*Laurence Fishburne is famously known for playing Ike Turner in the biopic “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” but many fans may not know that the actor himself once underwent therapy after subjecting his first wife to physical abuse.
The Emmy award-winning got candid about his abusive past in a new interview with Jemele Hill for her podcast “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered.” The award-winning journalist asked Fishburne about getting into character to play Ike Turner, who abused his ex-wife, music icon Tina Turner.
“Having had some experience with that as a young man, I did a lot of counseling,” Fishburne said of playing Ike Turner, as reported by MadameNoire.
“I found a great African American therapist who helped me deal with my anger issues,” Fishburne continued.
READ MORE: Laurence Fishburne is Open to Hitting the Dating Scene
My guest this week on @JHillUnbothered is the incredible Laurence Fishburne. We talk about his extraordinary ESPN documentary, Cave of Adullam, which he executive produces. We also discuss if he regrets turning down the role that made Samuel L. Jackson a star and more. pic.twitter.com/BeDZvoJcxz
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 21, 2022
“Because I had been physical with my first wife. I got married when I was twenty-three years old, my first wife was twenty-one,” he said of his ex, Hajna O. Moss. “And our relationship was very volatile. And I was physically abusive with my first wife, to my regret, and to my shame.”
Fishburne continued, “So, I was very familiar with the territory and with the emotional landscape of what, you know, brings a person to that place. Where they feel the need to be abusive to their partner.”
Fishburne said he was in therapy for about five years working through his emotional issues.
“I didn’t really, specifically, work on the source of my anger,” he explained to Jemele. “It was really about how to recognize it when it was coming up, what my triggers were, and what were the behaviors that I could use that would counter it. That would help me to move in a different direction.”
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