Love Isn't Supposed to Hurt

Like millions of other women, CNN’s Headline News and truTV’s In Session anchor Christi Paul blamed herself for the emotional abuse heaped on her by her first husband, whose violent, profanity-laced tirades left her feeling as though she had no value, no self-worth, and nowhere to turn for help. Then one day, when Christi was taking refuge in a church parking lot, the verse “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” popped into her head. In that moment, she realized she did have someplace to turn after all. Holding fast to her faith, Christi began the arduous process of rebuilding her self-image and regaining control of her life. Now happily remarried and the mother of three girls, Christi feels called to share her story in the hope that other victims will find courage to seek the help they desperately need and deserve. Written with great candor and poignancy, Love Isn’t Supposed to Hurt chronicles Christi’s personal experience of dealing with emotional abuse and shows how—with God’s help, some unconventional therapy, and the support of family and friends—she was able to break the cycle of abuse, regain her sense of self-worth, and discover what true love is really all about.

Christi Paul is an award-winning journalist and national weekday news anchor for CNN's HLN and TruTv's In Session. In her eight years at CNN, she has covered a wide variety of stories, including two presidential elections, the Virginia Tech shootings, the Casey Anthony murder trial, the Warren Jeffs polygamy trial, and the Conrad Murray trial. She has also interviewed such noted figures as Senator John McCain, Reverend Jessie Jackson, former drug czar Barry McCaffrey, actresses Jane Seymour and Patricia Heaton, bestselling author Marianne Williamson, and musicians Keith Urban and Jim Brickman, among others. An accomplished singer, Christi has performed the National Anthem for the Cleveland Indians, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Thrashers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. She has also performed onstage with Grammy-winning artists Richard Marx and David Foster. This spring Christi became an ambassador for Liz Claiborne's Love Is Not Abuse campaign, which aims to teach teenagers about dating violence and help them make healthy relationship decisions. She also serves on the board of Safe Kids Georgia and is an ambassador for the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Christi lives in Atlanta with her husband, Pete, and their three daughters.