Alexandra Burke Opens Up About Domestic Abuse
British singer Alexandra Burke has opened up about the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, branding her experiences "horrendous".
The Hallelujah hitmaker, who won the U.K. version of The X Factor in 2008, was a teenager when she endured a turbulent relationship and was forced to flee to safety.
She tells Britain's Daily Mirror, "It was horrendous. I couldn't talk to anyone about it. That's the whole point of domestic violence, you don't speak about what you're going through - you don't have the confidence to.
"I remember one day when he went to hit me one more time and I decided that was it. I was out of the door in my pyjamas and left, gone."
Burke wants to use her fame to highlight the issue, and is hoping the surge in social networking sites will help her reach out to fans.
She adds, "God's blessed me to be able to have a voice and I don't mean in a singing way. If I start talking on Twitter or Facebook about domestic violence and what you can do to stop it, then I'm lucky I'll be heard.
"No-one at any time in their life, whatever age or country they're from, should ever go through domestic violence... No man should put their hand on a woman or treat her like she's a slave or a doormat, it's not right.
"Women are beautiful and strong and shouldn't be treated any other way, no matter where you happen to be in the world. But there will be a happy ending for a lot of women if they get help."
