Ashanti joins her mother Tina and sister Kenashia ‘Shia’ Douglas in Wednesday’s episode of “Red Table Talk,” where hosts Jada Pinkett-Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow Smith get candid about domestic abuse. Shia was in a years-long relationship with her ex-fiancé, whose identity she has chosen not to publicly disclose, but their romance was plagued by physical and verbal abuse, continuously leaving Shia with bruised arms, a battered eye, and bloody scratches.
In one of the perhaps most brutal incidents, Shia even claimed that her ex had hit her so hard, it had knocked one of her teeth out — and even then, he continued to stalk her and allegedly watched her sleeping from her friend’s bedroom window. The heartbreaking situation weighed heavy on all of her family members, including Ashanti, who recounted having pulled up to her location with a bat.
“I was like, ‘Oh, nah.’ And I went into the garage, I got the bat; I pulled up in the truck, I had vaseline,” the “Rain On Me” singer said as Jada chimed in, “Yup, you were ready.” The call from Shia that her ex had shown up unannounced left Ashanti with so much adrenaline that she was ready to defend her sister at all costs.
It was just last month when Shia took to Instagram where she shared several gruesome photos of the injuries she had sustained during her volatile relationship. In one photo, Shia appears to be bleeding heavily from the inside of her mouth while one of her teeth is noticeably dislocated. Another photo shows a large black eye and bruised arms.
In support of Domestic Violence Awareness month, Shia posted the pics in hopes that she can help somebody else who may be struggling to leave their abusive partner.
“It is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Words will never be able to express the amount of pain, fury and disgust I feel reliving these moments… but at the same time I am so proud of how strong, courageous, resilient and unbreakable you are,” she wrote.
“Some women feel so scared that they have no way out… by sharing your story you bring hope, strength & continue to raise awareness for Domestic Violence. God continues to bless you every day as you grow, prosper… and walk in your purpose…your heart, mind and conscience are clear…you will get back EVERYTHING YOU DESERVE!!!”