Kushboo Sundar says she was sexually abused by her father since she was 8: ‘One fear that stayed...'

Actor-turned-politician Kushboo Sundar, who recently took charge as a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW), revealed that she was sexually abused by her father since the age of eight in an interaction with Barkha Dutt for Mojo Story.

Kushboo said, ‘I think when a child is abused, it scars the child for life and it’s not about a girl or a boy. My mother has been through the most abusive marriage. A man who probably thought it was his birthright to beat up his wife, beat up his children, sexually abuse his only daughter. When my abuse started I was just 8 years old and I had the courage to speak against him when I was 15.’

She added, ‘One fear that stayed with me was my mom may not believe me because I have seen her in that environment where there was ‘kuch bhi hojaye mera pati devata hai (no matter what happens, my husband is my God)’ mindset. But at 15 I thought that it was enough and I started revolting against him. I was not even 16 and he left us with whatever we had and we didn’t know where the next meal will come from.’

Last month, after her nomination in NCW, Kushboo Sundar thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trusting her with this responsibility. Speaking with news agency ANI, she said, ‘I have taken up the charge as a member of NCW, I have been vocal against atrocities on women and now this is a big platform given to me. I am grateful to PM Modi and NCW for trusting me with this responsibility.’

Kushboo Sundar is an actor, film producer, and television presenter. She ventured into politics in 2010 and joined the DMK. She then moved to Congress in 2014 and became the party's spokesperson. In 2020, she eventually shifted to the BJP and contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls but was defeated by DMK's N Ezhilan.

Also Watch| Aditi Rao Hydari reacts to dating rumours with Siddharth: ‘I am really happy’