New Jersey Stage 2017: Issue 9 | Page 7

She has shown happy moments (her playful pin-up side and per- forming) and has revealed per- sonal feelings as well. When she mentioned some of the strug- gles she has faced throughout her life, I thought the challenges were ones many artists face. She explains how she has found ways to cope and thrive. On Facebook, you’ve been very open about your own problems. Do you ever worry about reveal- ing too much about yourself? I’ve been through a lot of things in my life that I think quite a few people can relate to. In the past, I was closed off and it made things worse for me. I find that being open and honest helps me to be the best version of myself. There are times that I worry that perhaps I’m “too much” for some people. But, I’m sharing what’s in my heart. I have to trust that there’s nothing wrong with that. I NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 9 hope that anyone that can relate to my story finds some comfort in realizing they are not alone. One of the things that caught my eye is when you brought up childhood emotional abuse. Would you mind talking about that? I’m very open about my difficult childhood, because I know that it shaped me, but it does not define me. My parents divorced when I was very young and I was jostled around from place to place. Things were chaotic, but when you’re young, you don’t re- alize there’s something wrong in your house. You think everyone gets things thrown at them and punched and their houses are all filled with trash too. My Mother and I never had a good relation- ship. She was abusive and ne- glected my brothers andme. The house was disgusting. I received a black eye on my tenth birthday INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 7