Jewel speaks out about facing sexual harassment since age 8

Jewel
(Image credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

It's a big month for Grammy-nominated Jewel. Friday marked the release of her 12th studio album, Picking Up the Pieces, and she's got a memoir, Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, out Sept. 15. Jewel used the spotlight as a chance to open up about the sexual harassment she's faced since childhood.

"At 8, I had men putting dimes in my hands saying, 'Call me. It’d be so great to f— when you're older.' And just horrible stuff," Jewel told The Hollywood Reporter.

When she signed her first record deal at 18, Jewel was homeless and living out of her car — until it was stolen. She said she had been fired from her job after refusing to sleep with her boss. Jewel referred to businessmen she encountered during that time as "sharks" that could sniff out her vulnerability.

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"The music industry is a very male-dominated business," she said. "I never slept my way to the top, ever. There was never one time I've ever compromised anything. I was always willing to walk away."

Read more of her forthcoming interview here.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.