The music industry has seen its share of changes, but Jewel says there's one constant she's witnessed since the beginning of her 20-year career.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Thursday, the multi-platinum artist opened up about the unwanted attention she received from men after signing her first record deal with Atlantic at 18 – and well before.
"I’ve had men hitting on me, sadly, since I was really young," Jewel told the trade publication. "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."
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The four-time Grammy nominee explained that her experience with sexual harassment only continued as she pursued her love of music. Before finding success, she was living in her car and performing in bars and coffee houses. She said her difficult circumstances made some bystanders think she was an easy target who could be easily manipulated.
"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," Jewel said. "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. It was pretty wild. I never took anybody up on it, but it was interesting to see this side of men that basically would prey on somebody vulnerable."
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Once she hit it big at 21 with her smash debut album "Pieces of You," Jewel became more immersed in the inner-workings of showbiz and says she noticed some female peers succumbing to similar pressures.
"I saw what women would give up for a compliment," she says. "I felt men were willing to take advantage if they saw something vulnerable."
The musician said her willingness to sacrifice everything she'd achieved helped deflect the inappropriate behavior.
"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," she said.
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"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," she continued. "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.'"
Jewel's memoir, "Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story," hits shelves on Sept. 15.
-- Erin Biglow
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