Mena Suvari Reveals Sexual Abuse and Drug Addiction in New Book, PEOPLE

In 1999, Mena Suvari was the breakout star of the Oscarwinning sensation American Beauty. But behind the bright lights and awards, there was a much darker truth. I was living a double life, Suvari, 42, says. Every time I would go on a set. Every time I was interviewed, I was acting the whole time. It was another role for me to play. That I was As Suvari tells PEOPLE, that was also an act an effort to hide the truth about the trauma she d been living through. In her new memoir The Great Peace: A Memoir, excerpted in this week s PEOPLE, Between the ages of twelve and twenty, I was the victim of repeated sexual Subscribe to People , MenaSuvari, PEOPLE Catch up on the latest celebrity news, top stories and more: PEOPLE goes behindthescenes with our cover stars for exclusive stories