Tulisa has opened up for the first time about how she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the age of 16.
Tulisa has opened up about the time she was sexually assaulted at 16. [Copyright Wenn]
The singer has revealed the ordeal in her autobiography 'Honest: My Story so Far' with extracts being serialised by The Sun all this week.
The singer recalls that when she was sixteen she joined a group of boys that she was friendly with to a rave.
She quickly noticed that the group were dropping pills into each other's drinks so decided to lie to them that she had a heart condition in order to prevent them doing the same to her.
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She said: "I think I lied and told them I had a heart condition just to make sure that nobody tried any funny business. And they all promised to keep me out of it."
However, an hour later as Tulisa was chatting to one of the boys from her group she noticed that she felt 'abnormally drunk'.
She described: "It was like I was off my face and I knew I hadn't drunk anywhere near enough to to feel out of control."
"Before I knew it, I was dizzy and could hardly stand up. So the guy I'd been chatting to took me outside the club to get some air."
And that was the last that Tulisa remembered of the club, the next thing she can recall was waking up in a taxi and before blacking out again.
Tulisa now realises that she had nothing to be ashamed off. [Copyright Wenn]
The next time Tulisa came to, she realised that her supposed friend was having non-consensual sex with her.
She recalls: "I couldn't even move, let alone get up or speak, and once again I just blacked out. When I finally woke up in the morning I found myself in a strange house."
"I went into the bathroom and burst into tears. Then I pulled myself together, got dressed, and left without saying another word, crying all the way home."
Tulisa never went to the police about the incident out of shame and embarrassment.
She admits: "I realise now of course that I'd done nothing to be ashamed of and the boy in question should have been prosecuted but I was young and confused and not strong enough to speak up."
If you have concerns over similar issues you can contact Rape Crisis.