Patricia Grisafi
In her new memoir titled “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” former child actor Jennette McCurdy gets candid about the abuse she suffered as a Nickelodeon star in the 2000s.
McCurdy, 30, revealed that she was exploited and treated in an inappropriate manner — and she suffered from anxiety as a result.
One incident in particular was when McCurdy was photographed in a bikini as a teenager during a wardrobe fitting. She says the unidentified person — whom she called the “Creator” — also pressured her to consume alcohol when she was underage.
“My whole childhood and adolescence were very exploited,” McCurdy told the New York Times. “It still gives my nervous system a reaction to say it. There were cases where people had the best intentions and maybe didn’t know what they were doing. And also cases where they did — they knew exactly what they were doing.”
McCurdy alleged that she was offered $300,000 in hush money to not publicly speak about her time on Nickelodeon.
McCurdy also recalled her mother played the role of the typical stage mom who does more harm than good. In one excerpt from her memoir, McCurdy tells the story of how her mother pitched a fit when she told her she wanted to quit acting after feeling “uncomfortable.” Her mother started sobbing and saying, “You can’t quit!! This was our chance! This was ouuuuur chaaaaance!”
When McCurdy landed “iCarly” she thought her relationship with her mother would get better.
“I jump into Mom’s arms. She squeezes me. I’m elated,” McCurdy wrote. “Everything’s going to be different now. Everything’s going to be better. Mom will finally be happy. Her dream has come true.”
“It was important for me to explore the emotional and psychological abuse I endured during my time as a young performer,” McCurdy told EW. “I feel I didn’t have the tools, language, or support necessary to speak up for myself back then, so this book is a way for me to not only honor that experience and give voice to my former self, but hopefully to encourage young people to speak up for themselves in environments where they may be conditioned to just ‘play ball’ and ‘be a good sport.’ (Sorry for the sports idioms, I’ve never played sports so I have no idea why they’re spilling out of me.)”
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