically attacked by a boy because she’d called him black.
That experience, among others like it, left Davis feeling worthless because of the color of her skin.
So I was just running.”
Davis went on to describe the main difference between a sexual abuser and their victim.
“The only person who rapes is the rapist.
The person who is left behind has to pay over, and over, and over again.”
Despite her struggles, Davis achieved success in every form of entertainment she’d entered.
Many of her life experiences were chronicled in her 2022 book, “Finding Me: A Memoir.”
