- 7 weeks ago
Child stardom often comes with a heavy price. From relentless schedules and body shaming to financial exploitation and mental health struggles, many former young stars have bravely shared their experiences behind the glitz and glamour. Join us as we explore the real stories behind the fame and the lasting impact it’s had on these actors’ lives and well-being.
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00:00I don't know why you do this to me. Like, I eat my vegetables. I love vegetables.
00:05I'm good at schoolwork. I do my schoolwork. Like, I try so hard.
00:10Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today we're looking at 20 child stars who have openly spoken about
00:15the negative side effects of fame. Things were just really controlled because
00:19here in Hollywood, that's what happened. Number 20, Hilary Duff.
00:25There's no rule book and it really puts you on an island sometimes of like, one, how do I complain
00:30about this to anyone? Because from the outside, it just doesn't seem like a bad or hard thing to
00:35swallow. She became the ultimate teen idol portraying the titular character in Lizzie McGuire.
00:42But carrying a massive franchise as a young teenager came with heavy burdens. Duff later opened up about
00:48the grueling work schedules that consumed her adolescence, leaving her exhausted and isolated
00:53from her peers. The constant media scrutiny over her changing teenage body also led to a severe
00:58eating disorder at age 17, as she desperately tried to fit Hollywood's razor-thin standards.
01:03After realizing the dangerous path she was on, Duff actively took a step back from the industry to
01:08focus on her health and find her authentic self. Today, she is praised for her balanced approach to
01:14fame, prioritizing personal happiness over industry demands.
01:18I don't know. I feel like time just kind of got me through it and I feel like I made
01:27a lot of really
01:28good decisions.
01:29Number 19, Corey Feldman.
01:31Corey Feldman is on a mission, as he describes it, to clean up Hollywood. And it's taking on new
01:36meaning given those new allegations against Kevin Spacey that we talked about a little earlier.
01:41Anchoring classics like The Goonies and Stand By Me, Corey Feldman was one of the most bankable
01:46child stars of the 1980s. However, Feldman has spent decades shining a light on the darkest corners
01:52of the entertainment industry. He has famously detailed how a lack of parental protection left
01:57him and other young actors vulnerable to financial exploitation and systemic abuse by predatory figures
02:03in Hollywood. This trauma fueled years of mental health issues and public struggles. Despite facing
02:08public skepticism and industry blacklisting, Feldman has remained steadfast in his mission to expose
02:14abusers and advocate for stronger legal protections for child performers.
02:18I believe there's a lot of darkness in Hollywood right now. And I believe it's been there for
02:22quite some time.
02:23Number 18, Bella Thorne.
02:25I don't know that I ever handled it or balanced it out correctly. I don't think that I ever had
02:38that mental clarity. Skyrocketing to fame alongside Zendaya on Disney's Shake It Up,
02:43Bella Thorne later revealed that she only took the role out of desperate financial necessity for her
02:48family. Thorne has been vocal about the claustrophobic constraints of being a Disney darling, explaining how
02:54she was forced to speak in a higher pitch and hide her true personality to maintain a squeaky clean
02:59Disney image. Her mother also forced her to obey, fearing the loss of their house and newfound
03:05financial freedom if she stepped out of line. This fostered intense anxiety. And once free from
03:10her contract, Thorne deliberately embraced a rebellious and unapologetic persona to reclaim
03:15her identity. While her methods have sometimes been controversial, Thorne's journey underscores the
03:21intense psychological rebellion that often follows controlled childhood stardom.
03:25How did you manage trying to soar in your own right and find your own image outside of that
03:31really, like, specific constraints that they put under and on you?
03:37Well, I think people can see how I've managed it publicly. They can see it. They've got photos of it.
03:45Number 17, Will Wheaton.
03:47If I'm going to be happy, if I'm going to get attention and approval from my parents that I think
03:53every child absolutely deserves unconditionally, I have to do what mom wants. And maybe if I do what
03:59mom wants it, for some reason, dad will love me.
04:02This child star won hearts with his unforgettable performances in Stand By Me and Star Trek The Next
04:07Generation. However, Will Wheaton has since shared the heartbreaking truth that he never actually
04:13wanted to be an actor. He revealed that he was forced into the profession by his parents, leading to
04:18a childhood filled with anxiety and abuse. The immense pressure of carrying major film and TV projects
04:24as a child, coupled with a lack of parental support at home, resulted in deep-seated trauma and struggles
04:29with depression. Today, Wheaton is a beloved and outspoken advocate for mental health, using his
04:35voice to validate others' trauma and condemn the exploitation of children.
04:39That's how much pain I was in. I thought maybe it would get my dad's attention.
04:46And maybe it would make an impression on my mom and she would have to see me.
04:50Number 16, Raven-Symoné.
04:52And whatever stress seven-year-olds go through, like in trying to be in a new school and be liked
04:58and whatever, let's magnify that by probably 30 on the fact of you can't mess up in front of a
05:04live
05:04studio audience because your each show costs about a million dollars to make, so you just want to make
05:08sure that you don't mess up.
05:09Starting her career at just three years old, Raven-Symoné literally grew up on television screens.
05:15While audiences loved her physical comedy and infectious energy, the Cosby Show star faced
05:20intense body shaming behind the scenes. Industry executives made damaging comments about her
05:25weight when she was just seven years old, leading to intense stress and struggles with her image.
05:31The pressure to conform to unrealistic Hollywood standards took a significant toll on her mental
05:36health and during her most formative years. Since stepping back into the public eye as a successful
05:42talk show host, Raven-Symoné has proudly championed body positivity, self-acceptance,
05:47and living authentically on one's own terms.
05:49At that time, the conversation of weight started to come up and don't eat this, don't eat that.
05:56Number 15, Christy Carlson Romano.
05:58I was using buying things and money as a weapon. I felt like if I could just buy certain things,
06:05I would feel better. If I just lived a certain lifestyle, I would be closer to that joy of
06:12feeling accepted.
06:13She was once a Disney Channel staple, anchoring popular franchises like Even Stevens during her
06:19adolescence. Despite her success, Christy Carlson Romano was never taught how to save her money.
06:24Romano later shared the harsh financial and emotional realities that followed her early
06:29stardom, confessing that she mismanaged the money that she earned as a teenager once her days
06:33at Disney concluded. Romano also opened up about the deep feelings of isolation and depression she
06:39faced when the industry moved on without her, which led to a period of alcohol dependency.
06:44It's a heartbreaking tale that showcases the structural lack of protection and guidance for
06:48aging child stars.
06:50I was never told how much money I was making. Money didn't have a purpose for me. I didn't really
06:55know what it was. I just knew that I had it and I didn't care about it. That's a problem.
06:59You gotta teach kids the value of each single dollar that they make.
07:03Number 14, Alison Stoner.
07:05As someone whose professional career initially spiked at 11 years old and whose face is now the
07:12cover of clickbait articles titled, 10 Shocking Ways These Child Stars Died, it's been a harrowing
07:1980 years and I'm 27.
07:21Known for stealing the show on stage and screen, Missy Elliott's dancer has opened up about child
07:27labor laws and the grueling realities of childhood fame. Alison Stoner's early years were dominated by
07:33relentless rehearsals and they have described enduring severe physical and psychological
07:37exhaustion. Their mental health slowly spiraled owing to the exhaustion and they eventually
07:42checked herself into rehab owing to a number of eating disorders and emotional burnout.
07:47Stoner has since become a vocal advocate for systemic change, criticizing how studios often prioritize
07:53profit over a child's time and develop mental needs.
07:56My body is medically undernourished and chronically stressed, which later will evolve into severe
08:04eating disorders, adrenal fatigue, and mandatory bed rest.
08:09Number 13, Cole Sprouse.
08:11I think she found a tremendous amount of self-identity through motherhood and tried to turn it into a
08:18profitable business at the same time, which for identical twin boys going into acting is sort of
08:24economic loophole through labor laws that can be incredibly profitable.
08:28The Sprouse twins were ubiquitous on the Disney Channel and anchored their own hit sitcoms in the 2000s.
08:34However, Cole Sprouse has since opened up about the stark realities of being a childhood breadwinner.
08:39He candidly revealed that acting was nothing but a financial necessity for his family and it left
08:45him feeling commodified by both the industry and his own parents. To make matters worse,
08:50his mother then squandered the money and he was stripped of her custody.
08:54Sprouse eventually walked away from Hollywood altogether to study archaeology,
08:57seeking a sense of normalcy and personal autonomy. When he eventually returned to acting on his own terms,
09:03he did so with firm boundaries and a pragmatic perspective on the entertainment machine.
09:08You don't speak to your mother anymore?
09:10I don't. I don't. But she put me on this path. And there was once a woman who was very
09:18clear-headed
09:20and who had a beautiful vision of the kind of people my brother and I could be.
09:27Number 12, Evan Rachel Wood.
09:30That tour was this like magical thing and I was going to go on this bus ride into like fantasy
09:34land.
09:35And then like the first night, it just hit me like a ton of bricks that this was not what
09:40I thought it was going to be at all.
09:41Thrust into the spotlight with her breakout performance in 13,
09:45Evan Rachel Wood personally experienced the harsh realities of growing up on film sets.
09:49The actress has been candid about the sinister side of child stardom,
09:53recently detailing how young performers are placed into adult environments without the emotional maturity to handle the pressure.
09:59For Wood, this led to severe grooming, exploitation, and burnout.
10:05Beyond the industry's systemic flaws, Wood has also bravely championed the Phoenix Act to extend the statute of limitations for
10:12abuse survivors.
10:13And she continues to advocate for the safeguarding and mental well-being of minors in the entertainment industry.
10:19I knew that I was uncomfortable and that something terrible was happening.
10:24But it was that, oh God, if I say anything, I'm going to get in trouble.
10:28It's going to hurt me. It's going to hurt my career.
10:30I can never tell anybody that this happened.
10:33And again, just denial, denial, push it down.
10:35Number 11, Selena Gomez.
10:38We had to have a really serious conversation with her of like, what is going on?
10:42Her answer was also like, I don't know. I can't explain it.
10:46I wish you could feel what it feels like to be in my head.
10:50This superstar rose to fame on Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, but the spotlight came with a heavy cost.
10:56As Selena Gomez transitioned into adulthood, the Disney whiz began feeling like a joke.
11:01Both the public and the media scrutinized her roles, her body, and her music as she got older.
11:07And it reportedly led to intense feelings of inadequacy.
11:10Beyond mere professional hurdles, the relentless media attention also impacted her physical and mental health.
11:17Gomez has been very transparent about her battles with lupus, crippling anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
11:22And she has personally linked these issues to the pressures of childhood fame.
11:26I just remember it being very chaotic and she was hearing all of these voices.
11:31They just kept getting louder and louder and louder.
11:34That triggered some sort of psychotic break.
11:37Number 10, Demi Lovato.
11:39I like to say that I'm an open book with boundaries because I feel like I do wear my heart
11:46on my sleeve,
11:46but I also have learned how to protect myself.
11:50Thanks to a meteoric rise on Disney Channel, Demi Lovato was a TV staple throughout her younger years.
11:56Unfortunately, her life behind the scenes was far from easy.
11:59Lovato suddenly left both her leading role on Sunny with a Chance and a concert tour in 2010.
12:05She ended up going to rehab to address her addictive behaviors and struggles with mental health in 2011.
12:10I was stuck in this like unhappy position and here I am sober and I'm thinking to myself,
12:14I'm six years sober, but I'm miserable.
12:16I'm even more miserable than I was when I was drinking.
12:19Why am I sober?
12:20After Lovato's stay, she publicly talked about those issues and directly spoke about her difficulties with disordered eating.
12:26The singer went on to share more details in her music, a self-help memoir, and in documentaries.
12:32Lovato's journey has had several bumps in the road, but she's always been honest about what it takes to start
12:38over.
12:38Number 9, Arielle Winter.
12:40I think that when I was born, it was kind of already decided what I was expected to be and
12:46so I was kind of pushed into the industry.
12:49While Arielle Winter was still working on the smash hit Modern Family, her sister Chanel Gray was making a case
12:55for why she should be the rising star's legal guardian.
12:58This publicized court battle led the actress to open up about her mother's bad behavior.
13:03Winter reported that she had strict rules about her diet, friendships, and even had to wear inappropriate clothes.
13:09So your sister has been really there for you and great for you, right?
13:12She's been the best part of my life.
13:13She really is my best friend.
13:15She is the most important thing to me.
13:16She's been there for me through absolutely everything and I just love her so much.
13:21I count on her more than I think.
13:22Apparently, these restrictions were meant to keep the star famous.
13:25Outside of Winter's turbulent relationship with her mother, she was also subjected to negative comments about her body.
13:31Winter has often talked about the power of body positivity and importance of taking care of one's mental health.
13:37We think Alex Dunphy would be proud.
13:38It was really painful for me to watch my mom go on news outlets and go on Dr. Phil and
13:45kind of spread things everywhere when it's really just private family business.
13:51Number eight, Miley Cyrus.
13:52I've become the face of a lot of things kind of against my will.
13:56I guess from my opinions, when you're someone in my position, your opinion becomes your identity.
14:02Miley Cyrus had no qualms about sharing the downsides of being in the public eye at a young age.
14:06After she put her breakout Hannah Montana role in the rearview mirror, the singer talked about her struggle to move
14:12on to more mature projects.
14:14Cyrus has spoken extensively about fans who want her to project the wholesome image she had when she was younger.
14:20There was a different level of like hysteria when Hannah, I mean, it was actually kind of crazy being Hannah
14:29Montana.
14:29Now I have a hard time remembering exactly what that felt like.
14:32Additionally, she's talked about the hectic schedule and pressure she had to dress a certain way.
14:37Cyrus even compared aspects of the experience to the notoriously exploitative TLC show Toddlers and Tiaras.
14:43Cyrus definitely deserves to get her flowers after withstanding all that pressure.
14:47I didn't hurt myself beyond repair in my experiences.
14:52I survived and I don't even mean heart still beating survival.
14:57I mean, I have a lot of people that love me around.
15:00Number seven, Amanda Bynes.
15:02You've made your bed.
15:04I just hope for your sake that you've cleaned the sheets.
15:07After Nickelodeon child star Amanda Bynes moved from her self-titled show to projects like She's the Man and Easy
15:13A,
15:13fans embraced her career direction.
15:15But the actress saw things differently.
15:18When Bynes looked back, she admitted that being typecast into playing quirky and innocent characters instead of landing mature parts
15:24bothered her.
15:25Felt like I was drowning.
15:32She also said she struggled so much with her body image in the spotlight that she relied on various substances
15:37before retiring.
15:39After years of trying to work through legal issues and her mental health, Bynes was placed in a conservatorship.
15:45Fortunately, she got to a place where she was able to end that legal arrangement and focus on her passions
15:50again.
15:50I was serious, but I was also on drugs.
15:53So that was my way of saying, like, let's do it, man.
15:56Let's do it.
15:57Number six, Aaron Carter.
15:59When I turned 18 years old, I was just kind of standing there on my own trying to figure it
16:04out.
16:04And at that time, there was a lot of damage had been done.
16:07My parents were fighting each other in the media and stuff like that.
16:11And it just became, it became very difficult.
16:13The late Aaron Carter's financial struggles made tons of headlines over the years.
16:17According to the pop star, he constantly dealt with debt because his parents and managers took advantage.
16:22While coping with financial issues, Carter's mental health struggles and legal problems made it difficult to achieve the heights of
16:29fame he had as a child pop star.
16:30It's body shaming.
16:32It is the toughest thing to deal with.
16:35He once revealed that he hoped a stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2009 would help give him a
16:40career boost.
16:41When the run didn't give him the push he was hoping for, he turned to negative habits to help him
16:45cope.
16:45While working on a comeback, Carter tragically passed away in his home in 2022.
16:51At what point did you know that you had a problem and had a stop?
16:54I never really did.
16:56Someone stepped in?
16:57I mean, my mother stepped in.
16:58Number five, Daniel Radcliffe.
17:00When I think of like, yeah, like the sort of chaos I used to invite into my life, I'm like,
17:08I'm really much happier now.
17:10In the decades since ending his historic run as Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe has spoken about some of the issues
17:16he faced as a young star of the franchise.
17:18The pressure of being one of the biggest child stars in the world eventually got to him.
17:23As Radcliffe reached a legal drinking age, he acknowledged in interviews that he began leaning more on alcohol to deal
17:29with being in the spotlight.
17:30In my case, the quickest way of forgetting about the fact that you were being watched was to get very
17:35drunk.
17:36And then as you get very drunk, you become aware that, oh, people are watching more now because I'm getting
17:41very drunk.
17:41He also said that his habits began to affect his work on the films.
17:45As the franchise wrapped up, Radcliffe worked hard to get and stay sober.
17:50Today, Radcliffe credits staying well adjusted in the spotlight to surrounding himself with positive influences.
17:55Now we're about a year and a half later and my life has been turned around immeasurably.
18:02It's a wonderful thing.
18:03Number 4, Mara Wilson.
18:05Are you only four years old?
18:06Six and a half.
18:08You're four?
18:09Six and a half.
18:10If you were six and a half, you'd be in school already.
18:12I want to be in school.
18:14I told you I was supposed to start school in September.
18:16After starring in beloved 1990s family movies like Matilda, Mara Wilson took a step back from Hollywood in the 2000s.
18:23She would later pen several articles about her experiences in the 2010s.
18:27In one op-ed, Wilson used her first-hand experience to offer up the reasons why the odds are stacked
18:33so highly against child stars.
18:35People love to talk about how immoral Hollywood is, but it's not.
18:38It's amoral.
18:39It's a numbers game.
18:40It's demographics.
18:41She also shared a detailed look at her childhood with a memoir, Where Am I Now?
18:46In the book, she wrote about being pressured to look and act certain ways to get cast and be accepted.
18:51Wilson also discussed how hard it was to read the inappropriate comments people made about her.
18:56Over the last decade, she has constantly voiced her support for other child stars who have faced adversity.
19:01For a long time, I kind of took a lot of things that happened to me in stride, but I
19:05look back now and I think,
19:06wow, if that happened to any child that I know and care about, I don't know what I would do.
19:11Number three, Drew Barrymore.
19:13Well, I've grown up very fast and it's not very normal to see a nine-year-old at a big
19:17Hollywood party.
19:18First rising to fame in E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Drew Barrymore's childhood was anything but ordinary.
19:24At a young age, she was often brought to clubs and venues geared for adults that she shouldn't have been
19:29able to get access to.
19:30I was a real wild child and I just got so out of control that no one knew what to
19:38do with me.
19:39Barrymore later said her behavior got so erratic that she was sent to a facility to address her addictive habits
19:45and mental health issues.
19:46The star later acknowledged that her experience there ultimately helped her turn things around.
19:51In the years since, Barrymore enjoyed a career resurgence and started hosting a successful talk show.
19:56On occasion, she will use her talk show platform to facilitate illuminating conversations about child stardom and teenage rebellion.
20:03I'm so glad that my kids won't be having to live on their own at 14.
20:10And that's as healing to the 14-year-old me as it can get.
20:15Number two, Macaulay Culkin.
20:17But in general, I never really liked being fussed over.
20:20I didn't like the hair, makeup, costume people poking at you all the time and things.
20:26I actually wasn't a huge fan after a while of being the center of attention.
20:30Years after Macaulay Culkin blew up as a child star, he revealed how difficult it was for him behind the
20:36scenes.
20:36According to the actor, trying to balance normal activities like school with filming schedules made shoots feel more like a
20:43chore.
20:43I never read any of the scripts.
20:45Like, I would just read, like, the lines for, like, the next day or whatever.
20:48Like, I would, like, get the gist of what the movie was about.
20:51But then I just kind of show up and hit my marks, find my light.
20:54Culkin also had to accept whatever role was chosen for him.
20:58On top of the pressures of fame, he's been extremely honest about his rocky relationship with his parents.
21:03Culkin claimed that their focus on his earnings and career pushed his father in particular to mistreat him.
21:09Despite hitting a few rough patches, Culkin slowly started to make more Hollywood appearances in the late 2010s.
21:15Fortunately, Culkin's past difficulties have not kept him from a happy and productive career.
21:21Yeah, I was away from home a lot.
21:22I was away from school.
21:23I was just, I needed something else.
21:27I needed to grow and develop as a person.
21:29I was looking forward to high school.
21:31Like, I was actually looking forward to going to school.
21:33Number one, Jeanette McCurdy.
21:34As a kid, you know, I'm surrounded by all these people who are my friends or my whatever, but they're
21:39all making money off of me.
21:41Before Jeanette McCurdy even released her 2022 memoir, she grabbed the world's attention with its provocative title, I'm Glad My
21:49Mom Died.
21:50The book's contents dove into the horrifying details about the actress's strained relationship with her mother.
21:55McCurdy's mom pushed everything from dieting hard to constant Hollywood exposure.
22:00Some parents aren't good parents.
22:02They don't know how to do it.
22:04Yes, and to be able to say that out loud, and I mean, people come up to me on the
22:07street and say,
22:08My mom's still alive.
22:08I can't say what you said.
22:09Thanks for saying it.
22:10It's so, it's so cool.
22:12This caused the actress to develop body image issues while feeling the pressure to constantly perform.
22:17Outside of talking about her family in the book,
22:20McCurdy also highlighted Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider's troubling behavior.
22:24Her brave testimony became an acclaimed and much-discussed bestseller.
22:28Whether the book leads to lasting change remains to be seen,
22:31but it was a landmark work that spoke volumes to McCurdy's resilience and bravery.
22:36It took me a long time to accept that my mom was not perfect, let alone abusive.
22:44Like, it went in baby steps to put these pieces of the puzzle together.
22:49Which of these stories do you find the most heartbreaking?
22:52Let us know in the comments.