Angela Simmons Reveals Past Abusive Relationship

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Angela Simmons opened up for the first time about being in an abusive relationship and why she hadn’t spoken about it before.

The 32-year-old appeared on The Breakfast Club this week with sister Vanessa and brother JoJo and was asked about the work she does in the community helping other women and being honest with them about what she’s gone through. It was then that she revealed her experience.

“I think being open is not a difficult thing for me, it’s just being honest. The reason I do women empowerment stuff is because I’ve been through a lot,” she said. “I’ve firsthand dealt with abuse and never really spoke about it and I know there are a lot of women that are stuck and stuff like that, which is why I made my program Pressure Makes Diamonds, because it’s not what you went through but what you came out as. So it’s like, people need to tell their story from where they’re at now, not be ashamed of what flaws and what they have because I went through that quietly, fought my own silent, like public battle because people would never know. It’s hard to get out and I think it needs to be talked about. Women need to protect themselves or get people around them, because you need support in order to get out. You can’t do it alone.”

Simmons said she didn’t open up about her experience when it was happening to her family even, hoping that it wouldn’t be a continuous thing.

“It’s like, I think when you’re in it, it’s something you want to get through, kind of. You want to work through it,” she said. “First of all, you can’t believe you’re in it. You’re like, wait, how did I get here? Then you’re like, it’s going to go away, it’s not going to keep happening.”

“It just starts off small, flicking your head and then next thing you know, things are being thrown at you so it’s like, it just happened so quick and so those conversations really don’t happen with my family until I’m done with it,” she said. “I’m in a better head space and I know that I’m done and I can focus in and get therapy and move on. But it’s a tough situation, it’s definitely tough to talk about when you’re in it. I know I have found there have been a lot of women who just don’t speak about it and they’re stuck in relationships and marriages or whatever it is, be it they stay for their kids, or they stay because they don’t have financial means to get out of it, but by all means you could wind up not here tomorrow and it happens to women all the time. So I just encourage people to get help. Even if you’re silently getting help, you’ve got to get help.”

She admitted that she never thought she would find herself in an abusive relationship, and once she was in it she didn’t feel she could or should talk about it.

“I think it’s more of a scared thing,” she said. “I don’t know if I would have been embarrassed, more afraid or just not sure of what was going on or is this really this person doing this to me? You know what I mean? Because you see different sides of people. They can be abusing you but then they’re loving you at the same time. All of a sudden you’re confused. So it is tough but that’s definitely why I created programs and why I’m really big on women empowerment and all that stuff.”

While Simmons never mentioned whom she had this destructive relationship with, hit the flip to see a list of men she’s dated and/or rumored to have been connected to over the years just because (no need to speculate!):

Source: WENN.com / WENN

Bow Wow

Simmons and Bow Wow have always had chemistry, but the pair never got out of the dating stage into a serious relationship. He has said that they didn’t work out in the past because he wanted a sexual relationship, but she was a virgin.

Source: Reggie Collier / WENN / WENN

Terry Kennedy

The professional skater dated Simmons in 2008.

Source: Greg Doherty / Getty

Skillz

Simmons dated producer Skillz, one half of Play-n-Skillz, from 2008 to 2010.

Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

Julius Peppers

She was rumored to have dated the former NFL player in 2009, but again, it could have just been rumors.

Source: Patrick McMullan / Getty

Rob Kardashian

After being seen hanging out with the lone male Kardashian kid, Simmons was rumored to be dating Rob in 2010.

Source: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com / WENN

Lance Gross

Way before the actor married and started a family, he was seen out and about with Simmons from 2010 to 2011.

Source: Grant Halverson / Getty

Cam Newton

In the years before his four kids and eclectic style, Cam Newton was rumored to have briefly dated Simmons in 2011.

Source: Sheri Determan/WENN.com / WENN

Romeo Miller

If you currently watch Growing Up Hip Hop, you know Romeo Miller and Simmons have been doing this dance of flirtation for some time, but it’s never turned into an actual relationship.

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

Sutton Tennyson

Of course, Simmons was engaged to partner Sutton Tennyson, and they were together from 2015 to 2017, welcoming son Joseph Sutton Tennyson.