Erica Fernandes gets candid about suffering in a physically abusive relationship; says 'That incident left a scar on me'

Erica Fernandes rose to prominence on television with shows such as Kuch Rang Paar Ke Aise Bhi and Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2. However, it has been a long time since her followers have seen her on television. A few years ago, the actress decided to take a vacation from performing and moved to Dubai. While fans are waiting for Erica to return on television, the actress has made some stunning confessions about her history and her mental health.

At times people don't approach you assuming yeh toh actress hai, she would have multiple relationships. That is what happened in my past relationship as well. That I am an actress right now, but if the guy relocates then I will have to leave the industry completely. That was a major condition in the relationship. He was not an actor, he was a businessman. I would call him a part-time businessman. For me it is good riddance.

I've been single for so long because I was not able to move on. This whole baggage, trauma, experiences, the trust issues... heartbreak, I definitely had, and how it has shaped me into the person I am today. A lot of things have changed for me. I've gone through hardships, ups and downs in my life, but those experiences have shaped me.

I've gone through a very violent relationship. We reached a stage where there was physical abuse too. I didn’t want to bring it up at that point because, when you're an actor, everything becomes news. If you go to the cops, it’ll be all over the media, and then there’s a media trial. Plus, I wasn't sure what the outcome would be if I went to the police. I don't trust the judicial system that much.

This is why women don’t speak out. They get targeted and questioned: 'Why did you stay silent all this time? Why are you speaking now?' It takes time to deal with these matters personally before you are ready to talk about them. To deal with was a different thing. Main khud hi apne aap se deal kar rahi thi, apne situation se. Main kaise is cheez ko or apne aap ko handle karu. I spoke to a few people who knew about it, the moment it happened.

That incident left a scar on me and at times, when I see films, where there is physical abuse, a man abusing a woman, I get flashes of those. It actually took a toll on me. When I watched Do Patti, it took me back to those days. This is the first time I'm speaking about it. It took me a couple of years to come out of it and talk about it.