A harrowing experience. Singer Raveena revealed that she was recently sexually assaulted while on tour in Latin America.
“I was sexually assaulted a few days ago and it’s been some of the most devastating and heartbreaking times I’ve had in a really long time,” the Indian-American artist, 27, tweeted on Friday, November 11. “I would appreciate if u could respect my personal space as much as possible for the rest of tour while I find my sense of normalcy.”
The Massachusetts native, who is currently promoting her new album, Asha’s Awakening, added that she wouldn’t name the perpetrator because “I don’t wanna give that person the power to f—k with this beautiful moment for my career.”
Despite the horrific event, the “If Only” artist shared that it’s been a “huge blessing” to tour internationally. “I’m so excited to finish off the rest of the tour strong & with your life,” she concluded.
Following the news, fans rushed to the comment section to show their support for the songstress.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you Raveena. Sending you so much love and healing energy. Please do whatever you must to take care of yourself!” one Twitter user wrote, while another replied, “My heart breaks for you… Treat yourself with kindness and compassion today (and beyond).”
“I’m so sorry, that’s awful. Can’t believe people still think forcing anyone to do anything is acceptable. Sending you lots of healing energy, the ptsd you’ll have will take time to overcome, but you will. Thanks for being strong and vulnerable to share,” a third person said.
While promoting her new record — a concept album that follows a Punjabi space princess traveling through time and across planets — Raveena opened up to Rolling Stone in February about tapping into her feelings to find inspiration.
“Part of why we feel joy, is because we also feel pain so deeply,” she explained. “But there’s a lot of beauty in how many different emotions we experience, and ultimately, I think that’s what I was trying to capture.”
Since her 2017 debut, the New York resident has been vocal about turning music into a refuge as an Indian-American artist.
“It can definitely be challenging being a South Asian artist and not having a lot to go off of in Western music culture,” she told Them magazine in April 2020. “It’s easy to feel super displaced and confused, like, ‘Where do I fit into all this?’ But that’s also the most exciting part about it. There isn’t a framework so you can invent your own.”
To work through her history with “abuse” and “intergenerational trauma” as a child of Indian immigrants, Raveena shared that she has dedicated her space in the industry to being a voice for fellow “brown weirdos” and those who feel they don’t belong.
“I want to create a space for all types of outsiders,” she said at the time. “Survivors, queer people, people with depression, people who just felt like they didn’t fit growing up.”