From Disney Channel to Hollywood, these child stars reveal the dark side of early fame. We're diving into the personal struggles, mental health challenges, and regrets of growing up in the entertainment industry.
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00:00I think gratefulness and ungratefulness can exist simultaneously.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:08for the former kid actors who have expressed their disappointments
00:11about growing up in the limelight.
00:13It was a really emotional experience.
00:15I laughed during the writing of it,
00:17and then I cried a lot after I wrote that vignette.
00:20Number 10, Alison Stoner.
00:30Alison Stoner first gained notice appearing as a backup dancer
00:34in music videos for stars like Missy Elliott.
00:37Outside of dancing, Stoner also acted in films like Camp Rock
00:41and Cheaper by the Dozen, and television shows such as That's So Raven.
00:45I have been acting since I was five years old.
00:48I've never been to a regular school, and I'm not getting any younger.
00:53Look, I just want to be a regular kid.
00:55A child star staple of the 2000s,
00:58the side effects of working as a youth put a toll on the performer.
01:01In her late 20s, Stoner wrote a disturbing op-ed piece for People magazine
01:06detailing the stress and trauma she faced as a kid in Hollywood.
01:10What is the true psychological impact and cost of child stardom,
01:15and really high-performing children at large?
01:18In an effort to break the cycle,
01:20her article also called for better working conditions
01:23and more protection for today's child actors.
01:26Number 9.
01:27Drew Barrymore.
01:28Drew Barrymore's childhood is a cautionary tale.
01:32You know, I think she created a monster,
01:35and she didn't know what to do with the monster.
01:37And this was her last gasp, and I really was out of control.
01:42Born into the famous Barrymore clan,
01:44she was destined for the family business.
01:47Drew started acting as a baby,
01:49eventually starring in big films like E.T.
01:53Working in the industry led her into dangerous situations,
02:04and she developed a party girl image and substance use disorder.
02:09At just 12 years old, Drew had her first experience with rehab,
02:13and at 13, spent over a year in an institution in order to get sober.
02:18As an adult, she's been vocal about her past struggles.
02:22Even admitting that she regrets not having a normal upbringing.
02:25That's why I'm like, you know, when I-
02:27when you say you're 5, I was 11 months,
02:29I look at my kids and I'm like,
02:31how did we do what we did?
02:33Number 8.
02:34Raven Simone.
02:35Raven Simone lit up the small screen
02:37as the adorable Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show.
02:40Hi.
02:42You must be Olivia.
02:44Uh-huh, I'm three and a half.
02:46I'll be four next month.
02:48Through the 90s,
02:49she worked constantly appearing on television and in films.
02:53These projects eventually led her to her breakout role
02:56on the Disney Channel series, That's So Raven.
03:07Starring as the lead on the show created a lot of pressure for her.
03:11Years later, the Cheetah Girls actress confessed
03:13that she developed body image issues while working on Raven.
03:17When the conversation of weight started to come into my head,
03:21I heard it, didn't understand it,
03:27did what I was told, but then behind the scenes ate.
03:31She also talked about how mentally taxing being a child star was,
03:35which resulted in her disassociating.
03:37Number 7.
03:38Justin Bieber.
03:39Justin Bieber's rise to fame can only be described as meteoric.
03:44From YouTube to Billboard's Hot 100,
03:46it was almost as if he became the biggest pop star on the planet overnight.
03:58He was only in his early teens when he released his first album,
04:02My World, which thrust him into the spotlight.
04:05Adored and idolized by his massive fan base,
04:08the pressures of fame at a young age proved to be a challenge for the Grammy Award winner.
04:16In 2019, via a heartbreaking Instagram post,
04:25Bieber revealed how deep and dark child stardom can be.
04:28He stated,
04:29quote,
04:30There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a child whose brain,
04:34emotions, frontal lobes, decision-making aren't developed yet.
04:49Number 6.
04:50Miley Cyrus.
04:51She was everyone's favorite undercover pop star,
04:54but beneath the surface,
04:55Miley Cyrus struggled to accept her on-screen persona,
04:59Hannah Montana.
05:10The former Disney Channel star became a household name while starring on the series as a teen.
05:15Although it afforded her fame and fortune,
05:17the experience was anything but glamorous.
05:26As an adult, Cyrus opened up to Marie Claire magazine,
05:30confessing that playing the role caused her to experience body dysmorphia.
05:34Referring to herself as, quote,
05:36fragile during that period,
05:38the Flower singer also revealed that she was forced to drink coffee
05:42so she could keep up the demanding filming schedule.
05:45Are you telling me that I need to give up Hannah Montana?
05:47No, I could never do that.
05:51Neither could Jesse or Lily.
05:53Only one that could ever answer that would have to be you.
05:55Please don't say listen to my heart.
05:57Number 5.
05:58Macaulay Culkin.
05:59Hey, how you doing?
06:01Who are you?
06:02I'm your Uncle Buck.
06:04Do I have an uncle?
06:06Unfortunately.
06:07Arguably one of the most well-known child stars of all time,
06:11Macaulay Culkin's relationship with fame is complex.
06:14He entered showbiz at four years old,
06:16and only a few years later in 1990,
06:19he became a household name thanks to his breakout role in the Christmas classic Home Alone.
06:25This is my house. I have to defend it.
06:31As an adult, Culkin has stated that his rise to stardom was troubling,
06:35due in large part to his father and former manager Kit Culkin.
06:38The Uncle Buck actor has claimed Kit was abusive mentally, physically, and emotionally.
06:44I haven't spoken to him in...
06:46Really?
06:47About a quarter of a century almost.
06:48Oh really? So that's the way that goes?
06:50Yeah, it's the way it goes. It's the way it has to be.
06:53This forced Macaulay to legally obtain sole access to his finances at just 16
06:59in order to help his mother Patricia Brentrup pay for her divorce from Culkin.
07:04Number 4. Demi Lovato
07:06You know, it's not every day and I hand my beautiful daughter over to show business.
07:10Look Mom, we talked about this. Show business is not going to change me.
07:14Today, Demi Lovato is a chart-topping singer,
07:17but she's not just limiting her powerhouse voice to singing.
07:20The former Disney Channel star has been open and frank about the plight of being
07:24a child actor on numerous occasions.
07:27I dealt with a lot of need for external validation,
07:34because I was equating my success to my self-worth.
07:37In 2024, Lovato co-directed a documentary about young stardom called Child Star,
07:43where she reflects on that time, stating that she was quote,
07:47in pain, and even referred to that period of her life as quote,
07:51traumatic. In the doc, the Camp Rock alum is joined by fellow and
07:55former Child Stars like Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci, and Raven Simone,
08:00in an effort to raise awareness and help break the cycle for future child actors.
08:05Sometimes though, the parents' dreams might bleed into the child's,
08:11and you get so enmeshed, you know?
08:14Number 3. Cole Sprouse
08:17While they were still infants, twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse began acting.
08:22From sharing roles in movies like Big Daddy,
08:24to Cole working independently from his brother on Friends,
08:27the two were making waves in the industry.
08:30I'm ready.
08:30You sure?
08:32Uh-huh.
08:32Okay, let me just straighten out your helmet there.
08:35Thanks, Daddy.
08:36No, no. One daddy, two mommies.
08:39Eventually, they booked their own Disney television series,
08:42The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Decades later,
08:45Cole was ready to give up on acting,
08:47but eventually stuck with it after earning the role of Jughead on Riverdale.
08:51In case you haven't noticed, I'm weird. I'm a weirdo. I don't fit in.
08:57As his acting career grew as an adult, he has publicly reflected on his childhood,
09:02referring to fame as a kind of trauma. While he also said that he would probably do it all again,
09:08Sprouse also does not mince his words when it comes to discussing the realities of child stardom.
09:13I don't even think I knew, you know, I was on screen. I don't remember much of,
09:20like, the early, early, the diaper commercials and things like that.
09:23So the choice never really existed.
09:26Number 2.
09:26Jeanette McCurdy.
09:28As a staple of Nickelodeon for many years,
09:30Jeanette McCurdy holds a special place in the hearts of millennials.
09:34What are you doing here?
09:36I was in the neighborhood, wanted food, didn't want to pay for it. Here I am.
09:39The iCarly and Sam & Cat star had a knack for comedy and vocals that were ready to top the
09:45charts. However, behind the scenes, things were anything but perfect.
09:50I think my mom wanted to keep me as controllable as possible. I think she really wanted to have
09:56her influence on me, and me growing up was a threat to that.
10:01In 2022, McCurdy wrote a book titled I'm Glad My Mom Died, which chronicled her complicated
10:06relationship with her late mother, who controlled her both personally and professionally.
10:11The harrowing story revealed troubling details about her experience as a child star,
10:16which eventually caused her to officially retire from acting in the late 2010s.
10:20When you're a kid, you don't know that you're in a traumatic situation,
10:23or that you're in a not normal situation because it's just your reality,
10:25you have nothing to really compare it to. It's just so your own, your own experience.
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10:461. Mary-Kate Olsen
10:58From their beginnings on Full House to owning a multi-million dollar company, Mary-Kate and
11:03Ashley Olsen's rise to fame is unlike any other. The twin sisters catapulted straight into the
11:09history books thanks to their direct-to-video movies and their fashion and beauty lines.
11:14We've got the know-how, we've got the knack, now all we need's a case to crack. We're two,
11:20super, duper, super, gave us a mystery.
11:23However, as the two grew older, they also grew distant from their acting careers,
11:28eventually kissing it goodbye in favor of dedicating their careers to fashion.
11:32It shouldn't be a surprise considering the challenges of obtaining fame and fortune at a
11:37young age. In particular, Mary-Kate has expressed her regrets about it, stating that she would,
11:51quote, never wish her upbringing on anyone.
11:54Which one of the child stars do you remember the most from your own childhood?
11:58Let us know in the comments.
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