Shania Twain details violent childhood and how she found bravery

Country music star Shania Twain, 60, told NPR’s “Wild Card with Rachel Martin” that she grew up in a “very violent” home in Timmins, Ontario. She described frequent physical fights between her mother Sharon and stepfather Jerry Twain, noting that “our house would shake” and that she and her sisters were often “kicked around.” Twain also recounted sexual abuse by her stepfather and chronic hunger during her childhood.

Twain said she was forced to become self‑reliant after her mother and stepfather died in a 1987 car crash, leaving her to care for her younger siblings. She later survived a high‑profile divorce from producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, vocal‑cord surgery, and a bout with Lyme disease. In recent interviews she emphasized learning to be “brave” early on, saying, “I had to learn how to be brave really early on and not crumble.” Twain’s new album “Little Miss Twain” reflects these personal memories.

The revelations add depth to Twain’s public narrative, highlighting the contrast between her early hardships and her status as the best‑selling female country‑pop artist of all time.