Patrick Stewart Opens Up About 'Horrifying' Experience of Being Raised in a Violent Home: 'I Felt Shame'
Renowned actor Patrick Stewart has shared deeply personal details about his traumatic childhood experiences with domestic violence, breaking decades of silence on the subject. In a candid interview opens up for ITV's documentary "Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors," the 84-year-old Star Trek icon revealed the devastating impact of witnessing abuse in his home.
Stewart described how his life changed dramatically when his father returned home after World War II in 1945, when Patrick was just 6 years old. "It was horrifying," the actor recalled, describing the regular occurrences of domestic violence he witnessed.
The actor painfully recounted how he and his brother Trevor would position themselves on the stairs leading to their bedrooms, becoming attuned to the patterns of their father's behavior. "We became experts at understanding where the shouting was going, what it was going to lead to, and we always knew the moment that the violence was going to begin," Stewart shared.
In particularly heart-wrenching moments, Stewart described how his brother Trevor would physically intervene between their parents, while their mother would insist she didn't need protection. The young Patrick would also cry out, attempting to stop the violence.
One memorable incident involved a brave female neighbor who confronted Stewart's father during one of his violent episodes. "She walked over to my father, pushed her sleeves up, put up her fists and said, 'Come on, Al Stewart, try it on me,'" Stewart recalled. His father backed down, though the incident left a lasting impression.
The actor admitted to carrying the weight of these experiences in silence for many years. "Domestic violence was something that people never spoke about. And so I never told anyone. I kept it all to myself. It was locked inside me, and I felt shame," he revealed.
By sharing his story now, Stewart helps shed light on the lasting effects of domestic violence and the importance of speaking out against abuse. His powerful testimony serves as a reminder that domestic violence impacts entire families and can leave deep emotional scars that persist well into adulthood.