The life of a child actor seems like a dream, but we’re all far too familiar with the stories of how difficult it can be. The information coming out around Jennette McCurdy is no exception, and yet surprising all the same.
The star—best known for her role on Nickelodeon’s iCarly and the spin-off Sam & Cat—revealed abuse she suffered as a child star.
McCurdy was 15 when iCarly began in 2007. She alleged the abuse was the fault of her mother as well as authority figures on the set of her popular kids' shows.
She shared details in a New York Times profile to promote her new book.
In her profile, McCurdy spoke about the abuse she suffered while starring on one of the most popular children shows at the time. On one side, she explained her mother’s controlling behavior, forcing the young woman into acting and guilting her when she didn’t want to.
And on the other side of the equation, things weren’t any better. A person only identified as ‘The Creator’ is alleged by McCurdy to have photographed her in a bikini during a wardrobe fitting. This same Creator also pushed McCurdy to drink alcohol and tried to give her unprompted shoulder massages when she was a child.
While the Creator isn’t named, things he did are horrific for someone who regularly worked with children.
McCurdy experienced a lot more pain and suffering in her childhood acting career.
McCurdy’s mother’s abuse led to the former child star titling her book I’m Glad My Mom Died, which rubbed some people the wrong way.
Nickelodeon pushed more pain on McCurdy. While they promised her a solo spin-off from iCarly, they instead made her a co-star of Sam & Cat, alongside Ariana Grande.
On top of all of this, they controlled what McCurdy could and could not do in seeking career opportunities. These limits didn’t apply to Grande, which hurt and ‘broke’ McCurdy.
The final straw came when McCurdy’s time at Nickelodeon came to an end. The company tried to pay her $300,000 to not talk publicly about her time at the studio.
It was a difficult childhood for someone that brought joy to other children.
McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, looks at her struggles with addiction, eating disorders and abuse on the sets of her Nickelodeon shows.
It has an expected release date of August 9.
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