Jewel Admits to Being Sexually Harrased by Men Since She Was 8

Singer-songwriter Jewel reveals that she has been sexually harassed by men since the age of eight, per contactmusic.com. This revelation comes with the debut of her latest album, "Picking Up the Pieces," released on Sept. 11 and her upcoming memoir, "Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 41-year-old singer said, "I never slept my way to the top, ever." Before selling 27 million albums worldwide, Jewel, like any other striving artists, started her way from the bottom.

The "Pieces of You" singer shares her journey and the challenges in her career, including the sexual harassment she had to endure.

"The music industry is a very male-dominated business. I never slept my way to the top, ever. There was never one time I’ve ever compromised anything. I was always willing to walk away...And I think that type of spirit that you bring just informs everybody that’s around you," she shares.

She also observes that women will "give up for a compliment" and men use this "vulnerability" to their advantage.

Jewel recalled that when she was just starting out singing in bars and cafés, her boss terminated her because she wouldn't have sex with her. Jobless, she began living in her car. For her, “sexual harassment is what put her on the streets” during her "most fragile state."

Jewel adds, "I’ve never been more propositioned by businessmen in my life. It was almost like they were sharks that could smell blood, like of vulnerability. I’d go back to my car, writing songs, and men would literally come up and proposition me. They would be like, 'Hey, do you need rent money?' you know and things like that.”

This was not the first time Jewel had to endure harassment. When she was just eight years old, Jewel had the same experience, saying, "At 8, I had men putting dimes in my hands saying, 'Call me. It’d be so great to f— when you’re older.' And just horrible stuff."

However, Jewel turned this bad experience into something positive as it prepared her for what she might endure in the future.

"In the music business, it ended up serving me very well. I learned to keep my energy to myself, where there’s nothing about me that seemed approachable. And as men did approach me, I got very good at handling men in a way that sort of didn’t anger them. ... And at the same time using wit and usually humor to defuse the situation and to inform them, 'P.S. Not available that way.'"

To learn more about Jewel's life and career challenges, check out her " Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story," which will hit bookshelves on Sept. 15.