Traumatized Tina Turner went without sex for over a year after abusive marriage to Ike Turner ended
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tina Turner’s marriage with her musical partner and ‘Kings of Rhythm’ frontman Ike Turner was nothing but a study of power dynamics where the late songstress, who breathed her last on May 24, 2023, was used as a literal “punching bag” by Ike. the abusive marriage turned so sour at one point that Tina had nightmares even after her divorce with Ike in 1978. The trauma went so far that dating was a nightmare and she even went without having sex for more than a year.
Even though Ike later refuted Tina’s claim of severe beatings, the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll wrote in her autobiography, ‘My Love Story’ as reported by BANG Showbiz, that she was beaten and subjected to forced intimacy. She also wrote that because of the nightmarish experience, she developed an antipathy towards dating and physical intimacy which prevailed in her later years also.
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Turner wrote, "Dating was often more trouble than it was worth. I was never one of those women who had to have sex no matter what. There have been times when I’ve gone up to a year without it, to be honest.”
Moreover, her wig added to her insecurities, as she said, “I’d always been a little nervous about starting a relationship with a new man because I didn’t know how my wig would be received,” before continuing, “I always ran the risk of meeting a man who might object: a man who would have a problem becoming romantically involved with Tina, with her bountiful hair and glamorous trimmings, but waking up with unadorned Anna Mae.” The exuberant musician too felt insecurities, saying, “What if he was disappointed by the real me? I was always a bit nervous about taking that chance.”
According to Tina, Ike’s vices did not end there as he also resorted to several other forms of torture too. “He threw hot coffee in my face, giving me third-degree burns,” shared the ‘Proud Mary’ singer before adding, “He used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang.”
Ike was also known to be unfaithful in the marriage and he “probably” had almost 20 consorts apart from Tina. ‘The Best’ singer added, “All those wives were in addition to the countless girlfriends who came and went with dizzying speed. Ike slept with – or tried to sleep with – every woman in our orbit, married, single, and everything in between. He seduced every woman in our circle… in his mind sex was power.”
Because of all the abuse, Turner even thought of taking her own life by swallowing 50 sleeping pills. Luckily, she survived and her marriage went into a divorce in 1978.
'I was miserable the whole time, on the verge of tears'
It was not the only horror that Turner allegedly suffered at the hands of her musical partner and ex-husband. Turner wrote in her autobiography that Ike Turner took her newly wedded wife to a brothel on their wedding night, and for what purpose? To give a “live, pornographic s*x show right after their marriage ceremony.” The ‘Private Dancer’ crooner wrote in her autobiography, as quoted by, USA Today, "People can't imagine the kind of man he was – a man who takes his brand-new wife to a live, pornographic sex show right after their marriage ceremony," before adding, "What was on display was more gynecological than erotic. ... I was miserable the whole time, on the verge of tears, but there was no escape."
What is more poignant is that the abuses were apparently rampant even before the wedding. Ike Turner took Tina to Tijuana, Mexico, for a wedding ceremony that she didn’t like much. She explained in the book, "(Arguing) would just make him mad, and that might lead to a beating. I definitely didn't want a black eye on my wedding day."
‘It’s not an easy time to have in your memory’
The 2021 HBO documentary ‘Tina’ explored the traumatic experiences that Tina had to undergo because of her abusive marriage with Ike. According to Tina’s former manager, Roger Davies, who said in the documentary as quoted by Oprah Daily, “People continued to ask about Ike, even after she had huge solo success. They’d bring the same old stuff up over and over in every interview. We couldn’t stop it.” Tina opined, “I don’t love that it’s always talked about,” explaining her unwillingness to watch the movie based on her life.
Erwin Bach, her German husband explained in the documentary, “When you talk to journalists over and over for 20, 30, 40 years, memories come back. She has dreams about it that aren’t pleasant. These are the things that come back to her when she opens that box. It’s like when soldiers come back from the war. It’s not an easy time to have in your memory. You try to forget.”
‘I wanted to be the best I could be’
Though Turner had a tough time leaving her past behind to embrace her future with Erwin Bach, she ultimately succumbed to the power of love when she got married to Bach in 2013. The couple who started dating in 1985, tied the knot in 2013 after 27 years of dating. Their love story which is nothing short of a Mills & Boons romance started in Los Angeles after the duo met in Germany previously. After getting married, Turner told Oprah Winfrey in 2013, “There comes a time in life where you must put things in place.” The couple’s marriage took place in their Swiss estate in the presence of more than 200 well-wishers. Speaking about the ceremony, Turner said, “I wanted to be the best I could be. I wanted my garden and my guests to be the best they could be. And they were.”