Sir Patrick Stewart Talks About an Unspoken Reality of Witnessing Domestic Violence as a Child

“Star Trek” and “X-Men” star Sir Patrick Stewart has never shied away from sharing details of witnessing domestic violence growing up.

In a segment last week on ITV’s show “Loose Women,” the actor discussed an unspoken reality of seeing his mother physically abused at the hands of his father, who was a veteran soldier living with PTSD.

We became experts in something children should never ever have to deal with, which was listening to the argument and judging when the moment arrived when the argument would transform into violence. And at those moments, we would go in, and all we could do really was try and put our our bodies between our mother and father.

This isn’t the first time Stewart has spoken about domestic violence. In 2009, the actor penned a piece for the Guardian about the legacy of domestic violence and explained how his experiences affected him as an adult.

“He was an angry, unhappy and frustrated man who was not able to control his emotions or his hands,” he wrote. “Such experiences are destructive. In my adult life I have struggled to overcome the bad lessons of my father’s behavior, this corrosive example of male irresponsibility.”

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90 percent of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.

Stewart shared he was not able to receive help as a child, but urged others to reach out for the help they need if they are a witness or victim of domestic violence.

“One of the problems for domestic violence is the shame that is attached to it for everybody. The victim, as well as the abuser and the children too,” the actor said on “Loose Women.”

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, please know you are not alone and there is help available to you. For more resources, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, or call the hotline at 1-800-799-7233.