Queen Latifah’s Scar Is the Result of a Childhood Accident

Frequently hailed as the First Lady of hip hop, Queen Latifah cemented herself as a legendary musician, actress, and producer with releases like "All Hail the Queen," TV shows like The Equalizer or Hollywood, and movies like Taxi.

A pop-cultural icon, she has worked with Jimmy Fallon, Adam Goldberg, Brandy, and many others. And, like some of the biggest names in show biz, such as Harrison Ford or Seal, she too has a scar. So, what's the story behind it?

Born on March 18, 1970, in Newark, N.J., Queen Latifah (Dana Elaine Owens) was raised by a tactical police officer dad, Lancelot Amos Owens, and an art teacher, Rita Owens. (Rita passed away in 2018.)

Queen Latifah's older brother, Lancelot Amos Owens Jr., was going to embark on the same career path. He tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident in 1992, aged only 24. The star also has a sister, Raven, and a brother, Angelo. But, what's the story behind Queen Latifah's scar?

Turns out, the barely noticeable scar is the sole remainder of a harmless game Queen Latifah played with one of her siblings back when she was only 3 years old. She was playing tag, but the engrossing game quickly turned badly wrong.

As she told The New York Times in 2008, she accidentally tripped over an inconveniently located telephone cord, hitting her head on the corner of the bathroom wall. And the series of misfortunes was far from over.

"I tripped over the telephone cord and hit my head on the corner of the bathroom wall. I got three stitches," she explained. "Then I fell on my grandmother's steps and busted it open again."

As the star told the Chicago Tribune in 2015, she frequently wishes the scar wouldn't get airbrushed from professional photographs. As she suggested, removing the flaw further perpetuates unhealthy beauty standards.

"It's part of who I am, so I'd like it to be accepted as part of who I am," Queen Latifah said. "There are a lot of people reading those magazines, not unlike myself, who have some sort of scar, too. I don't think we should try to make everything look perfect."

Besides, Queen Latifah's scar seems to have fans too.

"Queen Latifah and I both have a scar on our foreheads in the same place. It's like we are the same person. I am Queen Latifah," tweeted @MaryBrumbley.

A Grammy Award-winning artist, Queen Latifah remained a trailblazing singer and rapper able to inject newness into rap and hip hop since the very first days of her career.

The star has already earned numerous accolades, and she isn't about to slow down. She was recently honored with the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. She also has plenty of new projects in the making, including End of the Road, The Tiger Rising, and Paper Chase.

Catch new episodes of The Equalizer every Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.