Facing up to the sting of rejection

She is one of the world's most successful women, married to a rock star and with multiple businesses to her name, but it appears that even Trudie Styler has cause for self-doubt on occasion.

The film producer has disclosed that she has often believed that she was "not a very attractive person", as a result of facial scarring as a child.

Styler, who married Sting in 1992, claimed she was "always unsure" of herself, despite her "fortunate" life.

The 60-year-old, who has four children and lives in New York, was knocked over by a van at the age of two and had surgery throughout her childhood, and Botox injections to help reduce the scars. Her mother won compensation from the company that owned the vehicle.

"The scars on the face have always given me a sense that I'm not a very attractive person," she told Stella magazine.

She was nicknamed "Scarface" at school.

"I'm always unsure of myself, of my facial self. But I've got to like myself, I think, through my relationship with Sting, who pours love over me."

She added that the songwriter - who called his wife his "damaged angel" in his autobiography - has done more than anyone else to help heal her psychological scars.

"Through his devotion and his belief in me in every way, and by saying he finds me beautiful, I've started to heal that wound," she said.

"I was operated on facially so much when I was young and had massive amounts of stitches," she added.

"I had operations until I was 18, then revision on my scars to put back my eyebrows. So I've had a lot of what is called plastic surgery.

"Now I'm in the fortunate position to be able to do whatever I want to enhance my body, my face, myself. But I think women should really feel empowered, good about what they do for themselves."

Styler has previously bemoaned the "paucity of women in film" and said she wanted to redress the balance by pushing women writers to write "substantive" female roles.

Styler is organising the bi-annual gala in aid of the Rainforest Foundation she runs with Sting. It supports the rights of indigenous people in places such as the Amazon.