It’s that time of year again– It’s secret week on The Talk which means the hosts build up the courage to tell their deepest, darkest secrets to the world.
“My secret is a secret that has haunted me for many years,” Julie Chen said with great effort on Tuesday’s episode of The Talk. Chen specifically shows an unbelievable amount of courage here. After all, revealing her other secret had hurtful results.
Last year, Julie Chen revealed that nearly 20 years ago, she had undergone plastic surgery in order to push her career forward. Unfortunately, this big reveal was met with a storm of negative responses from people who believed this move was denying her heritage and was efforts to look less Asian. Despite the harsh criticism and negative comments, Chen mustered up the courage to tell yet another dark secret.
“My mom tried to keep this secret from me and my two sisters for a long time. For as long as she could,” Chen said slowly. “She was afraid for me, personally– it would damage my career goals, my dreams of being a broadcaster, my reputation. For the record, I did get her OK to tell this secret…My secret that I have been harboring for years is that my grandfather was a polygamist.”
According to Chen, her grandfather had nine wives, even more grandchildren and countless mistresses. Chen then reveals that her uncle had twenty children from his four wives.
Although Chen never met her grandfather, she knew of the emotional toll polygamy took on her grandmother who had to watch her husband take on more and more wives. Chen also described the emotional toll that the polygamy lifestyle had on her mother, who ultimately chose to have a monogamous marriage.
“It is a family secret, which we all have. The reason we all have family secrets and the reason we try and keep it a secret is because it’s often something that brings shame to the family — and my situation is no different.”
Fortunately, the experience appears to have brought some relief to Chen who was finally given the opportunity to share her secret. She tweeted:
The secret of my polygamist grandfather is finally off my chest. Thanks for your support #TheTalk #TALKsecrets
– Julie Chen (@JulieChen) September 16, 2014
Watch the emotional reveal below:
