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Hollywood's dark side has never been more exposed. Join us as we look at the most shocking secrets revealed by former child stars! From Jennette McCurdy's harrowing memoir to Judy Garland's tragic experiences, and from Drake Bell's brave confession to Shirley Temple's casting couch ordeal, these stories pull back the curtain on the entertainment industry's most troubling secrets.
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00:00If saying the truth ends a relationship, I think it's probably a relationship that needed to end.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at some of the darkest personal and industry
00:10secrets divulged by former child stars. I don't know exactly how to like kind of even describe it.
00:17Janet Jackson. While she's primarily known for being a pop diva, she started out in the
00:22entertainment industry as a child actor. At just 10 years old, Janet Jackson was cast on
00:27the sitcom Good Times as Wilona Woods' adopted daughter Penny. As an adult, she revealed the
00:39dark truth about her experience. She was severely body-shamed and told she had to lose weight before
00:44filming began. As if that wasn't bad enough, she was made to bind her chest to add to the visual
00:52effect as well. Besides the emotional distress that came with it, it could have caused physical
00:57harm as well. The actions of the adults around her caused her to develop body image issues that
01:02she struggled with well into adulthood. And it wasn't until I opened up and spoke to someone who
01:09I really felt that I could communicate with, who would not judge me, who I could truly trust,
01:14that my life began to change, and that was much later on in my life. Gary Coleman. As Arnold on
01:21different strokes, he became one of the most beloved young stars of his generation.
01:25What you talking about, Williams? Unfortunately, Gary Coleman hardly got to enjoy the fruits of his
01:30labor. Besides the fact that he was overworked to the point of depression, countless adults in his
01:35life failed him financially. I'll never have any privacy until he gets married. Married? On my
01:42allowance? In 1989, he sued his adoptive parents, claiming that they had embezzled his trust. It was found
01:49that they had taken over a million dollars' worth of payments. Although he won a considerable amount,
01:55Coleman's financial woes continued, and he filed for bankruptcy in 1999.
01:59Who walked away with Gary Coleman's millions? You know, even after the lawsuit was concluded,
02:06I still don't know.
02:08Christina Ricci. For many child stars, the transition to adult roles is brutal.
02:13What are you, darling? Where's your costume?
02:16This is my costume. I'm a homocidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.
02:21Christina Ricci learned this as a teenager in the 1990s. She'd gotten her start in family-friendly
02:26work, but branched out into more mature roles towards the turn of the century.
02:30I think Billy is the most handsome guy in the whole world.
02:33Who, honey?
02:35Billy. I think he's the most handsome man I've ever seen.
02:39Billy who?
02:40Who? This Billy.
02:42In 2022, she opened up about being sexualized. Speaking to The New Yorker, Ricci mentioned one
02:48particularly crass review for The Opposite of Sex, which she starred in when she was underage.
02:54In it, the critic described her in a particularly perverse way, and it was accepted due to him
02:59being respected in his field. That instance and others left her in a state of perpetual anger.
03:05God, how does a woman get so bitter?
03:09Observation.
03:10Kenan Thompson. He made a name for himself delighting viewers of all ages on Nickelodeon.
03:16Also, don't forget that after every meal, you should always brush your teeth.
03:21Mm-mm-mm. Now that's good brushing.
03:23Despite that success, however, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Kenan Thompson. As an adult,
03:29he disclosed how his parents placing their trust in the wrong man resulted in his earnings being
03:34stolen. The thief posed as Kenan's accountant and used his position to swipe over a million dollars.
03:40How much did the accountant get you for?
03:41A million and a half.
03:43Damn.
03:43The worst part? This came to light as he was buying his first home. The realization of the
03:48scam left him without a financial safety net just as his tenure at Nick was ending. He went from
03:53millionaire to living paycheck to paycheck in an instant. And while he was eventually able to
03:58find stable work, it was undoubtedly a rough period.
04:01It was almost like starting over, you know?
04:03Yeah.
04:03Jackie Coogan. He starred in several films throughout his youth in the 1920s and 30s,
04:08and subsequently made millions before reaching adulthood.
04:13When Jackie Coogan tried accessing his trust as an adult, however, he learned that his mother
04:18and stepfather had spent nearly all of it.
04:20Next thing you know, all the money's gone.
04:23He sued them in 1938, and when all was said and done, he was left with just $126,000,
04:29or nearly $3 million today.
04:31Now, Tom, don't lie to me. I can't bear it.
04:34I ain't Aunt Polly. It is all done.
04:36The case revealed the mistreatment of children in Hollywood, and a year later, the Coogan Act
04:41passed. It mandated that 15% of a child's earnings were set aside and ensured they would
04:47have access to education and breaks. While it came too late to benefit Jackie himself,
04:52it paved the way for countless other minors to be protected from exploitation.
04:56Nia Su.
04:57On Dance Moms, viewers watched as Abby Lee Miller screamed at students and parents alike.
05:02Get your finger out of my face!
05:05What was shown on camera, however, was just a small portion of her verbal abuse.
05:10In 2025, former pupil and cast member Nia Su released a memoir that detailed her time on the show.
05:16She explained all the various microaggressions Miller had committed.
05:21They varied from insults about her hair and body to derogatory comments about being flat-footed.
05:26Su also claimed that the solos she showcased on the series were offensive,
05:30and that she was essentially made to perform stereotypes in a variety of cultures,
05:35even if they weren't ones she identified with.
05:38It's inappropriate, and also it's very stereotypical.
05:43Will Wheaton.
05:43For some kids, being an actor is a dream come true. For Will Wheaton, however, it was a complete
05:49nightmare.
05:49Do you think I'm weird?
05:51Definitely.
05:52No, man, seriously.
05:53Am I weird?
05:56Yeah, but so what? Everybody's weird.
05:58In a 2021 interview with Yahoo! Movies, the actor revealed that he had essentially been
06:03forced into his breakout role in Stand By Me by his parents.
06:07Afterwards, he was coerced into taking on a role in the sci-fi horror film The Curse,
06:11where he and his sister were worked to the bone.
06:14What's the matter?
06:15It tastes funny.
06:16What tastes funny?
06:18The water.
06:19Just the minerals in it. It's good for you.
06:22It makes vegetables taste weird.
06:24He also disclosed that he was assaulted on set, and that the effects the director utilized were
06:30intentionally harmful. His mom downplayed each incident, and then went on to spend most of the
06:35money her children had made. As an adult, he's now estranged from his parents, and it's clear to see why.
06:41It was like I had admitted to myself, and I had confronted this thing that was really painful
06:48and had been looming over me my entire life.
06:52JoJo. Fame had plenty of drawbacks. For JoJo, who found success thanks to hits like Leave, Get Out,
06:59this became all too clear in her teens.
07:01Get out, leave right now. It's the end of you and me.
07:06In her memoir, Over the Influence, she detailed various personal struggles,
07:11from substance dependency to feelings of inadequacy.
07:14She also divulged how often she was targeted by older men within the industry.
07:18It's the end of you and me.
07:20Hey, it's too late now. I can't wait for you to be gone.
07:25She recounted an instance when a producer tried to get her so intoxicated that she wouldn't be able to leave.
07:31She also went into detail about being taken advantage of without her knowledge,
07:35only to be blamed by the perpetrator afterward.
07:37Her confessions made it alarmingly clear just how insidious success could be,
07:42and how those left without support can fall into harmful, seemingly endless cycles.
07:47I wanted to start to make sense of, like, how I got to this place.
07:51Drake Bell.
07:51When Quiet On Set, The Dark Side of Kids TV aired,
07:55there was a particular focus on Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck
07:59and his arrest in 2003 for the assault of a minor.
08:02It was later revealed in the series that the performer he had hurt was Drake Bell.
08:06The actor, who worked on The Amanda Show and Drake and Josh,
08:09divulged how Peck had isolated him from his family and hurt him on a constant basis.
08:14He would come to my concerts.
08:16You would take a chance.
08:26He then went on to say that when he had finally been arrested,
08:29he was supported, while Drake had been victim-blamed.
08:32Going public after so long was likely terrifying,
08:35but it also forced people to see the ugly side of seemingly wholesome content.
08:39I'm sitting there going...
08:44None of you have any idea what is in process right now and what's about to happen.
08:54Brooke Shields.
08:55Not all abuse is kept behind lock and key.
08:58Brooke Shields is the ultimate example.
09:00I don't like that face.
09:04It ain't a pleasant face.
09:07Now this is a pleasant face.
09:09Explicit shoots she did as a child were broadcast across the nation,
09:12and it wasn't until the 2020s that she began to speak out about it.
09:16She's grappled with several inappropriate moments,
09:19from her horrific first kiss to a director intentionally hurting her
09:23in order to capture a specific reaction.
09:25Why did you buy me a doll?
09:27Every child should have a doll.
09:29I'm a child to you?
09:31Each instance caused her to develop a warped perception of intimacy,
09:35and left her with conflicted emotions on where she fit into the Me Too movement.
09:39She's also been open about how constant fame essentially distorted her self-image,
09:43and that it wasn't until her late 30s that she actually felt like her own person.
09:48You victim-shamed yourself, you know?
09:51And that's...
09:51But we were so young, and it was so appropriate.
09:55Hilary Duff.
09:56Lizzie, that's ridiculous.
09:58Honey, you're not fat.
09:59You're perfect.
10:01Mom, I'm talking about a friend here, remember?
10:03The recipient of seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards,
10:06Hilary Duff was a major teen idol of the early 2000s,
10:09known primarily for her role as Lizzie McGuire.
10:12Unfortunately, the attention this role brought her resulted in an eating disorder.
10:16They said things before, you know, like,
10:18oh my gosh, she's gained weight, and then I lose weight,
10:21and then it's, oh my gosh, she's lost too much weight.
10:23Duff has opened up to various publications about her flawed relationship with food,
10:27claiming that the pressures of fame and an unhealthy approach to celebrity
10:30caused her to develop unhealthy eating habits as a teenager.
10:33In one interview with E! News, Duff even claims her, quote,
10:37hands would cramp up a lot owing to malnutrition.
10:40I begged for acting classes.
10:41I, you know, begged to go to, like, random cattle calls where there's, like, 500 kids.
10:46And you lived in Texas, right?
10:47Daniel Radcliffe.
10:48When I think of, like, yeah, like, the sort of chaos I used to invite into my life,
10:55I'm, like, I'm really much happier now.
10:59In the decades since ending his historic run as Harry Potter,
11:02Daniel Radcliffe has spoken about some of the issues he faced as a young star of the franchise.
11:06The pressure of being one of the biggest child stars in the world eventually got to him.
11:11As Radcliffe reached a legal drinking age,
11:13he acknowledged in interviews that he began leaning more on alcohol to deal with being in the spotlight.
11:18In my case, the quickest way of forgetting about the fact that you were being watched was to get very
11:24drunk.
11:24And then as you get very drunk, you become aware that, oh, people are watching more now because I'm getting
11:29very drunk.
11:30He also said that his habits began to affect his work on the films.
11:34As the franchise wrapped up, Radcliffe worked hard to get and stay sober.
11:38Today, Radcliffe credits staying well-adjusted in the spotlight to surrounding himself with positive influences.
11:44Now we're about a year and a half later, and my life has turned around immeasurably.
11:50It's a wonderful thing.
11:51Allison Porter
11:52Hell, I'd rather sing for myself than sit in the parking lot.
11:56They sing to all holy heaven.
11:57While she's now known for her music, Allison Porter began her career in movies as a young child.
12:02Perhaps her most famous role is that of Curly Sue in the John Hughes film of the same name,
12:07which was released when Porter was just 10 years old.
12:10So find yourself somebody to love.
12:16This was followed by a tumultuous period involving drugs and alcohol.
12:20In 2014, Porter wrote a blog post opening up about her substance use,
12:25with insinuations towards marijuana and Xanax.
12:28She eventually had a moment of clarity and sought professional help.
12:31She became abstinent from drugs in 2007 at the age of 26, and has remained so ever since.
12:37I just, I made a call to my mom and another person who was sober, and they helped me.
12:44Joe Jonas
12:45The Jonas Brothers are an iconic piece of late 2000s pop culture,
12:55the squeaky clean cute boys behind various Disney projects and popular songs.
12:59But now they're all grown up, and some are voicing their chagrin at being corporate puppets.
13:04Joe, in particular, has made his displeasure known,
13:07publishing a scathing op-ed through Vulture in 2013.
13:10He speaks about his time with Disney and how he was forced to project an innocent image
13:14while working on projects he didn't even like.
13:16Wow.
13:17You really get into your work.
13:20I'm Shane.
13:21But I'm sure even the kitchen help knows that.
13:23Furthermore, it began to affect his personal life, especially his relationship with Demi Lovato.
13:29Lovato was battling her own demons, but an unhappy Jonas felt obligated to remain in the
13:34relationship for the sake of appearances.
13:36I heard this girl singing, and it kind of reminded me of the music that I liked.
13:40So I started playing around with some chords, and I know it's not finished, but...
13:44No.
13:45No, it's good.
13:46Selena Gomez
13:47I was told I had to join this club or get suspended.
13:51Oh, come on.
13:52Most of you know me.
13:53That's not a shocker.
13:53Another Disney veteran, another person suffocated by its pressures.
13:57Gomez has been very open about her troubled relationship with the company,
14:01even reporting on the Zach Sang show that she, quote,
14:04hated most of her upbringing.
14:05Being able to address things that's happening,
14:09because there are kids who don't even know they're in pain.
14:11This included the negative pressures of fame, unwanted public attention,
14:15and having to move away from home at a young age.
14:18Gomez showed a particularly vulnerable side in the 2022 documentary My Mind and Me,
14:23in which she opened up about her struggles with mental health.
14:26Gomez says that she's doing better now thanks to friends and therapy.
14:30I would want nothing more than to not be my past, and it comes back.
14:36Lelaine
14:42We return to the Lizzie McGuire universe for Lelaine,
14:45who played Lizzie's best friend Miranda Sanchez.
14:48However, her heart wasn't really in the show,
14:50and she left before its conclusion to focus on other creative pursuits.
14:54Want some, like, french fries?
14:55Why don't they just slap a big sign on this bill that says,
14:58Loser Farm, and be done with it?
15:00She did not appear in the final six episodes of the show,
15:03nor did she star in the 2003 movie.
15:06Unfortunately, this preceded what Lelaine calls her, quote,
15:09dark years.
15:10This included a period of serious substance use,
15:12and she was arrested in 2007 on a felony possession of methamphetamine.
15:17Thankfully, she eventually sought help and turned her life around.
15:20Were you aware that you were, like, a role model when you were on the show?
15:23Uh, I think at that age, like, maybe it was said, of course,
15:28but I don't think you truly understand...
15:30Well, I didn't truly understand what that meant.
15:32Shirley Temple
15:33I've got it.
15:36Wee Willy Winky.
15:38Wee Willy Winky?
15:41Was he a friend of yours?
15:43Kids today will probably know Shirley Temple as that yummy drink you get at restaurants,
15:47not knowing about who was once the biggest child star on the planet.
15:51Nay, maybe the biggest movie star, period.
15:53Unfortunately, this caused Temple to be the subject of some bizarre treatment.
15:57Will you help me out, Shirley?
15:59I need you to go over and apologize.
16:01I didn't do anything wrong.
16:03The child star required intensive dental work to hide the natural gaps in her teeth,
16:08and fans persistently yanked on her hair hoping to expose a wig.
16:11They were left disappointed, and she was left in pain.
16:15Worst of all was a horrific casting couch experience that she was subjected to in 1940,
16:19the details of which are recounted in her memoir, Child Star.
16:23I sat on so many laps, it's a wonder I'd ever learn to walk.
16:28Judy Garland
16:29I don't like this forest.
16:33It's dark and creepy.
16:35Another screen icon of the Golden Age.
16:38Judy Garland achieved enormous popularity, but it came at the expense of her physical and mental health.
16:43Garland's story is one of the most tragic in Hollywood,
16:46a widespread cautionary tale about the dangers of stardom and perfection.
16:50Now wait a minute, my boy.
16:52That's much too public a proposal for me to say no to.
16:55I accept.
16:56Garland endured a lifelong battle with substance use and body image problems,
17:00the latter of which was propagated by studio executives.
17:03Garland would reportedly use amphetamines throughout filming to keep up with her hectic schedule,
17:08and then take barbiturates to fall asleep, instigating a dangerous cycle of drug use that never really went away.
17:14Overdosing and dying before turning 50, she met a tragic end to a tragic life.
17:20I don't know what's left in there after that one.
17:25Corey Feldman and Corey Haim.
17:27We're fighters for truth, justice, and the American way.
17:33Right.
17:34The two Corys were the biggest teen idols of their day,
17:38known for many 80s hits like Stand By Me and The Lost Boys,
17:41the latter of which starred both actors and started a lifelong friendship.
17:45Unfortunately, both suffered greatly throughout this tumultuous period.
17:49Feldman has been very vocal about the sexual abuse that both he and Haim suffered,
17:53and it resulted in a ferocious battle with substance use, including problems with heroin.
17:58What'd you do, man, when you saw that s*** going down when I was 14 to me?
18:01What'd you do?
18:01You knew about it.
18:02Besides being his best friend, what'd you do?
18:05What'd you do?
18:05Feldman continues to be one of the biggest faces of Hollywood justice,
18:09even though he himself has been accused of sexual misconduct.
18:12As for Haim, he experienced housing insecurity before dying in 2010 at age 38.
18:18I have to be very careful with myself as far as that goes,
18:21which is why I have a support group around me consistently.
18:23He's addicted to life.
18:24Exactly.
18:25What were you addicted?
18:26My addiction...
18:27His wife.
18:28I'm addicted to my wife.
18:29Demi Lovato.
18:30I like to say that I'm an open book with boundaries because I feel like I do wear my heart
18:37on my sleeve,
18:38but I also have learned how to protect myself.
18:41Thanks to a meteoric rise on Disney Channel, Demi Lovato was a TV staple throughout her younger years.
18:47Unfortunately, her life behind the scenes was far from easy.
18:50Lovato suddenly left both her leading role on Sunny with a Chance and a concert tour in 2010.
18:56She ended up going to rehab to address her addictive behaviors and struggles with mental health in 2011.
19:01I was stuck in this, like, unhappy position, and here I am sober, and I'm thinking to myself,
19:05I'm six years sober, but I'm miserable.
19:07I'm even more miserable than I was when I was drinking.
19:10Why am I sober?
19:11After Lovato's day, she publicly talked about those issues and directly spoke about her difficulties with disordered eating.
19:17The singer went on to share more details in her music, a self-help memoir, and in documentaries.
19:23Lovato's journey has had several bumps in the road, but she's always been honest about what it takes to start
19:29over.
19:29Arielle Winter.
19:30I think that when I was born, it was kind of already decided what I was expected to be, and
19:37so I was kind of pushed into the industry.
19:39While Arielle Winter was still working on the smash hit Modern Family, her sister Chanel Gray was making a case
19:45for why she should be the rising star's legal guardian.
19:48This publicized court battle led the actress to open up about her mother's bad behavior.
19:53Winter reported that she had strict rules about her diet, friendships, and even had to wear inappropriate clothes.
19:59So your sister has been really there for you and great for you, right?
20:02She's been the best part of my life.
20:04She really is my best friend.
20:05She is the most important thing to me.
20:07She's been there for me through absolutely everything, and I just love her so much.
20:11I count on her more than I think.
20:12Apparently, these restrictions were meant to keep the star famous.
20:16Outside of Winter's turbulent relationship with her mother, she was also subjected to negative comments about her body.
20:21Winter has often talked about the power of body positivity and importance of taking care of one's mental health.
20:27We think Alex Dunphy would be proud.
20:29It was really painful for me to watch my mom go on news outlets and go on Dr. Phil and
20:35kind of spread things everywhere when it's really just private family business.
20:41Aaron Carter.
20:42When I turned 18 years old, I was just kind of standing there on my own trying to figure it
20:47out.
20:47And at that time, there was a lot of damage had been done.
20:51My parents were fighting each other in the media and stuff like that.
20:54And it just became very difficult.
20:56The late Aaron Carter's financial struggles made tons of headlines over the years.
21:01According to the pop star, he constantly dealt with debt because his parents and managers took advantage.
21:06While coping with financial issues, Carter's mental health struggles and legal problems made it difficult to achieve the heights of
21:12fame he had as a child pop star.
21:14It's body shaming.
21:15It is the toughest thing to deal with.
21:18He once revealed that he hoped a stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2009 would help give him a
21:23career boost.
21:24When the run didn't give him the push he was hoping for, he turned to negative habits to help him
21:28cope.
21:29While working on a comeback, Carter tragically passed away in his home in 2022.
21:34At what point did you know that you had a problem and had a stop?
21:37I never really did.
21:39Someone stepped in?
21:40I mean, my mother stepped in.
21:41Cole Sprouse.
21:42Where'd he go?
21:44Nothing you can do will make me tell.
21:46Five bucks.
21:46Soccer practice.
21:47Some people start really early, and Cole Sprouse is one of them.
21:51He first started acting in Chuck Lorre's sitcom Grace Under Fire, which premiered on ABC in 1993.
21:57At the time, Sprouse was a whole one year old.
22:00You're the cutest little rug rat in the whole world.
22:03I love you and your brother and sister so much.
22:06Unfortunately, life in the entertainment industry had a terrible effect on his mother,
22:10and both he and his brother Dylan were taken away from her at a young age.
22:14Sprouse has also claimed that constantly working on movie and TV sets was a, quote,
22:18insular environment that made him, quote,
22:21forget what real human experience looked like.
22:23You're raised in such an insular environment that you forget what real human experience
22:28or boots on the ground actually looks like.
22:31Finally, he admits that he has lasting trauma from his time as a child star,
22:34but also admits that it's nothing compared to what his female co-workers have to deal with.
22:39Wow, that is so weird.
22:43Mara Wilson.
22:43Are you only four years old?
22:45Six and a half.
22:46You're four?
22:47Six and a half.
22:48If you were six and a half, you'd be in school already.
22:50I want to be in school.
22:52I told you I was supposed to start school in September.
22:55After starring in beloved 1990s family movies like Matilda,
22:59Mara Wilson took a step back from Hollywood in the 2000s.
23:01She would later pen several articles about her experiences in the 2010s.
23:06In one op-ed, Wilson used her firsthand experience to offer up the reasons why the odds are stacked so
23:11highly against child stars.
23:13People love to talk about how immoral Hollywood is, but it's not.
23:16It's amoral.
23:17It's a numbers game.
23:19It's demographics.
23:19She also shared a detailed look at her childhood with a memoir, Where Am I Now?
23:24In the book, she wrote about being pressured to look and act certain ways to get cast and be accepted.
23:30Wilson also discussed how hard it was to read the inappropriate comments people made about her.
23:34Over the last decade, she has constantly voiced her support for other child stars who have faced adversity.
23:39For a long time, I kind of took a lot of the things that happened to me in stride, but
23:43I look back now and I think,
23:45wow, if that happened to any child that I know and care about, I don't know what I would do.
23:49Allison Stoner.
23:50Can I sit with you?
23:54I guess.
23:56But you have to give me your cake.
23:58We once again return to the Disney vault for Allison Stoner,
24:01who found success through Camp Rock and the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, among many others.
24:05Unfortunately, Stoner experienced what seems like every negative aspect of the entertainment industry.
24:11Stoner has been very open about their traumatic experiences in Hollywood,
24:15including instances of sexual harassment, overwork, much of it illegal, and dangerous working conditions.
24:21Very few resources exist to help people unpack and navigate the implications of a child star-studded culture,
24:29whether you're the kid, the parent, the agent, or the audience.
24:33They also claim that this resulted in chronic stress and eating disorders,
24:37which in turn led to malnourishment, hair loss, and even seizures.
24:40Luckily, they eventually sought help through therapy,
24:43and now speak openly about the importance of mental health.
24:46Something I have learned is that as long as we are enchanted or complacent, we're also vulnerable.
24:54Drew Barrymore.
24:55Well, I've grown up very fast, and it's not very normal to see a nine-year-old at a big
24:59Hollywood party.
25:00First rising to fame in E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Drew Barrymore's childhood was anything but ordinary.
25:06At a young age, she was often brought to clubs and venues geared for adults that she shouldn't have been
25:11able to get access to.
25:12I was a real wild child, and I just got so out of control that no one knew what to
25:20do with me.
25:21Barrymore later said her behavior got so erratic that she was sent to a facility to address her habits and
25:26mental health issues.
25:27The star later acknowledged that her experience there ultimately helped her turn things around.
25:32In the years since, Barrymore enjoyed a career resurgence and started hosting a successful talk show.
25:38On occasion, she will use her talk show platform to facilitate illuminating conversations about child stardom and teenage rebellion.
25:45I'm so glad that my kids won't be having to live on their own at 14.
25:52And that's as healing to the 14-year-old me as it can get.
25:56Macaulay Culkin.
25:58But in general, I never really liked being fussed over.
26:01I didn't like the hair, makeup, costume people poking at you all the time.
26:06I actually wasn't a huge fan after a while of being the center of attention.
26:11Years after Macaulay Culkin blew up as a child star, he revealed how difficult it was for him behind the
26:16scenes.
26:17According to the actor, trying to balance normal activities like school with filming schedules made shoots feel more like a
26:23chore.
26:23I never read any of the scripts.
26:25Like, I would just read, like, the lines for, like, the next day or whatever.
26:28Like, I would, like, get the gist of what the movie was about.
26:31But then I just kind of show up and hit my marks, find my light.
26:35Culkin also had to accept whatever role was chosen for him.
26:38On top of the pressures of fame, he's been extremely honest about his rocky relationship with his parents.
26:44Culkin claimed that their focus on his earnings and career pushed his father in particular to mistreat him.
26:49Despite hitting a few rough patches, Culkin slowly started to make more Hollywood appearances in the late 2010s.
26:56Fortunately, Culkin's past difficulties have not kept him from a happy and productive career.
27:01Yeah, I was away from home a lot.
27:03I was away from school.
27:04I was just, I needed something else.
27:08I needed to grow and develop as a person.
27:10I was looking forward to high school.
27:11Like, I was actually looking forward to going to school.
27:13Raven Simone.
27:14Things were just really controlled because here in Hollywood, that's what happens.
27:19This child actress rose to fame on The Cosby Show, playing Denise's stepdaughter, Olivia Kendall.
27:24Her first episode aired in September 1989, when Raven Simone was just three years old.
27:29Jonathan, he's the worst.
27:31Whenever I look at him, he makes an ugly monster face like this.
27:36This kick-started a career that was undeniably successful, but which had a negative impact on her mental health.
27:42Raven Simone claims that she was constantly body shamed,
27:45and was often told, even as a very young child, that she was getting fat and that she needed to
27:50watch what she ate.
27:51She also claims that she was forced to hide her sexuality from the public,
27:55fearing that coming out would be detrimental to her career.
27:58As Raven Simone told People magazine in 2017,
28:01this all resulted in, quote,
28:21Miley Cyrus had no qualms about sharing the downsides of being in the public eye at a young age.
28:26After she put her breakout Hannah Montana role in the rearview mirror,
28:30the singer talked about her struggle to move on to more mature projects.
28:33Cyrus has spoken extensively about fans who want her to project the wholesome image she had when she was younger.
28:39There was a different level of, like, hysteria when Hannah Montana...
28:46I mean, it was actually kind of crazy being Hannah Montana.
28:48Now I have a hard time remembering exactly what that felt like.
28:51Additionally, she's talked about the hectic schedule and pressure she had to dress a certain way.
28:56Cyrus even compared aspects of the experience to the notoriously exploitative TLC show Toddlers and Tiaras.
29:02Cyrus definitely deserves to get her flowers after withstanding all that pressure.
29:06I didn't hurt myself beyond repair in my experiences.
29:11I survived.
29:12And I don't even mean heart-still-beating survival.
29:16I mean, I have a lot of people that love me around.
29:26Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's Aria, Songs from Iran,
29:31reimagining Persian melodies as modern rock, metal, and pop songs.
29:35Check out the full track and album below.
29:52Jeanette McCurdy.
29:53As a kid, you know, I'm surrounded by all these people who are my friends or my whatever, but they're
29:58all making money off of me.
29:59Making money off of you.
30:00Before Jeanette McCurdy even released her 2022 memoir, she grabbed the world's attention with its provocative title,
30:07I'm Glad My Mom Died.
30:09The book's contents dove into the horrifying details about the actress's strained relationship with her mother.
30:14McCurdy's mom pushed everything from dieting hard to constant Hollywood exposure.
30:30This caused the actress to develop body image issues while feeling the pressure to constantly perform.
30:36Outside of talking about her family in the book,
30:38McCurdy also highlighted Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider's troubling behavior.
30:43Her brave testimony became an acclaimed and much-discussed bestseller.
30:47Whether the book leads to lasting change remains to be seen,
30:50but it was a landmark work that spoke volumes to McCurdy's resilience and bravery.
30:55It took me a long time to accept that my mom was not perfect, let alone abusive.
31:02Like, it went in baby steps to put these pieces of the puzzle together.
31:08Which of these stories surprised you the most?
31:10Let us know in the comments.
31:17Let us know in the comments.
31:18Apostles,''
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