Rapper Common says he was sexually assaulted as a child

Common says he only recalled the assault while working on the 2018 film The Tale. Photo / Getty Images

• Content warning: This story discusses child sexual abuse.

Common has alleged that he was sexually assaulted as a child by a family friend.

The Oscar-winning rapper-turned-actor has opened up about the traumatic experience in his new memoir Let Love Have the Last Word, which reflects on his own journey with love and the knowledge he's gained from having therapy.

Common revealed that he didn't actually recall the incident until he was working on the 2018 film The Tale - which follows a woman investigating childhood rape - alongside his co-star Laura Dern, and the haunting memory suddenly came back to him.

In an extract of the book obtained by PEOPLE, Common said: "One day, while talking through the script with Laura, old memories surprisingly flashed in my mind. I caught my breath and just kept looping the memories over and over, like rewinding an old VHS tape... I said 'Laura, I think I was abused.'

"I was excited for a road trip I was about to take with my family. My mother; my godmother, Barbara; her son and my godbrother Skeet; and his relative, who I'll call Brandon... At some point, I felt Brandon's hand on me. I pushed him away. I don't remember saying a whole lot besides 'No, no, no.'"

Common claimed that the incident happened when he was around "9 or 10" after he and Brandon were made to share a bed together on the first night of their trip to the rapper's Aunt's house in Cleveland.

He added: "He kept saying, 'It's OK, It's OK,' as he pulled down my shorts and molested me. After he stopped he kept asking me to perform it on him. I kept repeating, 'No' and pushing him away."

The Hell On Wheels star explained that he "pushed" the ordeal "out of his head" for years because he instantly felt ashamed after the incident happened.

He added: "I felt a deep and sudden shame for what happened. I just pushed the whole thing out of my head.

"Maybe it's a matter of survival - even now, two years after that flash resurgence of memories, as I'm writing, I'm still working through all of this in myself and with my therapist."

WHERE TO GET HELP:

If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.