Inside Lil Kim’s turbulent life – homeless, sexual abuse and tragic loss

Notorious for her flesh-baring image and sexually explicit lyrics, rapper Lil’ Kim shot to fame in the latter half of the 1990s.

But behind her out-the-box image, the star, real name Kimberly Denise Jones, has struggled with a slew of tragedies.

Candidly opening about her struggles with coming from a broken home, she revealed stunning details about her teen years and enduring a violent relationship with her father.

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She also opened up on the sexual abuse she endured as a child and the tragic loss of her mentor and “best friend” fellow rap icon, Biggy Smalls.

As she celebrates her 49th birthday, let’s take a look back as the star’s rollercoaster life

Homeless

In a heart-wrenching interview, the iconic rap sensation revealed her astonishing struggle with homelessness that started at the tender age of eight-years-old.

In her own poignant words, Lil’ Kim shared her painful memories, recounting how she and her courageous mother, determined to escape the clutches of her abusive father, found themselves without anywhere to live and seeking refuge in their car.

Unbelievably, their only sanctuary during those dark days was the cramped confines of their car, where they would sleep together each night in the small confines.

The back seat of their vehicle served as their humble abode, a constant reminder of the harshness life had dealt them.

“There was a time when my mother and I were living out of the trunk of her car,” Lil’ Kim says of the experience.

“We slept in the back seat.”

She later dealt with a second stint of homelessness when her father kicked her out of the house as a teen.

Abuse

Lil’ Kim shared the horrifying truth of witnessing her mother endure verbal and physical abuse at the hands of her father.

“There was a great deal of verbal abuse,” she confessed to The Washington Post. “And there was one time … when my mother had black eyes. My father told people she had fallen.”

Noting her religious beliefs, she told the magazine, “No matter what, I’m always going to be there for my family.”

Yet, despite their troubled history, Lil’ Kim’s unwavering commitment to family led her to care for her estranged father when he battled Alzheimer’s disease.

Unfortunately, Kim’s troubled childhood didn’t end there.

The rapper confessed to having endured sexual abuse at a family member’s house when she was a child, but of not wanting to “dwell on the pain” of the experience.

Huge Loss

In 1997, Lil’ Kim experienced a shocking loss when Biggie Smalls was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.

Reflecting on the aftermath of the murder, the rapper shared in interviews the profound impact of Biggie’s death on her life.

Not only was he Kim’s lover, but he was also her friend and mentor, playing a pivotal role in shaping her path to success.

Recounting the difficulty of letting go even a year later, Kim expressed her gratitude for the invaluable contributions Biggie had made to her career.

“Biggie easily accounts for 85% of my career,” as she conveyed her appreciation to Rolling Stone.

Subsequently, she channeled her grief into her second album, which she aptly titled “The Notorious K.I.M.” as a tribute to the late rapper.

Describing the immense challenge of working on the album without Biggie, Kim confided in the Los Angeles Times, stating: “It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk