In an interview that aired on KCBS this week, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke with reporter Stephanie Abrams about something that he has kept a secret for decades: the domestic abuse he experienced as a child.
“It’s probably the only time in my life that I’ve ever felt helpless,” Villaraigosa told Abrams, recounting how he watched his alcoholic father repeatedly beat his mother while he was growing up. “Deep inside there’s this feeling of helplessness and this feeling that I kind of failed her by not protecting her on some level.”
Villaraigosa said that he decided to do the interview because he wanted to raise awareness about domestic abuse and urge victims to come forward and seek help. Video inside…
“We should all be willing to put a light on the dark things that happen in our lives,” Villaraigosa said.