London - British pop star Rita Ora says she was groomed for sex when she was just 14 by a man almost twice her age – but claims that she “wanted it”.
The X Factor judge, now 24, said her first ever relationship was with the 26-year-old and that she “didn’t care what he did or how old he was”.
She was targeted while a pupil at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, and believes it was a huge boost to her confidence.
But despite insisting that she is not a victim and would “seek men”, she also admitted that the man’s behaviour is “child abuse, isn’t it?”
Children’s charities warned that celebrities such as Miss Ora – who is seen as a role model by millions of girls – should “think about the effect of their words”.
Talking about the relationship, Miss Ora said: “I don’t want to say I suffered, because I wanted it.
“I don’t want people to think I was abused but I was definitely more mature than I should have been at 14.” However, she also admits to being very naive, adding: “You have to remember I hadn’t had a relationship before then.
“I was very new to the world of a man and a female.”
She said the worrying tryst helped her self-esteem and that: “I was almost obsessed with having a man feel like he wanted me. I can’t begin to tell you how confident I felt when a man was interested in me.
“I felt like I had a form of respect, I felt like he listened to me. Now I know he listened to me because he obviously wanted to have sex.”
The pop singer’s confession appears in a new biography, Hot Right Now, which is released on Thursday.
Miss Ora, known for her risque outfits, said she was so enthralled by the unnamed man that she changed her appearance to please him, wearing red lipstick and lightening her hair. Her parents, who moved to Britain with her after fleeing Kosovo in 1991, were oblivious to the reasons for the change in their daughter.
She said: “My mum would just say, ‘What are you doing?’ I think that’s what got me dressing in crazy clothes. My mum always let me express myself. But she didn’t know that I was expressing myself because I was seeing men.”
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Those in the public eye should think about the effect their words can have on those who look up to them.
“We know from calls to ChildLine that abuse can be life shattering.
“It is essential that people are given the confidence to get help to overcome the often devastating impact of abuse.”
Despite her teenage relationship with the older man, Miss Ora also had feelings for boys her own age and said: “I was really in love with this boy in high school, Jamie.”
Sources told the Sun on Sunday that the boy is actor Jamie Blackley, 24, who recently appeared in Woody Allen film Irrational Man.
Miss Ora has been linked with a number of famous men, including reality star Rob Kardashian, 28, DJ Calvin Harris, 31, and Ricky Hilfiger, son of designer Tommy Hilfiger.
Daily Mail