AceShowbiz -

After a domestic violence case involving football star Ray Rice made headlines, many people who are in abusive relationships opened up about their stories on Twitter using hashtag #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft to share why they chose to stay or leave their partners. In a Tuesday, September 16 episode of "Meredith", Meredith Vieira revealed that she was also in an abusive relationship and she stayed back then.

"I want to explain to you why I stayed. I was in an abusive relationship many many years ago as a young woman," she started. "I've talked a little bit about this. It started out, I loved this guy, it started out we'd have a fight and he'd just sort of grab my arm. I didn't think a lot about it and then it turned into pushing me into a wall and then it went beyond that to actually taking his hand and grabbing my face and saying, 'I could ruin your career if I wanted to and no one would want you.' "

"A lot of people say, 'Well, who would stay in that situation?' " she continued. "Somebody who doesn't have the wherewithal to get out, the means to get out. I had that. I had a job at the time and I kept in this relationship and I've done a lot of thinking about why and I think part of it was fear. I was scared of him. I was scared if I tried to leave something worse could happen to me."

Vieira, who has made appearances on "The View" and "Today" show among others, encouraged women to talk to someone and seek help. "That's just my experience with it and I know it's rampant in this country and we all have to accept the fact that it's not just an issue with the NFL, it's an issue with all of our lives and until we take it seriously more and more women are going to get abused," she stated.