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NAPLES, FLORIDA: Though Donna Summer was the 'Queen of Disco' in the '70s, she reportedly did not have an easy life. It was reported that she was sexually abused as a child and also attempted to kill herself. This shocking revelation came to light in the HBO documentary ‘Love to Love You, Donna Summer,' which aired on May 20.
Summer died on May 17, 2012, at her home in Naples, Florida, after struggling with lung cancer. She was 63 at the time, Now, as a documentary on her life was released, her youngest daughter. Brooklyn Sudano, spoke to Fox News Digital about her mother's tough life.
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‘You also have to know the lows’
Sudano reportedly said, “In order to understand the greatness and magnitude of her triumphs, you also have to know the lows. You also have to know what we had to work through and overcome in order to get there and why she decided to do certain things.”
The documentary has been co-directed by Sudano and Roger Ross Williams, featuring the late icon's loved ones. As per reports, Summer released ‘Love to Love You Baby’ in 1975, which took her career to another level. She then went on to create the albums ‘A Love Trilogy’ and ‘Four Seasons of Love,’ which reportedly gave her the title of sex goddess.
Referring to the hit numbers, Sudano said, “I think in order to portray something like that and own it in the way that she did, it has to be a part of you. So I don’t think that part of it was fake."
“It was just one part of her, one facet of her ability and charm. I think the struggle was that she was then put in a box as a performer… I don’t think she realized how big [things would get], but she understood that there was a door there,” she added.
‘What you see is not what I am’
However, things were reportedly not as glamorous for Summer at home. In the documentary, a clip shows the singer saying, “You’re looking at me, but what you see is not what I am. How many roles do I have to play in my own life?” When the ‘Last Dance’ singer was a child, her pastor sexually abused her, Fox News Digital reported. Besides, in 1976, she almost killed herself.
Summer reportedly said after the incident, “Another 10 seconds, and I would have been gone. I felt God could never forgive me because I had failed him. I was decadent, I was stupid, I was a fool. I just decided that my life had no meaning.”
‘There were a lot of secrets’
Mentioning the abuse her mother suffered, Sudano shared, “It was multiple years with the pastor. This was stuff I had heard about as I got older about my mother. As we said in the film, there were a lot of secrets. There were a lot of things we didn’t talk about. But you’re dealing with the trauma, whether you know what the trauma is or not.”
The 42-year-old actress noted, “And so, it was really important to flesh that out, for the audience to understand what she was carrying and had to overcome… I thought it was very important to tackle those things and show our family working through some of those things… If we can talk about it, maybe that will permit somebody else to talk about it as well.”
Sudano continued, “The experience has been very healing for us. It’s important to talk about these difficult things, things that may not be so easy to face. You’re never going to heal if it’s kept quiet or swept under the rug. Hopefully, this film will inspire other families to have those kinds of discussions.”
‘My mother… was somebody of great forgiveness’
Sexual abuse was not the only injustice Summer faced in her life, she was also beaten up by artist Peter Muhldorfer during their relationship. In the movie, Muhldorfer reportedly said, “I hit her, and I never could forgive myself.”
Sudano shed light on how Muhldorfer got ready to talk. She stated, “I had spoken to my aunts and I knew that my mother had forgiven him. So there was a certain permission that I felt in talking to him and having that part of this story in a real way. My mother… was somebody of great forgiveness. Even when people didn’t deserve it, she was very generous in spirit. And I think that through forgiveness, there’s healing. And through some of these hard conversations, there’s healing.”
Williams added, “I was really surprised. It took a while to get him to agree to do the interview, and it took a while to find him. But I think he really wanted to get this off his chest. And I think Brooklyn gave him permission to do that because she’s Donna’s daughter. And it was a pretty amazing interview. It was pretty revealing. I’m sure it was quite emotional for Brooklyn. Even for me.”