Queen Latifah has gone public with a painful chapter in her life.

In the latest issue of Essence magazine, the singer-actress says she was sexually abused as a child.

The abuse occurred over a period of time and at the hands of a teenager charged with watching her, the Associated Press is reporting.

"He violated me," Latifah is quoted as saying. "I never told anybody; I just buried it as deeply as I could and kept people at an arm's distance."

The 39-year-old entertainer said she eventually told her parents and has gone through therapy. Her new album "Persona" arrives in July.

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