Politics & Government

Brown Opens Up About Past Abuse

The senator will be on 60 Minutes Sunday to talk about his life.

U.S. Senator Scott Brown is set to discuss physical and sexual abuse in an interview with the CBS news show "60 Minutes" this Sunday.

Brown, the Wrentham Republican, was elected to the Senate in January 2010. He was the winner of a special election held because of the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy.

"It was certainly, back then, very traumatic," Brown is quoted as saying in the "6o Minutes" report.

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According to the report, Brown said he was physically abused by stepfathers and sexually abused by a camp counselor. Brown revealed this as part of his forthcoming book, "Against All Odds."

State Sen. Richard Ross, who has known Brown for some time, said Friday that the interest in the story shows how Brown's journey has continued to amaze people.

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"You do have to admire people those who take the adversities they've had and done well despite them," he said. "They've taken lemons and made lemonade."

Ross said Brown had chosen to shape his life in a positive, rather than a negative, way.

"He's done a great job as a dad and a husband," he said. "I think working through these things has made him a more compassionate person."

Ross said he was unaware of the abuse before the recent revelations, but added that he was more interested in the person Brown's become than the person he was.

"I knew he had a tough childhood," he said. "I'm a firm believer that, with the challenges in life, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

The interview will be shown on Sunday at 7pm.


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