Overcoming Childhood Abuse, Papoose, More

On this episode of ‘Stepping Into The Shade Room,’ two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields is sitting down to discuss everything from severe childhood trauma, her relationship with Papoose, “mistress” allegations, training Chrisean Rock, her acting dreams, and more. As she chats with host Thembi, Shields gets candid about her life in and out of the ring.

Claressa Shields Opens Up About Overcoming Childhood Abuse

About 12 minutes into the conversation, Claressa Shields spoke about being sexually assaulted at the age of five. Per Shields, the act was committed by her mother’s boyfriend. And she and her mother never spoke about the incident until she was around 16 or 17 years old.

“I felt like she chose the relationship over me,” Shields told Thembi. “… We didn’t have a good relationship. It was always, like, me fighting her boyfriends and me having beef with them. I just didn’t like the men that used to be around.”

Shields explained that as she got older, she forgave her mother and felt free enough to share her story.

She Sets The Record Straight On “Mistress” Claims

Around the 30-minute mark, Shields discussed her romance with Papoose. She doubled down on stating that she has never been the rapper’s “mistress” or “sidechick.”

“It’s been lies that’s been told. But it has nothing to do with us,” she said. “… I was never no damn mistress. I was never no sidechick. Get the f**k out of here. That doesn’t make sense. When they realize what happened on the other side, that’s when you can understand…”

Furthermore, scroll above to watch as Claressa Shields delves deeper into her romance with Papoose and their life before their relationship went public. Additionally, she speaks about her previous engagement. Lastly, the pro-boxer speaks on her family plans and more!

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