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

In 1999, Mena Suvari was the breakout star of the Oscar-winning 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 okay.“ 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 abuse.“ Subscribe to People ►► #MenaSuvari #PEOPLE Catch up on the latest celebrity news, top stories and more: PEOPLE goes behind-the-scenes with our cover stars for exclusive stories