Nene Leakes & Lisa Wu-Hartwell

Due to the recent events that has transpired between Chris Brown and Rihanna, the media has focused much needed attention to the issue of domestic violence. According to reports on “Good Morning America,” 3 women die in the United States everyday from domestic violence. There’s no doubt that domestic violence continues to rear its ugly head within our communities. Nene Leakes and Lisa Wu-Hartwell, from the reality series, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” spoke to “Essence” about their personal battles with domestic violence. The following is an excerpt from that interview.

Ugly. Fat. Whore. Conjure up the worst words one can call a woman, and the man Lisa Wu-Hartwell used to love laid them on her. In fact, she got so used to his calling her out that she was shocked only when he came up with a new word. “He was very sweet at first, but looking back on it now, there were signs of him being controlling from the beginning—little things like taking keys from me so I couldn’t leave or standing in the doorway so I couldn't get by,” she says. When the verbal abuse began, “I’d dismiss it by saying to myself, Oh, he’s upset-he’s calling you these things because he’s angry. You can’t see clearly when you’re in the situation—it’s almost like you don’t want to acknowledge it, especially if you’re all about that person."

To read more of the interview, visit www.essence.com or check out the March issue of “Essence” magazine on newsstands tomorrow.