Italian Singer Elisa Discusses Her Divorce and Childhood Abuse

Italian singer Elisa Toffoli has opened up about her personal life, discussing her recent separation from her husband and a traumatic childhood experience in a new interview with Walter Veltroni for Corriere della Sera. The artist, widely known as Elisa, is preparing to release her new album titled "Kintsugi" on November 27.

The project, which also includes a medium-length film presented at the Rome Film Festival, draws its title from the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Elisa explained that the work explores pain, transformation, and rebirth following a deep personal crisis.

Detailing the end of her marriage, the singer shared that her separation from guitarist Andrea Rigonat occurred in September of last year after seventeen years together. She admitted that the unexpected breakup forced her into deep self-reflection and at one point led her to consider retiring from the music industry entirely.

"At a certain point I also thought about retiring, of making a niche for myself sheltered from the world," Elisa said in the interview. She noted that once she decided to let go of her protective boundaries, her personal and creative energy returned.

Alongside her musical and marital revelations, Elisa addressed a deeply sensitive topic, disclosing that she was a victim of sexual abuse at the age of eight. She stated that the experience left permanent marks and emphasized that she is sharing her story to help others.

"As a child I suffered sexual abuse," she said. "I was eight years old. I was not too small to be able to forget it, assuming that is ever possible." The singer explained that she has begun psychological therapy and hopes to help other women, girls, and boys break free from unwarranted feelings of guilt.

Elisa expressed that naming the pain is a necessary step toward processing it, noting that a person who has suffered abuse bears no blame. Her candid confessions have drawn widespread social media support from fans sharing similar experiences and emphasizing the importance of speaking out.

The multidisciplinary project "Kintsugi" serves as both an artistic expression of her journey and a message of resilience. Through her music and film, Elisa aims to show how deep wounds can eventually be transformed into a source of renewed strength.