In the latest issue of PEOPLE, Tamron Hall opens up about her late sister’s unsolved murder and the reason she’s so cautious about love.
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In 2004, Hall’s older step sister Renata was found bludgeoned to death in the pool of her Houston, Texas home following years of abusive relationships with men. “For a long time I was hesitant about sharing our story. I didn’t want to be another well-known person saying, ‘Look what happened to me and my family.’ But then I said, screw that. I can save a life,” Hall told PEOPLE.
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Hall struggled to overcome feelings of guilt after she witnessed her sister being abused by a man, and once cutting off contact with Reneta after she decided to stay with him. “We never fully reconnected. I think she thought some part of me still judged her.”
Hall has since learned from her mistakes through advocacy work with Safe Horizon and Day On. “I’ve been given an opportunity to make a difference,” she said.
Still, her sister’s tragedy has made her cautious about love, she admits. “I’ve been engaged a couple of times – thank God no one was abusive. My friends call me the runaway bride.”
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For now, the news anchor is perfectly happy focusing on her career and helping victims of domestic violence.
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