Shania Twain Shares Details on Growing Up in a 'Very Violent' Home, Says Her Parents 'Fought a Lot'

OK! Staff Fri, July 31, 2026 at 7:24 PM UTC

0

Shania Twain revealed that she grew up in a 'very violent' home and reflected on the abuse she experienced during her childhood.@Wild Card with Rachel Martin/YouTube ; MEGA

Shania Twain looked back on her difficult childhood and revealed that she grew up in a "very violent" home.

During the July 30 episode of NPR's "Wild Card with Rachel Martin," the country star spoke about the abuse she witnessed growing up in Ontario, Canada.

"They loved each other. They went through so many ups and downs together, but they fought a lot, and they got violent often," Shania said of her mother, Sharon Twain, and stepfather, Jerry Twain.

When hostRachel Martin asked whether the violence also affected Shania and her sisters, Jill and Carrie Ann, the singer said, "Yeah, with me too."

She added, "If I was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, definitely. I mean, both my parents were pretty harsh physically. We definitely got smacked around a lot, and kicked around sometimes, literally kicked around."

Shania Twain Recalled Witnessing Violence at Home

Shania Twain recalled witnessing frequent violent fights between her mother, Sharon, and stepfather, Jerry Twain, while growing up in Canada.@Wild Card with Rachel Martin/YouTube

The Grammy winner recalled seeing her parents try to hurt each other the most.

"It was very violent. So my mom, you know, she would lose clumps of hair. She was bruised often in the face and … it was pretty bad sometimes. I mean, our house would shake. Those walls would shake," Shania said.

She added, "It’s very traumatic. It gets loud and scary, like a really bad thunderstorm."

Shania also explained that her mother repeatedly tried to escape the relationship, but the separations never lasted

Shania Twain said her mother repeatedly tried to leave the abusive relationship, but the family always ended up returning.@Wild Card with Rachel Martin/YouTube

"My mother did often try to leave. She did leave — we did leave — but he'd always find us, or she'd always give in and go back," Shania shared.

She added, "It was a cycle."

Sharon and Jerry died in a head-on car crash near Wawa, Ontario, on November 1, 1987, when Shania was 22 years old and beginning her music career.

Advertisement

Shania Twain Also Reflected on Her Marriage to Frédéric Thiébaud

Shania Twain revealed that open communication had helped strengthen her 15-year marriage to Frédéric Thiébaud.MEGA

Alongside discussing her childhood, Shania shared a more positive update about her personal life in an interview with People.

She revealed that open communication had helped her 15-year marriage to Frédéric Thiébaud remain strong, even when they faced disagreements.

She said, "Fred wants to talk about it. He wants to talk it through, and he wants to fix it. And that's the best advice. I mean, he's not wrong."

Shania also admitted that Frédéric's willingness to explore his feelings had strengthened their relationship over the years.

"He's really good at reminding both of us that we have to keep communication open," Shania said.

She added, "He's the greatest talker, and he's not inhibited at all with expressing his feelings, which is really wonderful in a man."

Shania Twain Previously Opened Up About the Abuse

Shania Twain opened up about her childhood experiences in her 2011 memoir 'From This Moment On,' where she described the abuse she had endured.MEGA

The singer had previously written about her childhood in her 2011 memoir, From This Moment On. In the book, she alleged that Jerry physically and emotionally abused her for years and described witnessing him assault her mother.

Shania also recalled one incident in which she struck him with a chair while trying to protect Sharon before he punched her in the jaw.

"I feel the sexual abuse goes hand in hand with the physical and psychological abuse when it's somebody you know. I learned to block it out," Shania said in a 2018 interview with The Guardian.

Read more at OK!

Get OK!'s biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

FOLLOW OK! ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, entertainment, and pop culture via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”