Has the Media Made Domestic Violence a Form of Entertainment?

Philadelphia, PA (BlackNews.com) - Domestic violence is no stranger to Essence best-selling author Brenda L. Thomas who, after having success with several novels decided to pen her memoir, Laying Down My Burdens. After ending a violent marriage of 15 years, during which her husband threatened her with death if she were to ever pen her story, Ms. Thomas is speaking out on the violence that erupted between Rihanna and Chris Brown and most recently the report of BeBe Winans arrest. "It's important that individuals in the public eye make it their priority to see domestic violence awareness become as much a part of public efforts as breast cancer and other ills and not just mere entertainment," says Ms. Thomas.


There is a long list of celebrities whose lives have been affected by domestic violence, either as a victim, an abuser or simply as a witness. Celebrity or not, most victims have chosen to remain silent because of its mere shame and embarrassment. Currently the U.S. Justice Department reports that 1 to 3 million women are physically abused by their husbands or boyfriends each year. However, those statistics are even clearer when you read the papers and see that over the course of a recent weekend (PA-MD) in March, three women were violently murdered by their abusers, leaving one victim's 11-year old daughter hospitalized with stab wounds. What more statistics do we need?

To give those who might be hesitant to speak out for themselves a voice, Ms. Thomas has been committed to touring the country and sharing her message of L.O.U.D. (Living Out Your Dreams) which is about the importance of never giving up, no matter what the obstacle.

Throughout her literary career she has penned four best-selling novels, Threesome, Fourplay, The Velvet Rope and Every Woman's Got a Secret in addition to three anthologies, Four Degrees of Heat, Kiss the Year Goodbye and Indulge. Ms. Thomas has provided commentary on various subjects through a wide variety of national media outlets, appearing on shows such as CNN, Dateline, and Entertainment Tonight.