Earlier this week, Heaven Howard, Terrence Howard‘s third child, revealed on Instagram that she was molested by her cousin at age 7.
“I forgive him,” she explained in the emotional video. She shared this because of her new short film, Princess Love— though noted that her heart was racing and she wasn’t completely sure if she was ready to speak about the incident.
“I don’t cry because of him. It’s not that. I hurt for him because when he was two years old— he was just a baby. He was raped, so when he was 12, he did something to me,” Heaven stated. “He deserved to be protected, but he wasn’t.”
Heaven continued and expressed that she was “so thankful” for Chris Dabney, the writer-director behind Princess Love and his portrayal of generational abuse.
“I don’t think I have many words, but let the story guide you,” she shared. “I am so lucky to be apart of it. I’m so grateful to be able to speak and put a name to it. I am not afraid. I am not ashamed. I am proud […] Do not pity me. Watch and understand that this happens. Don’t look away.”
Princess Love centers around 16-year-old Madison (Howard) who becomes pregnant from a sexual assault after losing her mother. Per IMDb, “Alone, scared and confused, she decides to take matters into her own hands as she turns to the only person she has left— her father, Mark [played by Eric Roberts].”
It is currently available on demand via Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube.
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