San Antonio Spur Lonnie Walker IV Reveals History of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Instagram Post
- Instagram / buddah
Spurs’ shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV surprised fans Thursday by sharing in an emotional Instagram post that he’d been sexually abused as a child.
The revelation accompanied a video explanation of the Spur’s journey with his distinctive towering hairstyle. It also included video of his encounter with clippers, documenting the complete removal of his signature locks.
“The real truth as to why I started doing this in early 5th grade, it was a cloaking device for me,” Walker wrote.
“During the summer of my 5th grade year I was around more family… I was sexually harassed, raped, abused, I even got accustomed to it because being at that age you don’t know what is what,” Walker wrote.
In the post, Walker explained that the had lived in a mindset where his hair was something he could control, and it gave him confidence.
“Me cutting my hair was more than a cut,” he wrote. “My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurity’s that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now [is] better than ever. Out with old. In with the new.”
Walker also made headlines earlier this month when he joined San Antonians in cleaning up vandalized businesses downtown following unrest that played out after a peaceful protest decrying the killing of George Floyd.
“During this protest everyone isn’t seeing eye level, but we have to understand we can only control what we can control,” Walker said in a statement posted to Twitter, accompanied by photos of the cleanup efforts.
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