Toni Braxton Abortion: Singer Opens Up About Autistic Son In 2014 Memoir

Toni Braxton opened up about her abortion—and how she felt she was punished for it—in her new memoir.

Two days after the release of her memoir, Unbreak My Heart, excerpts of Braxton's book have hit the web, revealing the singer underwent an abortion over ten years ago, which she is still feeling guilty about.

“I never thought I would have to do that,” Braxton, 46, said of her shocking decision to abort the pregnancy, according to In Touch Weekly.

At the time of the abortion, Braxton was taking Accutane, which she had been prescribed to treat her acne, and while the treatment is known to cause serious birth defects, Braxton admitted in her book that she was more motivated to terminate the pregnancy because of "convenience," rather than the fear that there could potentially be something wrong with the child.

Throughout the years since her abortion, Braxton has continued to carry guilt over the aborted child.

Even after welcoming two children with musician Keri Lewis, whom she married on April 21, 2001 and divorced on July 24, 2013 (four years after the pair initially separated), Braxton continued to feel guilty about her decision. Then, after her second child, Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, was diagnosed with autism, Braxton felt the news was the result of “God punishing [her] for the abortion.”

“It took a long time for me to get past that,” she said.

Since Diezel's diagnosis, Braxton has become involved with Autism Speaks, serving as their Global Autism Ambassador.