Lady Gaga's poignant performance during Sunday's Academy Awards came as a surprise to many — including members of her own family who didn't know that she, too, was a survivor of sexual abuse. 
 
 The "Applause" singer took the stage during the ceremony to perform her Oscar-nominated song "Til It Happens To You" from the college sexual assault film "The Hunting Ground." Sitting at a white piano, Gaga belted out the tune she co-wrote with Diane Warren surrounded by several rape survivors who scrawled messages of transcendence on their bare arms. The segment was one of the most stirring moments of the evening. 
 
 OSCARS 2016: Full coverage | List of winners | Red carpet fashion 
 
 However, some members of the pop star's family — namely her grandmother and her aunt — didn't know that she endured abuse until they saw her perform. 
 
 "My grandmother and my Aunt Sheri both called me the day after the Oscars because I never told them I was a survivor. I was too ashamed. Too afraid. And it took me a long time to even admit it to myself because I'm Catholic and I knew it was evil but I thought it was my fault. I thought it was my fault for ten years," the 29-year-old wrote in a lengthy Instagram post Tuesday. 
 
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 "The morning after the Oscars when I talked to my grandmother Ronnie, with tears in her eyes I could hear them welling through the phone she said to me 'My darling granddaughter, I've never been more proud of you than I am today.' Something I have kept a secret for so long that I was more ashamed of than anything-- became the thing the women in my life were the most proud of. And not just any women, the ones I look up to the most. #BeBrave #speakup #tilithappenstoyou" 
 
 It comes as a bit of a surprise that her family members were in the dark about her past, given that the singer first opened about her abuse in December 2014. The Grammy-winner, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, spoke out about her rape during a 2014 Howard Stern interview while discussing her song "Swine." She revealed that she had been assaulted by a man who was 20 years older than she was, and she kept the incident to herself for a long time. 
 
 "The song is about rape," she told Stern. "The song is about demoralization. The song is about rage and fury and passion, and I had a lot of pain that I wanted to release. ... I went through some horrific things, and I'm able to laugh now because I've gone through a lot of mental and physical therapy and emotional therapy to heal over the years. My music's been wonderful for me. But, you know, I was a shell of my former self at one point." 
 
 The singer lost the Oscar to Sam Smith's James Bond track "Writing's on the Wall" but still emerged a victor on Sunday night with the highly praised performance. 
 
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 Following the ceremony, Gaga revealed the struggle she went through to rehearse the song and thanked her stage companions for joining her and showing their bravery. 
 
 "Thank you for standing next to me on stage. Thank you for all the things you said, for listening to my story and sharing yours. I will never forget it. 50 survivors, so brave, relentless determination," she wrote. 
 
 51 ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿surviving and thriving A photo posted by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Feb 29, 2016 at 4:22pm PST 
 
 The "American Horror Story: Hotel" star also said that she felt "a weight lifted" after performing the song and "like I didn't have to hide anymore," crediting the survivors for putting a smile back on her face. 
 
 After my performance last night I felt a weight lifted. Like I didn't have to hide anymore. looks like my outfit and this photo felt what I was feeling @brandonmaxwell @markseliger A photo posted by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Feb 29, 2016 at 2:18pm PST 
 
 Thank you to the survivors for putting that smile back on my face. Your strength set me free because I knew I wasn't alone. A photo posted by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Feb 29, 2016 at 3:37pm PST 
 
 In another photo, which also bore an emotional message, she's seen kissing her fiance, "Chicago Fire's" Taylor Kinney. 
 
 "I never thought anyone would ever love me because I felt like my body was ruined by my abuser. But he loves the survivor in me. He's stood by me all night proud and unashamedly. THATS a real man," she wrote. 
 
 I never thought anyone would ever love me because I felt like my body was ruined by my abuser. But he loves the survivor in me. He's stood by me all night proud and unashamedly. THATS a real man. ¿¿ A photo posted by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Feb 28, 2016 at 7:24pm PST 
 
 Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad. 
 
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 Black viewership of the Oscars was only slightly down; Latino audience grew by 8% 
 
 Oscars 2016: See the charming, intimate and surprising moments from backstage 
 
 MORE: 
 
 The moments that made Oscars night a milestone for sexual abuse survivors 
 
 Lady Gaga and Diane Warren find healing power in 'Til It Happens to You' 
 
 How Lady Gaga won the Oscars without taking home a trophy ||||| (Photo via DearAbby.com) 
 
 Popular advice column “Dear Abby” took a turn for the horrific when the long-time writer blamed a young woman for her rape. 
 
 The story that the girl wrote to Abby describing the situation might be too much for survivors of sexual assault. The girl explained that she was a virgin who had never kissed anyone before when she went out on a date with a young man. They were in his truck when he began to feel her up. “He took me to a semi-isolated area and we ended up having sex. It wasn’t fun or pleasurable. I told him he was hurting me, but he didn’t stop until the third time I said it. He was very upset with me.” 
 
 The girl then asked Abby if this falls under the definition of rape. While Abby acknowledged that it falls under sexual assault she blamed the girl for “a severe breakdown in communication.” 
 
 “He had made no secret that he wanted sex with you, and may have interpreted your willingness to kiss him after he took you somewhere other than what was agreed upon as a signal that you were willing, even though you didn’t say so,” Abby explained. 
 
 Abby does concede that appropriate behavior is for an aggressor to ask for consent and that the boy, in this case, should not have proceeded without consent. She further used the incident to illustrate to parents that they should talk to their children about issues like this. 
 
 Women’s rights activists have spent years working to change the narrative to stop blaming the victims and survivors of sexual assault. “Clothes don’t cause rapes. Rapists cause rapes,” popular internet memes read. The White House launched the It’s On Us campaign in 2014 to fight the increase in campus sexual assaults and Vice President Joe Biden announced Lady Gaga at the Academy Awards giving a short speech on the need for the public to do more. “Too many women and men, on and off college campuses, are still victims of sexual abuse,” Biden said. He implored the audience to take the pledge: “I will intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given.” Dear Abby should consider the pledge. ||||| FILE - In this June 30, 2013, file photo, R. Kelly performs onstage at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The Time’s Up campaign is taking aim at R. Kelly over numerous allegations he... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this June 30, 2013, file photo, R. Kelly performs onstage at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The Time’s Up campaign is taking aim at R. Kelly over numerous allegations he has sexually abused women. The organization devoted to helping women in the aftermath of sexual abuse... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this June 30, 2013, file photo, R. Kelly performs onstage at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The Time’s Up campaign is taking aim at R. Kelly over numerous allegations he has sexually abused women. The organization devoted to helping women in the aftermath of sexual abuse... (Associated Press) FILE - In this June 30, 2013, file photo, R. Kelly performs onstage at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The Time’s Up campaign is taking aim at R. Kelly over numerous allegations he... (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — The Time's Up campaign is taking aim at R. Kelly over allegations he has sexually abused women. 
 
 The organization devoted to helping women in the aftermath of sexual abuse issued a statement Monday urging further investigation into Kelly's behavior, which has come under closer scrutiny over the last year as women have come forward to accuse him of everything from sexual coercion to physical abuse. Kelly has denied such charges. 
 
 "We demand appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly's abuse made by women and their families for more than two decades now. And we declare with great vigilance and a united voice to anyone who wants to silence us — their time is up," the statement said. 
 
 The statement was issued by the Women of Color committee within Time's Up, which includes Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay, TV mogul Shonda Rhimes and actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell. 
 
 The social media campaign #MuteRKelly has sought to stop his music from being played and to cancel his concerts, and Time's Up said it is joining that call. 
 
 Specifically, Time's Up is seeking action from RCA Records, Kelly's label; Spotify and Apple Music, which stream Kelly's catalog; and Ticketmaster, which has sold tickets to his concerts. And it is calling for the cancellation of a May 11 concert in Greensboro, North Carolina. 
 
 RCA, Spotify, Apple Music and Ticketmaster didn't immediately respond to email requests placed late Sunday night. 
 
 The Time's Up letter was addressed to women of color. It started by saying, "We see you. We feel you. Because we are you." 
 
 It continued: "For too long, our community has ignored our pain. The pain we bear is a burden that too many women of color have had to bear for centuries. The wounds run deep. As Women of Color within Time's Up, we recognize we have a responsibility to help right this wrong. We intend to shine a bright light on our WOC sisters in need." 
 
 Time's Up cited Bill Cosby's conviction last week for sexual assault as a step in the right direction but said it was "just a start." 
 
 In a further statement to The Associated Press, Smollett-Bell said: "We stand linked with our sisters and will no longer tolerate the predatory behavior of R. Kelly to go unchecked. This is a call to action to #MuteRKelly. His music must be turned down and the voices of these brave survivors must be heard." 
 
 The organizers of the #MuteRKelly movement said they were gratified that Time's Up was amplifying their cause. 
 
 "We will not stop until R. Kelly is held accountable for his sexual misconduct against Black girls and women, and we urge ALL artists, radio stations, record companies, streaming platforms and concert venues to cut ties with this accused predator," Oronike Odeleye, a co-founder of the movement, said in a statement. 
 
 R. Kelly, whose hits include "Ignition," ''I Believe I Can Fly," ''Step in the Name of Love," ''Same Girl" and "Bump N' Grind," is one of pop music's best-selling artists. He has also written hits for artists ranging from Celine Dion to Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga. While he's written classic love songs and even gospel music, he is defined by sexually explicit songs such as "Feelin' on Yo Booty," ''Your Body's Calling Me," ''Sex Me" and even more explicit fare. 
 
 He has long been accused of behavior that has ranged from questionable to criminal. He wed a 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994. The late singer had been his protege, the marriage was later annulled and the two refused to confirm that it even happened. 
 
 He was later accused of child pornography after a widely circulated videotape appeared to show him having sex with, and urinating on, a teenage girl. He was acquitted of all charges in 2008 and continued to rack up hits and sell out stadiums around the country. 
 
 In recent years, as more women have come forward to allege misconduct, protests against Kelly have increased. 
 
 A woman told Rolling Stone last year that she was in a long-term relationship with the singer that was sexually and physically abusive. Parents claimed their daughter was being held by Kelly as part of a sex cult but their daughter, who was of age, denied their claims. And recently a woman in Dallas filed a lawsuit against the singer claiming he gave her a sexually transmitted disease, and she claimed he was grooming her to be a part of a sex cult. 
 
 Kelly has denied all allegations against him. 
 
 Kelly hasn't released an album of new music since a 2016 Christmas album, and his last true album was 2015's "The Buffet," which had no major hits. 
 
 An appearance at a concert in his native Chicago scheduled for Friday was canceled after protests. In a Twitter post on Sunday to his fans, Kelly said he was looking forward to his May 11 concert and had no idea why his Chicago appearance was scrapped. 
 
 "I never heard of a show being canceled because of rumors, but I guess it's a first time for everything and I apologize to you guys, and in the meantime, I'm going to try and get to the bottom line of it, as far as my lawyers are concerned," he said in a video.
– Lady Gaga's performance of her Oscar-nominated song about sexual assault during the Academy Awards on Sunday was a powerful moment for a lot of people. The Los Angeles Times reports two of those people were the singer's own aunt and grandmother, who weren't aware she was a survivor of sexual abuse herself. "My grandmother and my Aunt Sheri both called me the day after the Oscars because I never told them I was a survivor," Gaga posted to Instagram on Tuesday. "I was too ashamed. Too afraid." She first opened up about her abuse at the hands of an older man when she was 19 during an interview with Howard Stern in 2014, according to CNN. Gaga said she blamed herself for her own sexual abuse for a decade, but her grandmother called her after Sunday's performance to tell her she'd never been more proud of her. "Something I have kept a secret for so long that I was more ashamed of than anything—became the thing the women in my life were the most proud of. And not just any women, the ones I look up to the most," she said on Instagram. The singer performed Til It Happens to You—written for The Hunting Ground, a documentary about campus sexual assault—while surrounded by rape survivors and following an introduction by Joe Biden.