Toni Braxton Opens Up About Her Secret Abortion
In Toni Braxton's new memoir Unbreak My Heart, she makes some startling revelations about her personal life, including a difficult decision she once made to have an abortion. ET's Nancy O'Dell sat down with the R&B singer to discuss that decision, as well as her past financial problems and one of her son's autism.
"I never thought I would have to do that," the 46-year-old Braxton recalls about her decision to terminate her pregnancy. At the time, she was on the heavy-duty acne drug Accutane -- which carries some serious side effects for fetuses -- but she also said other factors came into play.
"I felt selfish because I was thinking, I'm going through bankruptcy -- there's things going on with my life and I can't give this kid any future. I was feeling hopeless for no reason, when I look at it now for no reason, what was I thinking?"
VIDEO: Watch: Toni Braxton's Riverdance to Repel Bees
She added: "I am not really embarrassed about it, I am more ashamed of myself for
doing that because I could've figured something out financially -- that
was just an excuse I was making for myself."
When asked whether she still deals with the guilt today, Braxton responded, "I often tell myself I have three kids. I have two boys, but I often have to tell myself I have two kids. But in my head I feel like I have three kids.
She also spoke about learning that her now 11-year-old son Diezel was diagnosed with autism. "I thought it was because of the abortion, God was punishing me," she revealed. "And it took a long time for me to get past that."
Watch the video to also hear Braxton talk about the pressure to look good in the industry and her thoughts on breast implants.
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