The Real Housewives Of Dubai star Chanel Ayan opened up about undergoing forced genital mutilation when she was young, and she also touched on surviving the circumcision and the impact of the process on her life.
Chanel Ayan Opens Up On The Traumatic Experience
Chanel Ayan first opened up about her experience on an episode of the RHODubai on August 17, where she talked about surviving a forced female circumcision in Africa at the early age of five. After the interview, she shared with E! News, “I’m a survivor.” She continued:
Chanel is of Ethiopian and Somali descent. The Bravo star explained that she and her sister had to forcefully undergo the circumcision. This was because “In my culture, it’s done to keep women virgins” until marriage.
She stated it all happened when her aunt and grandmother took them to a stranger who “sewed” up their private area. She explained that the process is practiced in over 28 African countries. The model shared that although the traumatic experience is something that would live with her “for the rest of my life,” she knows how important it is to bring notice to the disadvantages of the practice. She relayed:
What Did Chanel’s Upbringing Look Like?
Chanel has been open about her upbringing, which included the abuse by her father. During a hypnotherapy session on Wednesday’s episode of RHODubai, Chanel Ayan shared what her upbringing looked like.” The crying, sadness, the beatings. That’s what I remember. A lot of pain.” she stated. She further explained, “We were tied in the legs. Couldn’t pee. Couldn’t move. When we needed to pee, they carried us and put us on the grass,” and that her mother was not aware of what was happening.
After the therapy session, Chanel shared she was ready to move on and forgive those who wronged her. The actress has been married for 23 years and is very private with her husband, Chris, and their children.
