Gold Coast influencer Kat Clark has candidly opened up about her harrowing past with domestic violence.
The mother-of-two, 38, detailed her time in women’s shelters in an emotional video posted on Instagram.
‘When I left my abusive relationship, Taisha (eldest daughter Latisha) was only two years old. I remember getting on the train and I was so scared,’ she recounted.
‘By that point I was spending every weekend at women’s shelters and calling hotlines almost every single day,’ she recounted.
Clark previously told NewsCorp Australia that at 17, she found herself pregnant and isolated from her religious family in Brisbane.
Gold Coast influencer Kat Clark, 38, (pictured) has candidly opened up about her harrowing experience with domestic violence
She moved to Thursday Island with her then partner.
As the violence escalated, Clarke moved to Cairns for work, saving money to buy a burner phone and reconnect with her support network in Brisbane.
Despite relying on government payments, Clark revealed she made a promise to herself to support other women in similar situations once she was back on her feet.
‘I remember thinking, ‘when I get my life back on track, I’m going to give back to these organisations
The mother-of-two detailed her time in women’s shelters in an emotional video posted on Instagram
‘I was on government payments, so I didn’t know how or when, but it was a promise I kept to myself,’ she explained.
Now a successful influencer with 6.2 million TikTok followers, Clark hosts the podcast Basically Besties and runs the skincare brand Kalade with her daughters Latisha, 21, and Deja, 13, which launched four months ago.
Kalade recently donated $5000 to the Small Steps for Hannah charity, a cause close to Clark’s heart.
‘When I left my abusive relationship, Taisha (eldest daughter Latisha) was only two years old. I remember getting on the train and I was so scared,’ she recounted
The charity, which raises awareness about coercive control and domestic violence, was named after Hannah Clarke, who attended the same school as Kat.
Hannah and her three young children were tragically killed by her estranged husband Rowan Baxter in a horrific attack in Brisbane in February 2020.
The Kalade website highlights Clark’s personal connection to the charity.
Despite relying on government payments, Clark revealed she made a promise to herself to support other women in similar situations once she was back on her feet
‘Hannah Clarke went to the same school as Kat and was a part of the Brisbane South community that both Kat and Jonathan grew up in,’ the website reads.
‘In addition to this, Kat has a very personal and tactile relationship with domestic violence -these two points, among many others, is what makes Hannah’s and her children’s story hit so close to home and touch us in a very special way.’
‘When Kalade was envisaged, we always wanted to use our brand to give back to the community and bring awareness to issues that resonate with us on a personal level. Small Steps for Hannah was the obvious choice.’
