IT ALL STARTED when Angela was born. Angela Shelton grew up in the South. When she was 3 her father left her mother for her best friend. Angela went to live with her father and his new wife who had 2 kids because her dad and his new family were the "perfect American family" including a picket fence. Both sides of the family, and even her mother's attorney thought Angela was better off with her dad - he went to church and was so well liked! Angela was then sexually and physically abused, along with her step-siblings, for 5 years.
HER MOTHER GOT CUSTODY of Angela back when she was 8.
Angela and her mother moved a lot. Her mother got married a few more times too. Angela was stressed out as a kid. Her mother encouraged Angela to express herself through writing and comedy. Angela became a constant entertainer and went on to win many writing awards while in different schools. She became a mime too at the age of 8 and performed at the local mall.
ANGELA STARTED MODELING at the age of 14 after her mother got her astrology chart done and it revealed that modeling would be lucrative. Angela went to Japan at the age of 16 and moved to New York City at the age of 17. She moved to Paris for a year when she was 19 and began writing a book about her and her mother called, "Tumbleweeds."
ANGELA BEGAN ACTING professionally when she was back in New York City. She booked the lead role in Gavin O'Connor's first film "Comfortably Numb" when she was 21. She let Gavin read her book and he insisted they make a movie about it. After they finished "Comfortably Numb," she and Gavin began writing the screenplay based on her life and book about her mother. "Tumbleweeds" won the 2000 Sundance filmmaker's award and got the lead actress, Janet McTeer, a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination.
ANGELA BEGAN WRITING SCREENPLAYS in Hollywood after "Tumbleweeds." Angela received outstanding reviews for her adaptation of Kaye Gibbon's novel "Charms for the Easy Life," a Showtime movie starring Gena Rowlands and Mimi Rogers. Angela then wrote two TV pilots and four more screenplays, one of which was a comedy she planned to direct.
THEN THE WRITER'S STRIKE became a threat in 2001. In order to prepare herself for a pending Writer's Strike, Angela began a documentary called Searching for Angela Shelton. Her plan was to survey women in America to see how they were doing. Her broad questions were, "Who are you, where have you been, and where are you going?"
As she began interviewing other Angela Sheltons nationwide, Angela was shocked when 70% of them shared intimate stories about being victims of rape, childhood sexual assault and/or domestic violence. When the filmmaker Angela Shelton met an Angela Shelton who was tracking sexual predators and lived in the same town as the filmmaker Angela Shelton's own pedophile father, the journey became very personal.
ANGELA SHELTON WAS DISCOVERED by people all over the world. As she was putting her movie together and sharing bits of it with the world, people started spreading the message. Before long, Angela had a mailing list, a forum, a website and a following before she was even done with the movie. The producers of the Oprah Winfrey Show found her and invited her on to talk about her film and so began her introduction to the world - before she was prepared, healed, or finished with her film. Angela has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "48 Hours Investigates," "Larry King Live," and Lifetime Television for Women.
ANGELA SHELTON BECAME A SUPERHERO FOR SURVIVORS when she finished her film and began showing it all over the world at her speaking engagements and selling a limited edition of her DVD. Angela is so open and honest about her own past, her pathway to recovery, and the ups and downs of becoming a whole person that people are drawn to her. She began sharing more of herself and started the Survivor Manual to share healing techniques as she learned them herself. Angela Shelton has become a highly sought-after speaker working to end domestic violence and child sexual abuse, which affects one in every four girls and one in every six boys in America.
ANGELA SHELTON BECAME A SUPERHERO for kids too when she booked the role of Safe Side Superchick in The Safe
Side series created by Baby Einstein creator, Julie Clark, and Americas Most
Wanted creator, John Walsh.
ANGELA'S ARMY OF ANGELS is formed and keeps growing. A group of women worldwide who have discovered Angela Shelton and been inspired by her to change their lives, heal, and break the cycle of abuse and trauma - have dedicated themselves to continuing Angela's message. "The only way we are going to end the abuse epidemic," Angela says, "is to first break the silence. Then we break the cycle." Inspired and empowered by her words and actions, The Army of Angels inspire and empower themselves and others to move out of the patterns of abuse and lead joyful lives, They are running campaigns with Angela's message, writing books, songs, performing, speaking, lecturing, and being amazing examples in the world.
ANGELA SHELTON WRITES A BOOK. Angela wrote the book due to the huge amounts of requests that she do so. People who follow her film were more interested in her and wanted to know more and more. Angela wrote the book as a gift to everyone who has ever suffered through pain and suffering. Angela Shelton's debut book, FINDING ANGELA SHELTON, is a groundbreaking, heartbreaking, joyous and sad, miraculous and a one-of-a-kind read. Angela Shelton inadvertently fell into hell when her movie forced her to face her past, her father, her addictions and self-abuse. FINDING ANGELA SHELTON cleverly moves through the filmmaker's life story, her dreams, her fears and her journals as her search of women in America leads her to finding herself. FINDING ANGELA SHELTON (Meredith Books; April 1, 2008; US $14.95/CAN $18.95) ignited a grassroots movement before it was even out and that movement is geometrically growing daily.
THE JOY CAMPAIGN was created by the Army of Angels as a way to get FINDING ANGELA SHELTON into the hands of as many people as possible and ignite a dramatic shift in society by inspiring a wave of healing and awakening out of trauma.
REPORT IT ON ANGELA SHELTON DAY - APRIL 29, 2008 began when Angela suggested to her friend and victim's advocate lawyer, Wendy Murphy, that if everyone reported abuse on the same day perhaps the world would pay attention.
STIRRING UP TROUBLE WITH ANGELA SHELTON is Angela's latest project. You'll hear more soon! SIgn up for Angela's newsletters. She writes them all herself, including the 30 Day Journey.
SUBSCRIBE - 30Day Finding Angela Shelton Journey
SUBSCRIBE - Angela's Survivor Manual Newsletter
Bring Angela Shelton to your college, university, community event or
fundraiser!
To book Angela - call her mother at 1-800-343-7685 or
events@angelashelton.com
