By Liana Jacob
MEET the fearless model who escaped a five-year-long abusive relationship by entering the modelling world and is now taking social media by storm with over 20K followers on Instagram.
Raven Provost (26), from Texas, USA, was brought up in a single-parent family with a mother who used to spoil her. She was a popular child and took dance classes.
She entered a five-year abusive relationship which tore down her confidence, unable to escape thinking her man was different.
Despite being subject to sustained physical and verbal abuse, eventually Raven began to realise how much of herself she lost throughout her relationship and decided to follow her own path.
It wasn’t long until an independent modelling agency scouted her whilst she was at the gym which saw her career take off and her confidence grow. Raven now uses her Instagram to raise awareness about her ordeal and hopes to show her followers how to spot the signs of abuse.
“I know that pain that I went through; the loneliness that I felt, realising the major key signs of what keeps someone in an abusive relationship,” Raven said.
“I want to help people, especially women, because I can relate to how it feels to enter into an abusive relationship and guide them not to go back to their abuser.
“It all started as a verbal thing, with him wanting to control me; he used to watch his brother abuse his girlfriend and instead of taking that as a sign, I looked at it as if he was different. I was wrong.
“I felt insecure, lonely, sad. I started by finding all of the pieces of me that I lost in the relationship and I began doing the things I love, which happens to be modelling. That was a big confidence builder.
“My recovery made me stronger. It made me realise how much I am worth and not to let anyone ever mistreat me in that way again.
“It also made it harder for me to trust people again; I remember what I went through and how it felt, I also remember the man I truly thought loved me is the one who did it, so this made future relationships harder.
“I now feel great and unstoppable; I feel confident in myself and what I’m doing. I had to change my surroundings and allowed me to never let people take advantage of me.
“I also gave my life to God, wholeheartedly, and that was the biggest change. About three years after our relationship ended, I was in the gym and was scouted by an independent modelling agency.
“Modelling has allowed me to have more people that pay attention to me and I definitely feel like that attention should be used to help other people who have experienced what I have experienced and that’s what I’m doing.
“Even though my modelling career came years after I was in that abusive relationship, it helped me build my confidence and get rid of the insecurities I had within me when I was abused.”
Raven says that her recovery journey tested her patience with improving her mental health to believe in herself again.
“The hardest part was getting healthy mentally again; yes I did have problems and I took (and still take) counselling sessions to get over my ordeal,” she said.
“Everyone I know are amazed and proud. They always tell me how strong I am.
“All I have to say is to always remind yourself who you are, not what someone says you are but who you are.
“You are strong and you made it through. No one can stop you. Don’t let your pain be your downfall; let it be your strength.”
For more information visit: https://www.instagram.com/modlife_raven_love/
