Gabriel Byrne Talks of Childhood Sexual Abuse

By PopEater Staff Posted Jan 20th 2010 06:22AM

Gabriel Byrne revealed on an Irish talk show this week that he was sexually abused when he was an 11-year-old altar boy. The 'Usual Suspects' and 'Miller's Crossing' star disclosed that he went to England for 4 1/2 years to train for the priesthood, but was molested by a member of the clergy there.

"Unfortunately, I experienced some sexual abuse," he said on the show 'The Meaning of Life.' "It was a known and admitted fact of life amongst us that there was this particular man, and you didn't want to be left in the dressing room with him."

He continued, "It took many years to come to terms with it and to forgive those incidents that I felt had deeply hurt me."

Another priest abused him at the seminary. "It didn't go on over a prolonged period but it happened at a very, very vulnerable moment," Byrne recalled.

"Again, I didn't think it severely impacted me at the time. But when I think about my later life, and how I had difficulties with certain issues, there is the real possibility they could have been attributable to that."

In the interview, the notoriously somber actor talked about the "black periods" in his life, which included depression and alcoholism. He said that he was "beaten very regularly" as a child, but denies ever laying a hand on his two kids and ex-wife Ellen Barkin.

He abandoned seminary after he decided his love of women outweighed his desire to become a priest.

Comments

(30)

Wednesday 20 January

By The Villain

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wasn't he the frontman for The Talking Heads ???

By stace

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Try David Byrne.... not Gabriel

I know. The minute I clicked on the confirmation link I thought, "PETER" Thanks anyway.

By FABULOUS TONI

He is an excellent actor. I 1st saw him in Little Women with Susan Sarandon. May he find peace within himself. Forgiveness is awesome.

God Bless America
Jesus is Lord

Friday 29 January

By tduke79912

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The Catholic Church is in denial about sexual hanky-panky by the clergy. If a member of Congress abused a Congressional page or a famous movie star did the same thing, it would be big news. Catholics should ask themselves, why would Jesus allow this to happen?

By bob

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Is there anyone in Hollywood who wasn't raped by a priest or their father?

By glynspsa

Some, but unfortunately most artist thru history have tortured souls. This is one of the reasons so many escape so deeply into their charecters and also horrible things like drugs.

By Gary Mayer

bob: Is there anyone, anywhere who doesn't say they were molested? I was, twice, but it didn't have any effect on my life. For years, I didn't give it a thought, but then the press began having their day with pedophilia. I think there are degrees of molestation, although counselors disagree. My cases were not very humiliating, perhaps 10th degree sexual assault.

Perhaps I'm just very flexible, as many have referred to me as being; i.e. I don't make a big fuss over the past unless it's something I'm very happy and proud about.

By steve

Thats why all these stars are f..ked up.

By pete

me too, me too!

My life is slowing down, not as many roles, not as much face time as I'd like. Time to claim abuse.

Of course, if I just honed my acting skills I'd be better off, but it's easier to blame somebody else for my failure, and the Church is an easy target.

By undaar

Liar. Everytime the cameras turn away, they have to pull some sympathy BS like this to get back into the spotlight. Hope he never works again.

Liar. Everytime these guys are slipping in the public's attention they have to pull some sympathy BS like this to get back in the spotlight. Hope he never works again.

By Bobbb

Which guy is best for Jennifer Aniston?
Gerard Butler
John Mayer
Jake Gyllenhaal

HOW ABOUT: NONE OF THE ABOVE X

By william rauh

Well....I guess he has to jump on the old bandwagon too. It does help ratings I guess. Now everyone will want to watch the show to see what he's got (NOT !!!!)

By valeskas

On A&E they have a series about ghosts and actors, I tought that really took the cake. Also, most of the actors say they are jewish, is that true, I do not know. Yes, it is getting to me too, that actors have all kind of behavior and use any excuse in the book, so we feel sorry for them. There are of course true stories, but with anyone claiming, all sorts of things, after a while it gets tiresome to listen to them. Questions what keeps Lindsay away from cleaning houses or something like it. But no, she goes to the Vienna Opera, with an old rich austrian man, for money.

By person

You sheeple really have your head in the sand if you think sexual abuse of children doesn't run rampant in the clergy. Wake up and have an independent thought.

By Jeannie

You know, Pete and undaar, you two are utter fools. I'm also Catholic, but that doesn't mean I don't know that there were a few too many bad apples in the priesthood who did heionous things to little boys. How dare you call Mr. Bryne a liar? How the hell do YOU two know what happened to him? More important, though, than the childish rantings of a couple of posting morons, is the fact that this man was abused, and yet didn't grow up to be a pedophile or serial killer...after all, that's the excuse so many of those pathetic pukes use as to why they turned out to be such despicable excuses for human beings. At least this man was able to rise above it, show forgiveness, and not use it as an excuse for doing horrible things to other people. I was abused, too (by my step father), but I didn't grow up to be some foul and worthless piece of crap like Jeffrey Dalhmer or William Gacy. Bad things happen to good kids--it's a sad part of life. What those kids do with their lives afterwards is a testament to their worth as a human being. I, for one, am proud of Gabriel Bryne for his courage and forgiveness.

By jjrdman

Friggin' go to England for the Seminary...or anything else for that matter, and what do you expect will happen?? You're practically asking for it, you know?!!! Get over it. Go donate your time helping people with real problems, like terminal cancer patients, instead of focussing on yourself. Friggin' cry-baby!

By bunchamorons

jjrdman YOU are the biggest piece of crap to post yet! We are talking about CHILDREN being molested. Do you really think they have or had ANY idea something like this would happen?? This was probably 40 years ago - before the internet, before the "age of information", a much more innocent time for these kids. Unfortunately not so innocent for some of the ADULTS around them! And yet, even in this day of information, there are STILL kids with no clue and still adults who think they can get away with this crap! Get over it? Crybaby? He wasn't whining, he was explaining and saying he pretty much HAS gotten over it, but it HAS affected him. I'd really like to see YOU with someone's thing forced up YOUR butt or in your mouth and see how YOU get over it! But then again, you'd probably enjoy it.

By evey

Gabrial is sooooo sexy and I have met him at the restaurant I worked at a few times. Oh those blue eyes and smile. Molestation is in the Catholic Church, trust me I went for 12 years of my schooling but did not continue after High School. That was many, many years ago. Yes molestation does affect you, sometimes in big ways and many times in a subtle way that you do not realize that is why you live some situations in your life the way you do.

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