Maisie Williams breaks silence on ‘traumatic’ childhood: ‘I was indoctrinated in a way’

Maisie Williams, star of “Game of Thrones,” discusses how her troubled past has affected her mental health.

Maisie Williams made her acting debut in 2011 in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” a historical fantasy drama series based on George R. R. Martin’s whimsical novel “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

The actress recently appeared on “The Diary of a CEO,” where she became emotional while recalling troubling details from her childhood. Williams claims she had a “traumatic” relationship with her father at the time.

Maisie Williams explained in the interview:

“I don’t really want to go into it too much because it affects my siblings and my whole family. Ever since I can remember, I’ve really struggled sleeping. And I think a lot of the traumatic things that were happening, I didn’t realize that they were wrong.”

While Williams did not go into detail about what happened during her childhood, she did say that she felt “indoctrinated” at the time because she did not realize her family’s relationship was abnormal.

“I was indoctrinated in a way. I think that’s why I’m obsessed with cults. I get it. I get it. I was in a child cult against my mother… So I really was fighting it in the beginning. My whole world flipped on its head. Even though all these things that I’d was feeling, I thought ‘oh my God I’m so glad I don’t have to see my Dad anymore.’ It still was like against everything that I had ever known to be true.”

Williams, now 25, stated that she had struggled with her identity and mental health following the childhood trauma. The star has had trouble sleeping for as long as she can remember, possibly due to a lack of peace of mind.

Williams stated:

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve really struggled sleeping and I think a lot the traumatic things that were happening I didn’t realize that they were wrong. But I knew that I would look around at other kids and be like, ‘Why don’t they seem to understand this, like, pain or dread or fear? … Where does the joy, like, when does that come for me?'”

Maisie Williams is currently set to star in “The New Look.” In her career, the 25-year-old actress has received numerous awards, including the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Series in 2015.