In August of this year, former child actress Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy revealed in her book the dark truth of her late mother, the person behind her stardom. 

McCurdy grew up on the TV screen at a young age. She was especially known to her millions of fans as Sam Puckett in Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly.  

Alyssa Ng ’24 said, “I grew up with iCarly and Jennette McCurdy’s character was my favorite. Finding out what happened to her was super shocking.”

Her bubbly on-screen persona was nothing like her real life. It was never McCurdy’s dream to be an actor. Her mother, Debra, forced her into show business, so she could be the sole breadwinner for her family, as they were struggling financially. 

According to McCurdy, she writes in the book, “Her happiness came at the cost of mine. I feel robbed and exploited.”

Debra was diagnosed with cancer and her behavior was violent, erratic, and controlling according to the book. Jennette alleges she violated her privacy and dangerously taught her the habit of calorie counting restrictions, which later turned into years of eating disorders and addiction. 

Wellness Counselor Melissa Hansell stated, “It is brave of her to speak out on such a tough topic, especially to help those who are going through a similar situation.” 

Deciding to quit acting was the beginning stage of creating a new life without her mother. Years would pass before McCurdy would start receiving the right care and begin treatment to address her trauma.

Samantha Fong ’24 shared, “Her life is her life. She can do whatever she wants and feel whatever she wants.”