This is a perfect example of why we must pay homage to the soul music greats, because through it all, Patti has continued to share her gift of song with us….and we will always respect that. As we all know, celebs are people just like us, who have endured some hardships in life, but this one is a shocker! Patti LaBelle has said that a very well known, iconic soul singer attempted to rape her back in the 60’s.

Her story of being sexually assaulted was one that we hadn’t heard her speak of before, until she released her book, “Don’t Block The Blessings“ a few years ago.

LaBelle Detailed The Alleged Sexual Assault

According to Patti, it was Jackie Wilson who attempted to rape her backstage at a theater.

Here’s her account of what happened that day, via news publication, Michigan Chronicle:

Patti Labelle has had her share of downs, one of which involves being the victim of an attempted rape by another of the greatest singers and performers of all time, the iconic Jackie Wilson. It happened, LaBelle alleges, in the early 1960s. At the time she was with the group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. The scene was backstage at a theater and LaBelle happened to be alone. Someone, she says, came up behind her.

“It was Jackie Wilson,” she recalled. “He was kissing my neck and I could smell the liquor on his breath. As I struggled to free myself, Jackie’s accomplice started dragging me in backwards. I was kicking with all my might, but I was no match for him.” Next thing she knew, she was locked in a room.

“Jackie started touching. I started screaming, but no one could hear me. I didn’t have a knife, but I had my voice. I started screaming even louder, at the top of my lungs, and I can scream every bit as loud as I can sing.”

There’s more:

“It worked. Suddenly they backed off. They let me go. I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the lights.” Gladys Knight didn’t deny the accuracy of Patti LaBelle’s story, but remembers Jackie Wilson as a perfect gentleman who always went out of his way to help Gladys Knight & the Pips in the group’s early days. One man, two remembrances.”

It’s extremely tough to hear stories like this about legends, whom we have great respect for from an artistic standpoint. But again, it’s also a reminder that celebs are people, just like us- some of them are incredibly flawed and some of them not-as-flawed.

Overall ILOSM fam,’ are y’all surprised by Patti’s reveal about Jackie Wilson, or nah?