Heart-Wrenching Details About Carole King

Carole King wrote about her relationships in her autobiography, "A Natural Woman," and that included her relationship with Rick Evers. He believed he was destined to die at 33 years old, because that was the age Jesus had been crucified. She also shared, "Rick Evers physically abused me — not just once, but many times."

King wrote that the first time he hit her, it was just three months into their relationship. She had been folding laundry when Evers questioned her about a phone call she'd taken earlier in the day. Suddenly, Evers punched her. "He hit me hard, as if he were in a boxing ring, except he wasn't wearing gloves, and he wasn't in a boxing ring." King says the incident kicked off a vicious cycle of abuse, apologies, promises, and ultimately more abuse, and that she made all kinds of excuses for not leaving. "And not one of the excuses justified my staying," she wrote. 

According to King, Evers never harmed her children — in fact, it was the exact opposite. Her younger children in particular loved him, as he was the one who was always coming up with the fun things to do. On tour, though, Evers clashed with the band and was universally disliked. King described herself at this time in her life: "I had become a small distant creature wrapped in fear, shame, and guilt."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

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