Terrence Howard Says He Was Intimate Between the Ages of 4 and 13 in Jaw-Dropping Interview: 'I Lost My Innocence'

Terrence Howard is opening up about a deeply personal and shocking part of his childhood.

During a recent appearance on the “PBD Podcast,” the actor shared details about early experiences he said had a lasting impact on his life. While speaking with host Patrick Bet-David, Howard was asked when was the first time he had a sexual encounter with a girl.

“I was four,” the 56-year-old star answered. “It was the older girls who were watching me; they were like six and seven.”

Howard went on to describe how the situation continued throughout his childhood, adding, “We did that every day until I was 13. I had more s-- then than I’ve had in my adult life. My expectation for interaction was always those things.”

According to Howard, his father had just gotten out of jail and was working long hours, while his mother was attending school. The actor explained that he believes the situation happened because he was often left “unsupervised” as a child.

“We’re just fooling around. We played on hide and go get pants up, pants down,” Howard shared.

The Iron Man star said the influence from people around him and the environment he grew up in “really messed him up.”

“I wish I had never done that. I would have been a completely different person, but it gave me an insightful view of interaction. I kept thinking that everybody was promiscuous like that. So, by the time I get 16, 17, I've done enough to where I'm starting. Now, the spiritual side of me is starting to show up, but I slipped back into it at 25 to 30 something,” Howard stated.

“That was my experience, and I'm like, I look at my sons, nine and ten now, and I can't imagine them getting involved in that. I lost my innocence. It's effectively being molested. That lasted until we were like 13, but all the kids in the neighborhood were doing that,” he added, explaining that the events took place while he was growing up in Cleveland, Ohio.

Because of those early experiences, the Empire alum said he became extremely protective of children.

“When we have a family, a friend comes and visits, and they've got an infant. I'll secure the whole house and put pillows everywhere. I'm just overly protective because I wanted somebody. I'm trying to protect myself. My kids are never alone. They are never alone without at least two people watching them, just because I don’t want what happened to me to ever happen to them,” he said.

Howard is a father of five children and has been married four times to three different women.

He is currently in a relationship with and was previously married to Mira Pak, with whom he shares sons Qirin and Hero. The two divorced in 2015 but later became engaged again in December 2018.

The actor also shares three older children — Aubrey, Hunter and Heaven — with his first wife, Lori McCommas.

Howard has previously admitted that he wishes he had spent more time with his older kids when they were younger.

"I was 24 when I started my first batch. I was still becoming a man," he told People. "I didn’t really put the time into my kids. I called them every day and they said they saw me more than enough, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of personal time with them.”

Howard added, “Now I’m more conscious and present this time around.”