Fantasia Barrino went on ABC’s 20/20 newsmagazine on Friday evening, September 30, to talk about her brand-new memoir, Life Is Not A Fairly Tale, published the same day. The third-season American Idol winner — whose debut album Free Yourself has been certified platinum — confessed on the show that she is “functionally illiterate” and had to dictate her book to a freelance writer.

Fantasia said that her inability to read and write well kept her from applying for jobs. On American Idol she often faked her way through scripted segments and learned lyrics by listening to the songs, not reading the sheet music. “Somebody would say, ‘You know, it’s pronounced this way,’ and I’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, you know, I’m country, you know,’ ” Fantasia told 20/20 about hiding her secret on the show.

Other revelations from Fantasia’s book are that her mother is also functionally illiterate, and that she was raped in her first year of high school and blamed herself because of the way she was dressed.

Life Is Not A Fairly Tale also details the single mother’s poor childhood in High Point, North Carolina, and the importance of faith in her life.

Fantasia embarks on a new tour with Common and headliner Kanye West on October 11 in Miami.

Credit: LAUNCH Radio Networks