Matthew McConaughey has opened up about being sexually abused as a teen in two separate incidents that left the actor convinced that he was "going to hell." The Hollywood icon made the startling revelation in his new memoir, "Greenlights," released on Tuesday.
The first incident took place when McConaughey was 15 years old, according to People. "The Wolf Of Wall Street" star revealed that he had been "blackmailed into having sex for the first time" and that the encounter left him feeling as if his soul was condemned.
"I was certain I was going to hell for the premarital sex," he said. "Today, I am merely certain that I hope that’s not the case."
The second incident took place three years later. McConaughey recalled how he was "molested by a man when I was 18 while knocked unconscious in the back of a van." No further details were offered but the actor said he "never felt like a victim."
Earlier this week, McConaughey spoke with GQ about his memoir, which drew inspiration from old diaries he has kept since he was 14 years old.
"I remembered more than I thought I forgot. I was still embarrassed with some things I thought I might be embarrassed about, but I also laughed at a lot of stuff that I thought I might be embarrassed about," he said.
"I'm not much for looking back. I'm not a big sentimentalist," McConaughey added. "I don't really like nostalgia. It was intimidating to go look at 36 years of my diaries, and I knew it would be uncomfortable at times. I'd been putting this off for 15 years and finally got some time and the courage to go, 'Let's go see what they are.' And ended up having a much better time than I thought I might."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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