K. Michelle: I Was Told 'Be Quiet' After I Was Abused By Music Executive

Musician Kimberly Michelle Pate, commonly known as K. Michelle, opened up to HuffPost Live on Thursday about why she decided to speak out about an incident of domestic violence she says she faced early in her career.

"When I first got into the business, I did go through a domestic violence situation with one of my executives and I was told to be quiet [by the higher-ups], and no one cared," the musician told host Alyona Minkovski .

While she said she feared being "blackballed" for speaking out about the incident, she ultimately felt a responsibility to share her story. 

"I have spoken to women going through domestic violence and women who were told to, 'be quiet,'" she said. "So I just decided that at this point in my career and in my life, if I have this pedestal that they're trying to place me upon, I'm going to use it."

Michelle addressed the need to support women in similar situations. She mentioned Kesha , who recently lost a court case against her record label after trying to break her contract with them, claiming one of the label's producers sexually assaulted her . 

"Support is what's needed to make the changes within the industry and within other aspects of society right now," Michelle said.

Watch the full HuffPost Live interview with K. Michelle here.