Celebrity Victories: Part 3 of 4

This is the third installment in a 4-part case study on celebrities who have overcome their experiences with emotional abuse, and gone on to live happy and fulfilled lives.

This young woman was at the height of her career during the late '90s to the early 21st century, but I'm sure many readers would recognize her name even today. Personally, I love her swagger and was a big fan even before I learned of her history!

Christina Aguilera

Christina Maria Aguilera was born in 1980 in Staten Island, New York, the eldest of two children to Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera, former US Army Sergeant, and Shelly Lorraine Fidler, a Spanish language teacher. Her father was physically abusive towards the rest of the members of Christina's family, especially her mother, but Christina recalls being beaten severely even at the tender age of four. She was also emotionally abused, regularly called names like "slut" and "baby whore", pit against her younger sister Rachel and forced to fight and abuse each other, and locked up in her room and tied to pieces of furniture when her father was alone with her, just to hear her scream and cry. Christina's mother finally filed for a divorce when Christina was seven years old, and their small family moved to Rochester, Pennsylvania, to live with her grandmother.

Christina began dreaming of becoming a singer at a very young age, and showed promise with her growly, mature voice. Her mother put her in talent shows and singing competitions, and she quickly became known as "the little girl with the big voice". Later on VH1's Driven focused on the child star, it was said that when competitors learned that Christina had signed up to perform against them in a show, many would withdraw, and competiting against Christina was compared to "leading a lamb to the slaughter" - she was that good. Jealousy ensued and Christina was teased, isolated, and once almost attacked during gym class. Her house was also vandalized and her mother's car tires were slashed. Again, Christina's family relocated to Wexford, Pennsylvania, and Christina kept a low profile.

In 1990, Christina competed on Star Search and came in second place. From then on in Pittsburgh, she was invited to sing the Star Spangled Banner at televised games for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 1993, Christina auditioned for the popular children's entertainment show The Mickey Mouse Club, and won a role along child stars Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell, lasting a year before the program was cancelled. But her solo career breakthrough came in 1998 when Christina recorded the song "Reflection" for the Disney animated feature film Mulan - a song that earned her her first recording contract with RCA Records, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song.

Christina's self-titled debut album contained the hit songs "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", "I Turn To You", and "Come on Over (All I Want is You)". She won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Genie in a Bottle", and a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Christina encouraged by her managers to record a Spanish album, being fluent in Spanish from her childhood, and she released Mi Reflejo in 2000. The album won her a Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the Latin Grammy Awards that same year. Christina also recorded a Christmas album (My Kind of Christmas), but in 2001 her group single "Lady Marmalade", a pop cover of the original song sung alongside Missy Elliot, Mya, and Pink, won her another Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

By this time Christina was in her early 20s, and wanted to venture out into deeper territory with her image and music. In 2002, Christina released Stripped, her most controversial album. She soared to the height of her popularity for adopting a condemnable wild new image, suggestive and creative new lyrics, and experiments with different musical styles and artists - including pianist Alicia Keys. Critics hated and loved the "new" Christina all at the same time. "Dirrty" threatened to destroy her appeal to younger fans for its raunchy dancing and content. "Beautiful" was better received, followed by "Fighter". After much controversy over her behavior, including a performance during an MTV awards show with Madonna and Britney Spears where Christina shared an open-mouth kiss with Madonna, Christina revamped her image to "Hollywood glam" and released Back to Basics in 2006. The album debuted at number 1 in the US, UK, and eleven other countries. She won another Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man" from the album. A new album is due out from Christina in fall 2009.

Christina began dating marketing executive Jordan Bratman in 2002, and they were married in 2005 in Napa Valley. In 2008, Christina gave birth to her first child, Max Liron Bratman. Christina has also been heavily involved with charities throughout her careers, especially those that focus on domestic and child abuse. She contributes to the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Refuge UK, and Lifetime Television's "End violence against women" campaign. Christina is very open and vocal about the abuse she and her mother and sister sustained at the hands of her father, and to this day has refused all contact with him.

I believe Christina is inspirational because she's always been a work in progress. Even though her earliest memories are depressing ones, she's pursued her dreams and continues to move forward even after dominating her field. She also shows concern for those who have been through similar situations. It's evident to me that if Christina has ever been a victim of the invisible cage, she found a way to break out of it a long time ago.