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American actor Terrence Howard’s daughter, Heaven, recently went viral after she claimed to have been molested by her male cousin when she was only 7 years old. She shared this in a recent Instragram Live.
Trigger warning: This article has references to molestation, r*pe, child abuse, and more. Readers’ discretion is advised.
“When I was 7, I was molested by my cousin. I forgive him. I say this because the short film that I just did, ‘Princess Love,’ that I am promoting, that’s what drew me… I am not afraid. I am not ashamed. I am proud,” Heaven shared.
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Terrence Howard has five children. His up-and-coming actor daughter continued by claiming she was not “ready” to share her story and that her heart was beating fast. However, she clarified that she was crying because she was hurt, not just for herself but also for his cousin.
“Because when he was 2 years old, just 2 years old, he was a baby, he was r*ped. And so, when he was 12, he did something to me. He deserved to be protected, but he wasn’t,” Heaven added.
She then thanked short filmmaker Chris Mykel for telling the story of “generational abuse” in Princess Love. Heaven urged her viewers to let the story “guide” them and called herself “lucky” to be a part of it. She also mentioned being “grateful” to be able to speak her truth and put a name to it.
Terrance Howard’s third-born asked people not to “pity” her or “look away,” but to “watch and understand” that child abuse is real and it happens around us.
All you need to know about Heaven and Terrence Howard’s other kids
Terrence Howard is a father to five children: Aubrey, Hunter, Heaven, Qirin, and Hero. The Empire star shares daughters Aubrey, 31, Heaven, 27, and son Hunter, 29, with his first wife, Lori McCommas. His two younger sons, Qirin Love, 10, and Hero Valentino, 9, were born to Howard and his third wife, Mira Pak.
Aubrey is a certified yoga instructor who specializes in breathwork. She is the founder of Spirit Medicine, a business aimed at supporting people in healing deep-rooted trauma and creating resilience through breathwork, movement, and ritual.
Aubrey has two children, Hazel (born in 2012) and Adrian (born in 2015), making her father, Terrence, a grandfather. She has a close bond with him and has joined him at events like the Dreamgirls premiere in 2006 and an Iron Man screening in 2008 with Hunter and Heaven.
In a 2017 birthday post on Instagram, Aubrey called her father her “best friend,” “the man I love more than anything,” and an “amazing person and father.”
Terrence Howard’s second-born, Hunter, sang backup vocals on his 2008 album, Shine Through It. The actor told NPR that year that he was teaching his son carpentry and home renovation, but wished he would become a scientist like he always wanted to be.
Hunter’s occupation remains undisclosed. He accompanied his father to the 2006 Oscars and later to that year’s Governor’s Ball.
Heaven is an actor who has previously joined her father on red carpets, such as in the 2006 premiere of The Pursuit of Happyness and the 2013 New York premiere of The Butler. The father-daughter duo has acted together in the 2008 Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
In her 2020 Father’s Day post, Heaven recalled her fond memories with Terrence Howard at events and shows over the years. In 2019, she thanked her dad for paving the way for her and helping her walk a path that is “both old and new.”
“The complexities of life are made easier by the poetry of your words. I share the insights of your brain and hear the same voices. We are separate but exist together. I will meet you in every life to learn from one another. Thank you for all of the lessons learned and love shared,” Heaven wrote on Instagram at the time.
In August 2024, Aubrey and Heaven visited an animal sanctuary with their father.
Qirin Love was born in May 2015 and was soon introduced to the world by his father via X. Later, Terrence Howard told Access Hollywood that Qirin’s name was derived from the word “qilin,” which refers to a mythical Chinese creature that marks the onset of a peaceful time.
In 2018, the Hustle & Flow star called Qirin Love “fearless and beautiful” in a birthday post on Instagram. Qirin’s younger brother, Hero Valentino, was born in July 2016 and was introduced to the world by Terrence in August of that year.
The following year, Howard appeared on Live with Kelly and shared how Hero changed his life and was his “new favorite.” In 2019, both Qirin and Hero accompanied their father when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Around the time, he also told PEOPLE MAGAZINE that he feels like he missed a “lot of personal time” with his older kids and was trying to be “more conscious and present” with the younger ones.
Last year, during the New York City premiere of Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, Terrence Howard told E! News that Aubrey and Heaven have been working to get into Hollywood, and he was looking forward to sharing the screen with them.
Terrence Howard hasn’t addressed Heaven’s recent revelation at the time of writing.
