As I started to wake up, I knew what had happened. My body was frozen. I was in a state of shock, in denial. Of course he would never hurt me. He's my boyfriend, the one who "adores" me. It couldn't be. It had to be a bad dream.

Hip-hop star Missy Elliott is the new spokesperson for the national anti-domestic violence organization Break the Cycle. Elliott, who grew up with domestic violence, says...

That's how my first "love" was. This boy loved chess. But more than that, he loved to beat me up—emotionally and physically—until I believed I had no other choice than to take his abuse. Here's my story.