Mayor Villaraigosa Shares Abusive Childhood Stories In Exclusive Interview
In a CBS2 exclusive, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa revealed a secret that he's kept since his childhood on Monday night, one that involved an abusive home and an alcoholic father.
Villaraigosa, whose childhood continues to haunt him, watched his father repeatedly beat his mother. “It’s probably the only time in my life that I’ve ever felt helpless,” he said. As a young boy, he would hide under his bed with his little sister, listening to his mother's screams.
His father, who left when Villaraigosa was just 5-years-old, has no relationship with his son, and Villaraigosa says he holds no anger toward his father. Villaraigosa's mother, who later counseled abuse victims, served as his role model, guiding her son through a period of rocky academia and anger management issues. She died in 1991.
Protecting other domestic abuse victims, the mayor has helped fund Safe L.A., an organization dedicated to fighting domestic violence. He has reportedly secured millions in federal funds and private donations for the organization. Additionally, he teamed up with the LAPD last year to unite domestic abuse response teams with all 21 police divisions.
Urging domestic abuse victims to "come forward," Villaraigosa's message for 2012 is, "stop hiding." He said, "We should all be willing to put a light on the dark things that happen in our lives."
