Photo Credit: Getty Images
Singer Joss Stone has revealed for the first time that she was in an abusive relationship during an "extremely dangerous" period in her life. She shared her experience in a series of Instagram videos in response to a fan question, in which a listener asked for advice on leaving an abusive partner.
Stone explained how she attempted to leave her former partner multiple times, but each effort became increasingly perilous. "I had tried to leave him; I can't tell you how many times. And each time it felt like it was getting more and more dangerous," she said. In one particularly harrowing incident, she recalled being thrown out into the rain at night wearing only a T-shirt. "He thought that he'd locked the gate and that I was stuck in the driveway, and I didn't know the code to get out. He just thought he'd sort of trapped me in the rain. I did know the code," she said.
She described her desperate flight: "My feet were killing me, getting ripped up by the bloody concrete. I'm running and thinking I'm going to get to the end of the road, and I have nothing, nothing, no phone, how am I going to call anybody and what do I do. And as I started to think that I slowed down and I turned around and the f**er was running after me." Stone added that her former partner allegedly told her the police were coming to arrest her, though she dismissed it as "all a load of bulls."
Stone ultimately escaped the relationship thanks to her career. "I was able to leave him because I am a touring musician. So, I used to go on the road to do my job. I just decided to never go back," she explained. She emphasized that attempting a face-to-face breakup was "extremely dangerous" and not necessary for survival.
The singer shared the story to help others in similar situations, highlighting the importance of planning ahead. "A bag and a plan is a good idea," she advised, suggesting essentials like identification, a new phone, and cash, as well as teaching children a safe word if applicable. She urged, "Pack that bag. Make your plan and execute it with grace and class and precision."
Stone also stressed that abuse is common and not a reflection of the victim. "I'm telling this story to highlight the fact that we are not alone, sadly it is super common, 1 in 3 women are abused by their partners at some point. So don't let it break you. Don't let it become your identity, don't let it crush your beautiful spirit. Only a coward abuses a woman. He is weak, you are strong."
Now married to former US Marine Cody DaLuz with four children, Stone hopes her openness encourages others to leave unsafe relationships safely.
