Singer Jewel: My Mother Embezzled My Fortune

Singer Jewel recently disclosed the profound impact of her fractured relationship with her mother, Lenedra Carroll. Jewel learned in her 30s that her mother had embezzled over $100 million, a realization that reshaped her entire understanding of her past.

This discovery followed a childhood marked by her parents' divorce at age eight and a period where Jewel hitchhiked hundreds of miles to see her mother, whom she perceived as a calming influence compared to her abusive father. She later understood this also constituted a form of psychological abuse.

Jewel left home at 15, experiencing homelessness, and has since focused on healing. She shared that her mother once suggested she could turn off a light bulb with her mind, an example Jewel now cites as deeply manipulative, despite feeling loved at the time.