Let’s be real here—Sharon Stone has always been an open book to her fans. Ever since she burst onto the scene in the 1992 film Basic Instinct, she’s been sharing her heart and soul with us. Whether it’s her passions, her work, or even the terrifying stroke in 2001 that almost took her life and career, Sharon has never shied away from speaking her truth. But there was one chapter of her life that remained hidden—until now.
A Childhood Trauma Finally Revealed
In her deeply personal memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, Sharon Stone opens up about the darkest part of her childhood. In this book, she shares how she and her sister, Kelly, were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of their maternal grandfather, Clarence Lawson. What’s even more painful is that their mother, Dorothy, didn’t protect them. Sharon admits that even after her grandfather passed away, the weight of this secret created a rift between her and her mom. “I’ve felt anger and indignation, and I’ve responded with condescension and cruelty,” Sharon writes, reflecting on her strained relationship with Dorothy. “Eventually, I had to face myself and decided to cut ties with her.”
The Power of Breaking Silence
For years, Sharon and Kelly didn’t talk about what happened to them. It wasn’t until they were in their twenties that they finally broke the silence. And you know what? Talking about it changed everything. It brought them closer together and freed them from the shadow of their grandfather’s abuse. “Now that we’ve shattered the vow of silence, we’re truly present with each other,” Sharon reveals. “But the hard truth is that it’s been decades too late.”
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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Angel Naval/MARINA PRESS/Shutterstock (10468312an)
Sharon Stone
Harper’s Bazaar Attitude Awards, Madrid, Spain – 05 Nov 2019
Rebuilding Relationships, One Conversation at a Time
Rebuilding her relationship with Dorothy wasn’t easy. It took time, patience, and a lot of soul-searching. “I had to see my mother as a person, separate from the childhood experiences and judgments I had about her,” Sharon writes. By writing her memoir and reading it aloud to her mom, Sharon found a way to heal. “Just speaking it out loud to each other cleared the air and let us see each other in a new light,” she explains. “I saw a woman I never really knew—a brilliant woman who never had the chance to dream.”
For more incredible stories like this, grab the latest issue of Closer magazine, available at newsstands now.
