'It hit home': Texans' DeAndre Hopkins speaks out on domestic violence
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins spent Friday afternoon speaking on a topic that hit close to home for his family.
Domestic violence is an all too familiar experience for many, and for Hopkins, it brings back memories that he will never forget.
Hopkins says he knew early that his mother's relationship with her boyfriend was not good.
"Every day they argued, seeing if he was cheating," Hopkins said.
His mother's relationship with her boyfriend led to another woman assaulting her.
"At the age of 12, my mother was physically assaulted and left for blind, left for dead," Hopkins said. "She had acid thrown on her face which left half of her face, you know, she had to have a skin graft and left her blind in both eyes."
The 24-year-old phenom shared his personal experience to nearly 300 students and coaches from Houston-area high schools at the Wisdom High School.
"Domestic violence is something deeper than the words 'domestic violence,'" he said. "Sometimes it's physical, sometimes it's mental."
Hopkins was joined by the Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse organization. The group's mission is to provide services to families affected by domestic violence through advocacy and legal representation, intervention and other services, and education curriculum to prevent violence in the future.
Growing up, life wasn't easy for Hopkins. His biological father died when he was 6 months old.
"We were all affected by domestic violence. We didn't let that effect how we grew up in life, what we were going to be, we didn't let that determine us."
Hopkins says his mother's battle always stuck to him.
"My mother will never be able to see her grandkids because of domestic violence," he said.
Speaking to a packed crowd, Hopkins encouraged everyone to always do the right thing and call law enforcement when necessary.
"Don't settle in life for anything or anybody that's going to put you down," Hopkins added.
According to AVDA, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men aged 18 and older in the U.S. have been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. For teenagers, 1 in 3 experience abuse from their partner.
If you're experiencing violence or in need of help, you can call AVDA's confidential hotline at 1 (800) 355-8547.
