Ina Garten reveals childhood abuse and says she was ‘physically afraid’ of her dad

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Ina Garten is known for making things beautiful, but her new memoir details how her childhood was not that.

The Food Network star and author reflected on her difficult upbringing in an interview with People as she promoted her upcoming book, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.”

Garten, who grew up in Connecticut with her brother Ken, said she was “terrified” of their late father Charles Rosenberg, who was a physician.

“I was physically afraid of my dad,” she told the publication. “I literally remember thinking he would kill me if I did something. I was physically afraid of him. And my mother just was unsupportive.”

Garten said she that as a child she would lock herself away in her room.

“If there’s a threat of violence, you’re always afraid, even when it’s not happening. So I basically spent my entire childhood in my bedroom with a door closed,” she said. “I think it was just protection. It was just to keep myself safe.”

Her relationship with her late mother, Florence Rosenberg, was also not ideal.

“She really didn’t know how to have a relationship, which is why I think, as I’ve gotten older, having relationships is so important to me,” Garten said.

One such relationship has been with her husband of many years, Jeffrey, whom Garten met when she was 16 years old.

“[My mother] thought I was too young to get married,” said Garten, who married her love in 1968 after four years of dating. “But it was the first time in my life when I just said to her, ‘I know you don’t think this is a good idea. And for the first time, I’m really sorry to tell you this, but I don’t care. I’m doing this.’”

“Be Ready When the Luck Happens” is due out on October 1.

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