Many are reflecting on Tina Turner's legacy in the wake of the superstar's death — not just for her contributions to music and pop culture, but her willingness to speak openly about domestic abuse.
Turner, who was born Anna Mae Bullock, endured more than a decade of abuse at the hands of her late husband Ike Turner.
When the divorce left her with nothing but her name, Turner rebuilt herself into an icon.
She has said that reliving the trauma continued to hurt her decades after escaping her marriage.
Yet some of her last interviews — one with British Vogue, the other with The Guardian — demonstrate her openness to speaking about the experience and how she overcame it.
Strength in being a 'survivor'
In sharing her experiences, Tina Turner became one of the highest-profile survivors to speak out, at a time when domestic violence was rarely in the headlines.
In 1981, she gave an interview with People Magazine, going public with the abuse she endured.
She retold her story in countless interviews, the 1993 film What's Love Got To Do With It and Tina Turner The Musical — which first premiered in 2018.
In an interview published by The Guardian early last month, Turner said she originally didn't want the musical to be made.
"I changed my mind – and that was definitely the right decision," she said.
Turner didn't just allow the musical to go ahead, she made it what it is.
She spoke about being involved in the musical — which is currently showing in Sydney — in an interview published on the British Vogue website a few days later.
"It was painful, sometimes, to revisit the past, but it gave me closure and answered some questions that still haunted me," she said.
She said it was important for her to be involved to make sure the details of her life were "just right" and people were represented "truthfully" on the stage.
In her interview with The Guardian, Turner was asked if she'd ever said "I love you" without meaning it.
"Not unless I was scared for mine or my children's lives," she said.
'Unapologetically herself'
Angela Basset, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the superstar in the 1993 film, said Turner "owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world".
"Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock and roll for herself and for others who look like her, Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like," Basset said.
This sentiment was echoed in the avalanche of tributes to Turner on social media yesterday.
"To me, she will always be a survivor and an inspiration to women everywhere," Mariah Carey said.
"I'm so grateful for your inspiration, and all the way you have paved the way. You are strength and resilience," Beyoncé wrote on her website.
"She was unapologetically herself — speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy," former US president Barack Obama said.
Walked away with 36 cents and her name
In a 2005 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Turner spoke about when she left her abusive ex-husband for good.
In 1976, he beat her while they were travelling to a hotel in Dallas ahead of a tour.
After waiting for him to fall asleep, she left with just 36 cents in her pocket and a pair of sunglasses to hide the bruises on her face.
"I was shaken, nervous, scared. But I knew I wasn't going back," she said.
With the help of one of her lawyers, she flew back to California.
"The next day was the Fourth of July — Independence Day. That holiday had never meant so much," she said.
Tina and Ike Turner married in 1962.
Between them, they had four children.
Raymond Craig was Tina's son from a previous relationship.
Ike Junior and Michael were Ike's sons from a previous relationship.
They also had one son together, Ronnie.
Tina adopted Ike's sons and Ike adopted Tina's son.
Turner's divorce was finalised in 1978.
"The divorce, I got nothing," she said.
"No money, no house, so I said 'I'll just take my name'."
The toll of retelling her story
A 2021 documentary about Turner looked at how hard it was for her to relive this time.
"Every time she's asked to re-tell her story, as beneficial as it may be for other people to hear and be empowered by it, it can be extremely painful and re-traumatising for her," director TJ Martin told the New York Post.
Turner said she had an abusive life, "there's no other way to tell the story".
"It hurts to have to remember those times but at a certain stage, forgiveness takes over.
"Forgiving means not to hold on.
"You let it go because by not forgiving, you suffer."
"Her story reached so many people who felt like they had to keep their secrets locked away deep down," Katori Hall said in the documentary.
"It's hard when the worst parts of your life are an inspiration," Basset said.
In recent years, Turner has been happily living out of the spotlight.
She told The Guardian that, after achieving the fame she wanted in her career, she was enjoying anonymity in her retirement.
What did she want her legacy to be?
She told The Guardian she wanted to be remembered "as the Queen of Rock'n'roll".
"As a woman who showed other women that it is OK to strive for success on their own terms," she said.
British Vogue asked Turner her secrets to a well-lived life.
Her answer has become even more poignant in light of her death.
"My life has been full, but with lots of sad times that I now forgive and strive to forget," she said.
"Maybe that's the answer: to keep moving forward, to let go, and aim to fill your life with love."
