The Disturbing Child Star Iceberg

The Disturbing Child Star Iceberg

MM Celeb The Disturbing Child Star Iceberg_Z3Y7V8

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re diving into the depths of the disturbing child star iceberg. While many tragic cases of Hollywood abuse have been documented in the media lately, some of the more obscure cautionary tales of youthful stardom have been lost in the shuffle. So let’s start at the top of the iceberg, with the most explosive cases everyone is talking about, before sinking down to the buried stories of exploitation, untimely fates, and sinister incidents, both in front of cameras and behind the scenes.

TIER 1 - TROUBLE ON SET

These high-profile cases of child star mistreatment have come to light in recent years, sparking a surge of interest in Hollywood exposés. Kicking things off, here are five recaps of trouble on set.

Demi Lovato: One of the most outspoken young performers, Demi Lovato, who co-directed the Hulu documentary “Child Star,” has long been an advocate for voiceless budding actors. A bright Disney Channel darling, Lovato endured brutal filming routines during “Camp Rock” and was strapped to an intensive schedule of album releases and tours. This zealous profiteering that leaves no time for regular adolescent growth is not unique to Lovato, who’s just a small part of this rampant child star-cash cow pipeline.

Alyson Stoner: Another Disney star like Lovato, Alyson Stoner has given countless interviews pointing out the high levels of stress to maintain a desirable shape and size for screen. As an early teen, Stoner developed an eating disorder. They remarked that the effect puberty had on their body led to obsessive behaviors. Stoner was hospitalized for malnourishment at just 17, and though they’ve since recovered, it’s undeniable that early fame can seriously upset childhood development.

Bryan Christopher Hearne: A prominent feature in the massively viral series “Quiet on Set,” Bryan Hearne’s testimonies of abuse largely circle back to his race. As one of the few Black child actors on Nickelodeon at the time, he was forced to perform uncomfortably racist skits on air. This highlights the power imbalance of top-level adults pitching lines and roles to minors who are not only too afraid to speak up, but are still too young to fully comprehend the jokes they’re a part of.

Jennette McCurdy: Former “iCarly” star Jennette McCurdy was extremely open about abuses she suffered both at home and on set as a child star in her memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” Despite pleading not to attend any more auditions, her mother was insistent on pushing her further into the spotlight. In her book, he also calls out the actions of “The Creator,” who is believed to be Dan Schneider, a disgraced showrunner at Nickelodeon. His explosive temper, strange obsession with feet, and inappropriate behavior with young stars have been thoroughly dissected in recent series. But Schneider was never acting alone.

Drake Bell: One of the most disturbing revelations of “Quiet on Set” was just how many abusers were staffed at Nickelodeon studios, most notably Brian Peck. The former “Drake & Josh” star’s story highlights the disturbing manner in which disguised predators are so often entrusted with the wellbeing of young actors. Bell himself would later be accused of child endangerment. Though he has since redacted his guilty plea to explain the extenuating circumstances of his incident, Bell’s situation sparks a conversation about the terrible ways a childhood fraught with abuse can lead to an adulthood full of struggles.

TIER 2 - STUNTED ADOLESCENCE

These five child stars climbed great heights in their youth, but quickly showed the debilitating effects of premature celebrity status when they faced a series of crises as adults.

Britney Spears: One of the most successful pop stars of all time and one of the most notorious media punching bags, Britney Spears perhaps best exemplifies these growing pains. After her debut on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” Spears’ life was tightly managed and set on path for superstardom, whether she was ready for it or not. Enduring intense scrutiny as she mentally and physically matured, Spears suffered through public breakups, breakdowns, and bizarre questions about her virginity. Her life was picked apart by relentless paparazzi, leading to a 2007 meltdown and a 2008 conservatorship that lasted until 2021. Though she broke free in recent years and spoke out in her memoir “The Woman in Me,” it’s evident that she will forever be surrounded by rumors, speculation, and questions about her mental health. It’s all rooted in the way she was treated as a fembot programmed to produce hits and tours from a dangerously young age.

Lindsay Lohan: Part of Spears’ party girl entourage in the early ‘00s, Lindsay Lohan was also harassed by the vicious media during a notably sexist era for female celebrities. By 21, she found herself caught up in a series of DUIs, arrests, and rehab stints. The unshakable tabloid attention forced Lohan to cancel projects and take a break from the spotlight to focus on things her one-track career never allowed for—personal growth, maturing, and healing.

Drew Barrymore: Lohan’s arc is actually a lot like an actress who followed a similar trajectory before her, Drew Barrymore. She was introduced to the gritty celebrity party scene and substance use far too young. At 13, she was institutionalized by her parents, whom she would be emancipated from a year later. From a wild appearance on “Letterman” to her ‘90s Playboy spread, Barrymore’s angelic public image was rapidly transforming into that of a liberated and promiscuous young woman, which would be marked with stern backlash. Fortunately, she later escaped this pariah status and turned her career around.

Amanda Bynes: From child star to teen queen, Amanda Bynes’ promising career unraveled in 2012 after a series of misdemeanors. Fans were quick to notice a shift in her appearance and persona online during her strange Twitter rants, culminating in several mental health diagnoses and a conservatorship. It’s since come to light that she spent a lot of unsupervised time with Dan Schneider as a kid. On her own social media, Bynes spells out the ways incessant paparazzi attention deeply distorted her self-image. Clearly, being placed under a microscope while trying to cope with the child star to adult star transition is bound to spark conflict.

Corey Haim: In the eighties, Corey Haim turned from a commercially successful child actor to a full-fledged teen heartthrob. This evolution would not come without heartache. Entrenched in the LA scene, Haim would begin to experiment with illicit substances, which he later acknowledged were supplied to him by predatory men who were simultaneously taking advantage of young talents like Haim. After several failed attempts at rehabilitation, Haim tragically passed away in 2010 of pneumonia, among other conditions. His sad passing came at a time in his life when he was seeking companionship and someone to understand him, which spurs discourse about other child stars that followed this unfortunate path.

TIER 3 - TRAGIC FATES

Many child actors were never able to escape the vicious cycle that early stardom kicked off. Unfortunately for these five performers, their once illustrious careers were cut tragically short.

Aaron Carter: After experiencing immense success as a child pop star, Aaron Carter’s life began to take a turn as early as 2004 when he and his brother Nick came forward to accuse their Momager, Jane, of mishandling money they’d earned as minors. Aaron began to struggle with his mental health and turned to substances. In 2022, he remarked that he felt like, “a prisoner to everybody’s perceptions,” and later tragically drowned in his bathtub while under the influence. Even in death, his life was still treated as media fodder, with countless news outlets publishing unfinished manuscripts from his memoir and producers sharing his unreleased music. While Aaron serves as a contemporary case of child stardom gone wrong, many historical precedents really date back to classical Hollywood.

Judy Garland: The star of one of the biggest films of all time, Judy Garland was just 16 when she donned the ruby red slippers. But by the time she’d reached her 40s, she was in serious financial trouble, singing at bars to keep herself off the streets. This trajectory may seem shocking, but it’s less surprising when considering the ways she was exploited by the industry from a young age. Her diet was carefully controlled and she was routinely harassed by powerful men. This coercion never ended, as she was forced into receiving an abortion to maintain her image as an ingenue. Her dependency on the pills she’d been fed as a kid led to further substance issues, which would lead to her untimely passing in 1969.

Bobby Driscoll: He was once a golden boy at Walt Disney Studios, yet Bobby Driscoll’s life ended in an unmarked grave. Driscoll, one of the first child actors to ever be put under contract by the famed studio, was most famous for voicing “Peter Pan.” However, the board of directors ultimately decided to terminate his contract early. He was pulled from acting school and placed in a public school where he was relentlessly mistreated, developing a drug habit to cope with the grief. At just 31, he was found dead in an abandoned building and it was determined that heart failure was the cause. Sadly, he wasn’t identified and was buried in a pauper’s grave, with the exact location unknown to this day.

Gary Coleman: One of the most twisted tales of terrible fate belongs to revered child actor Gary Coleman, who played Arnold in “Diff’rent Strokes” and earned the distinction of highest-paid child actor on TV at the time. In the ‘90s, he sued his business manager parents for stealing his earnings. He also took out a restraining order against his verbally and physically aggressive wife. Daily dialysis treatments were another major source of agony. Coleman, who referred to himself as “God’s punching bag” tragically lost his life in 2010 after a fall down the stairs. Though it was ruled an accident, rumors have long swirled that his wife may have pushed him.

Judith Barsi: At just five years old, Judith Barsi was already exhibiting star quality. In fact, she found herself to be the breadwinner of her family, pulling in more than both of her parents. However, her hard-drinking father was immensely jealous of her success and his own inability to provide. The escalating violence and dysfunctional home life caused Barsi to fear for her life. In 1988, she was slain by her own father, who also took the life of her mother and then himself. Barsi was terribly failed by the system, with reports against her father going unanswered. And so, this disturbing crime leads us to the darkest part of the iceberg.

TIER 4 - SINISTER TURNS

While many child actors who suffer reprehensible treatment go on to internalize that pain, some young stars would inflict pain on others instead. Though these shocking cases of murder don’t necessarily link back to their time in Hollywood, here are five stories of child actors turned killers.

Johnny Lewis: “Sons of Anarchy” actor Johnny Lewis scored early guest spots on “Boston Public,” and “American Dreams.” He even went on to famously date Katy Perry. But in 2011, Lewis suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle accident. He was diagnosed with internal bleeding in the brain and began to suffer inexplicably violent outbursts. In 2012, 911 received distressing calls that Lewis was on a rampage in his apartment building. When police arrived, they found his elderly landlady deceased. In another twist, Lewis had somehow fallen to his death from the building while attempting to escape. Toxicology reports came back negative, though some theorize that he may have been using a form of bath salts known as “smiles.” The creator of “Sons of Anarchy,” Hurt Sutter, tweeted that Lewis “unfortunately had lost his way.”

Manuel Benitez: From “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” to FBI fugitive, Manuel Benitez took many dark turns after his child acting career ended. He left Hollywood in 1988, hiding his credentials from new girlfriend Stephanie Spears. Several years into their tumultuous marriage, Benitez savagely bludgeoned her, kidnapped their child, and went on the run. He eventually made his TV return when he was featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” It took 4 years for police to locate him, and after a hostage stand-off with his son as the shield, Benitez was fatally wounded.

Robert Blake: Perhaps one of the most celebrated child actors to be tied up in a murder scandal, Emmy-winner Robert Blake is now overshadowed by his questionable involvement in his wife’s assassination. He emerged on the scene as the adorable Mickey in “Our Gang.” His catapulting career was brought to a halt in 2001 when his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was found shot outside a restaurant where the pair had just been dining, making him the prime suspect. Blake maintained his innocence and was acquitted by a jury in his criminal trial, but was forced to pay $30 million to the family of his slain wife in a civil trial. Bakley’s murder is still considered unsolved, and Blake passed away of heart disease in 2023—remembered not as a dashing young actor, but as a weathered old widow.

Skylar Deleon: Unlike Blake, Skylar Deleon remained a relative unknown in the Hollywood scene, only landing one small part as an extra on “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.” In 2004, Deleon (who has since transitioned) hatched a plot to defraud and murder retired couple Thomas and Jackie Hawks, who were selling their yacht. Deleon and her accomplices boarded the ship to discuss the sale, but when it returned to dock the couple was nowhere to be found. During the trial, it was concluded that the couple had been secured to the anchor and tossed overboard. Amidst the investigation, Deleon was tied to yet another murder that had taken place a year earlier. As of 2024, she’s now sitting on death row.

Ryan Grantham: Former “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” star Ryan Grantham was found to have a series of shockingly sinister plans in his diary, some of which would materialize in 2020. The Canadian child actor was best known for playing Jeffery Augustine in “Riverdale,” a boy who kills Archie’s father. His onscreen deeds would bleed into reality when he admitted to killing his own mother in their home. Grantham also intended to assassinate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and carry out a mass shooting at his former university. Instead, he turned himself in to the police, saddled with a host of mental health diagnoses. He’s currently serving a life sentence, making the following statement: “I cannot explain or justify my actions. I have no excuse. It hurts me to think about how badly I've wasted my life.”

This theme of wasted life, or at least wasted potential, seems to echo throughout many of the tales on the disturbing child star iceberg. With so many recent exposés surfacing on the subject, it’s only a matter of time before more of Hollywood’s shady deeds are revealed. The best possible outcomes for those who’ve been exploited and stand to be exploited are greater scrutiny, better resources, and more accountability. Because if there’s one glaringly obvious truth, it’s that no means of entertainment is worth sabotaging a child star’s light before they can truly shine.