Singer/Songwriter, Performing Artist and Author Jessica Willis Fisher Reflects on What Was Once Unspeakable

From Drew Barrymore to Jennette McCurdy, our society is currently witnessing a reckoning between former child stars and the families who exploited and abused them. Singer/songwriter, performing artist and author Jessica Willis Fisher has her own story to tell in her memoir Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice (Thomas Nelson). The eldest daughter of the Willis family, Jessica was thrust into the public eye when The Willis Clan competed on America’s Got Talent and subsequently got their own reality TV show. It was only after Jessica and her siblings came forward about their trauma that the public came to know the truth about the Willis family.

Now, Jessica is determined to tell her story, from the harrowing experiences of her childhood to her healing process, and the way she has reclaimed music throughout it all. Read our full review of Unspeakable here and continue reading below to see what made Jessica choose to sit down and put pen to paper, outline her full experiences in stark, full truth.

Q: What prompted you to tell your story in Unspeakable?

A: When I left the public eye in 2016, I went straight into intense trauma therapy. Part of my immediate work was trying to make sense of what it was that had happened to me. In certain instances, I didn’t have the necessary or accurate vocabulary. I found it immensely relieving to finally be able to able to start putting words to events stretching back into my earliest memories.

In childhood, one of my first aspirations was actually to be an author and I now think that I was probably initially drawn to reading, writing, and music as my best chance to try to express and process my experiences. But even though I was eventually performing, singing, and speaking, my abuse was the one story I felt I couldn’t ever share.

By 2020, I had come full circle back around to reclaiming my artistry and realized I didn’t want my love of music to be a casualty of the past. I didn’t want my story and my voice to be lost forever. I began filling in the gaps of my story I had written down so far and at some point, I realized I was actually writing a book.

Q: It must have been quite the shift going from an isolated childhood to being on a reality TV show with your family. Did that influence how you viewed your own home life at the time?

A: I definitely talk about this in the book. For me, the change was quite gradual. Even though abuse was already present, my earliest years were pretty normal, just school, play, family, church. In my opinion, my father being able to retire early and us moving to Tennessee were the main things that really initiated that different trajectory. But still, it took a long time before we began to turn into “The Willis Clan”. I was a teenager when we started performing more frequently. Those last few years in the spotlight were such a small and strange fraction of my story. By then, “real life” and my public image felt so extremely different, and it was very damaging to my mental health.

Q: How does your own music factor into your healing?

A: I think music is a beautiful, powerful tool. I also think I asked too much of it a certain point. For a while there, music felt like the only outlet I had and then eventually it broke under the strain. I am so grateful to return and reclaim my art on new terms, with the priority of health and the ability to use other tools when more appropriate. I feel very lucky to have the chance to share my “Brand New Day” album with the world and hope that it brings light and encouragement to others. It was so healing for me to write and create.

Q: What was the most impactful part of your book to write?

A: It would be hard to single out one particular part. It was such a journey, such a process! Overall, it came fast and flowed pretty consistently. I didn’t have many issues with writer’s block. I wasn’t coming up with a plot, I was recounting and remembering. Feeling it accumulate, in chapters I could share with others, was powerful. Most of what I was writing was past, but towards the end of the book I was relating events that were more and more recent. And at some point, I knew where I was going to end it. I’m still living my life, so my story is still being written. But, as the title implies, the scope of this book is the tale of how my unspeakable is now speakable for me.

Q: What advice would you give to people who have been through similar situations with their own family?

A: Every situation is different and it’s difficult to provide consistently accurate advice across such a wide spectrum of the abuses we see and know are so common. When victims try to leave, that’s usually the most dangerous time. For anyone experiencing abuse, I would first recommend seeking professional help. I would also stress that getting to a place of physical and emotional safety is imperative, along with reporting to the necessary authorities if crimes are happening. I would say, fight for yourself, fight for a better, safer life. It will likely get worse before it gets better, but the risk is still worth it. Everyone needs to work towards creating a world where we can better support survivors and honor their courage when they do speak up.

Q: What do you wish for readers to take away from your book?

A: Funny, I’ve quickly learned this is a super common interview question, but I have to admit I try not to think about wanting or wishing for anything when it comes to my potential readers. It’s my responsibility to safeguard my mental health throughout this crazy vulnerable and risky thing: to put the worst parts of my story forward and trust that I will accept whatever the consequences are. Naturally, I hope that any firsthand story of abuse would move those who hear it to get involved in all the important work there is to do. I trust that raising our voices will create change and that owning our whole and imperfect stories is the bravest thing we can do.