NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- Sherri Shepherd, who frequently expresses her Christian views on her U.S. television chat show "The View," says she had several abortions when she was younger.

Usmagazine.com reported the stand-up comedienne, who is one of the five panelists on ABC's "The View," spoke candidly about her past to Precious Times, a black Christian women's magazine.

"My sister was heavy into drugs, and we would have to go and get her from crack houses," Shepherd is quoted as saying.

Recalling how she herself was "in a very physically abusive relationship," Shepherd admitted, "I was sleeping with a lot of guys and had more abortions than I would like to count."

The bubbly TV personality said there was once a time her self-esteem was so low, "I felt if someone killed me, it wouldn't even make a difference."

She added that after she converted to Christianity, however, "God showed me that it would make a difference."