Top 10 Child Star Facts That Will Ruin Your Childhood 

Which child star defined YOUR childhood? Let us know below, and check out our playlist here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TsCNdkA0ckg.html for more childhood-ruining fact videos!

Anybody who bullied Jake Lloyd has NO RIGHT to call themselves a "Star Wars" fan. Jake didn't write the lines he had to say - he was a little boy being verbally attacked on-line by alleged "adults". Completely shameful. I hope Jake is doing better and able to find peace

It’s sad that Jennette has been shaping up our childhood and little do we know that she didn’t have a proper childhood herself. I’m happy she’s doing better now.

Poor Jennette, the title of her memoir is so tragically poignant. I'm glad that she seems to be happier now that she's doing something that she truly loves, as opposed to being forced into it by her overzealous, abusive mother.

The saddest story is probably the one of the voice actress of Ducky from the first Land Before Time Movie. A year after the movie was released, she and her mother were murdered by her abusive father as the mother was trying to arrange for them to escape (his first wife also left him due to abusing their family). It was said that she was starting to show off behaviors like breaking down during auditions.

R.I.P Judy Garland. You’re in the great Oz in the sky now.🙏

Even though it mostly sucks when someone's mom dies, for Jennette she was lucky because after her mom died she felt that she could finally quit the nightmare that was her acting career.

Brook Shields should be included on the list. She also has same experience and her's, she made a film as a youngster in an adult concept films

I'm shocked that someone would body shame a child poor raven she didn't deserve that no child does 😥

I’m very proud of Jennette for sharing her horrific experiences as a child. It’s a classic example as to why you don’t force kids into professions they don’t want to do. And I’m really proud of her for not taking the bush money because so many people would fall for that temptation. That speaks volumes as to how much she cares about getting her word out. I agree with Jennette, I’m glad her mom died so she can finally be free of her control. I hope she has a great rest of her life! ❤

Judy Garland’s entire life is a tragedy

I'm surprised that Patty Duke wasn't on this list. Her parents literally handed her over to her " Agents" . They treated her horrifically.

I’m glad that The Child Actor’s bill/The Coogan Law was passed. Parents forcing their children to act is one thing (and I despise it), but taking all your child’s hard earned money from their job for yourself (and making up excuses like “Their a kid, they don’t know what to do with money”) is deplorable! I’m glad that most these kids were able to take their parents to court and some don’t have any relationship with them anymore. When you only see your kid as a money maker or something that can grab attention, you’re a horrible parent! Shows like Toddlers and Tiaras shows that perfectly. You’re only making your kid do this so these parents can brag about their child and make money off of them. It breaks my heart. Parent and child bonds are suppose to be all about love, NOT MONEY!!!

I'm not that much older than Jake Lloyd and I remember the horrible treatment he received. Even for the often toxic realm of fandom that was too much.

I remember one of the Corey’s (haim or Feldman), said the power dynamic is what messes up kids stars. The quote I do remember is “how can you send me to my room in the house I bought?”

One that'll forever haunt me is the story of Judith Barsy, known for her role as Ducky in Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go To Heaven. Her father was an abusive alcoholic who killed Judith and her mother in a murder-suicide. Judith was only a month away from her 10th birthday.

I have Jennette McCurdy’s book and it’s so far so good! I just couldn’t help but feel sorry for her!

After hearing these stories, I feel bad for the child actors. You only see their success, but, never the struggles they go through nor the demons they've battled. It's like that saying, "You don't know what goes on behind closed doors."😟

The Shirley Temple casting couch broke me. Wow! That’s really upsetting. Then Judy Garland just went on in and finished me off.

I loved Raven because she wasn’t so skinny like the other actresses. She is still one of my favorites. I wasn’t skinny either and she was a great role model ❤

I LOVED Jennette’s performance as Sam, but ever since she revealed the truth about her mother, as well as the allegations with Dan Schneider, it kinda makes me sad now looking back at her past performances. She gave us a childhood that she never had.

As well as being referred to as a "Little pig in pigtails" and being groped by the little people playing the Munchkins, Judy Garland was also given amphetamines to not eat and barbiturates to calm her down (both of which became life-long addictions), she was also put on a diet of soup and black coffee and made o smoke EIGHTY cigarettes a day

Wil Wheaton talks a lot about this kind of abuse he endured too. In his book he mentions how his parents incorporated him and then named themselves "employees." Then later in his life when he wasn't working as frequently his parents loaned him money, likely from his own corporation, and charged him and his wife interest.

This doesn't ruin my childhood, but as a child I would start to hear things about what has happened to child stars and I continue to do so. At one point I was glad I decided to not ask my parents for permission to pursue acting or a possible music career which I wanted to as well, I wouldn't have had the mental strength then & I really wouldn't now to be a celebrity in this world of the internet, way too many sick & dishonest people, and all the temptations out there. Have nearly 14 years sobriety and if I was celebrity I probably never would have gotten out of that mess known as addiction

I feel so awful for Jake Lloyd. Imagine being an adult and bullying a child for something they had no say in in the first place.

You could do a whole show on poor Amanda Bynes. What Schneider did to her was grotesque and criminal.

There's also the "casting couches". How many child actors were sexually abused by studio staff? How many *other* child stars were rapdd by studio staff and execs?

I was horrified to hear about what poor Shirley Temple went through 😱🥺

2:51 I remember meeting Lalaine and even Orlando Brown (star of “That’s So Raven”) back in 2003 when I was in 6th grade when Disney Channel had a couple of their hit stars touring schools around the USA to promote Disney’s newest company, Imagineering. Lalaine and Orlando were the sweetest guys ever and I never even suspected that Lalaine was struggling with substance abuse. WOW!!!

I read Jeanette’s memoir and it was heartbreakingly beautiful. The title itself is a perfect summary of her feelings and the book itself is even better. I highly recommend reading it.

I feel like Jeanette McCurdy and Jodie Sweetin have similarities on a sad history. Both are blonde actresses with J as the start of their names, both have been a part of a popular Sitcom which not only is family friendly and has a secondary series related to it as a sequel/spin-off, but both also have had difficult lives which prompted them to write a book about their experiences. I felt that Jodie deserved to be on this list as well.

I hear you, Jennette, I wanted my mom to die as a child, I hated and feared her so much. When she actually died, I cheered. So tragic, really, to have those feelings towards your mother, but my mother was a psycopath who beat me, punished me with thousands of repetitive writings, like her classic....I will obey, mentally and emotionally abused me, it gave me massive issues all my life. My father did nothing, other than do what she told him, and my sister ignored me, thinking I was weird. I was mercilessly bullied, no friends....I am amazed I survived! I never became promiscuous or did drugs/alcohol. I did, however, marry at 18 with the first guy I liked(I met him at 16), I am sure as a way to escape. He was my savior. But that marriage was a disaster, of course, how could it have been anything else? I could go on with how my life turned out, but suffice it to say it has not been pretty. Life, when you get a bum start, can mess you up, permanently. My faith is what has gotten me through. I can't imagine going through life not believing in and trusting God and HIS plan. I have an inner strength that is quite impressive! Thank you, Father, for all I have gone through, as I trust it is all for my highest good. Amen.

It didn’t ruin my childhood about what happened to Jennet she is still a good actor and her mom treated like shit

*Man, I feel bad for any former child star who had to go through tough situations like parents stealing their money go going through a tiring schedule.*

Man after reading that book I found myself being glad too but also I can't look at iCarly the same way anymore because all I can think about is her abuse and mistreatment behind the scene

On the fact of Parents abusing their child star kids the worst one was Judith Eva Barsi; her father, a retired plumber, became jealous of his daughter's fame and would often beat her and her mother to a point police and child services were called in by Don Bluth, the director of Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven (she starred in both). She always told the authorities she and her mom are ok, it got to a point that at 10 years old she was able to buy her and her mom a separate house while her father stayed in an apartment she paid for. This enraged him more that his daughter was the bread winner and not him. When she became like a normal kid again at times she began missing her dad and asked him to live with her and her mom, this was a bad idea. He drugged her and her mother both, then drenched himself and the whole house in gasoline (as the cameras the mother put around the house would show) and then he lit himself and the house on fire, killing them all. After voice actresses kept quitting the roll of Ducky between Land Before Time 2 through 5 Don Bluth retired and even blamed himself for not doing enough to protect her and he paid for her funeral and her mother's and paid for their grave and coffins.

it's sad that some parents force their kids to live their lives that their parents never got to have when they were kids and they live their lives through their kids

I feel bad for Jennette McCurdy I know she went through a rough life and I don’t blame her because of what her mom did to her her book is so amazing I’ve been reading it a lot and listening to the audio of her narrating it calms me down I met her along time ago during the filming of cupcake wars at capital records they were doing the filming there to celebrate the the release of her country music album and I was so lucky to meet her that day she will always be my hero as Sam Puckett

9:25 I’ve been a lifelong fan of Shirley Temple and I still watch her films on a yearly basis via The Little Darling DVD collection. But I NEVER knew about that “casting couch” thing nor did I even know what the heck it was until seeing this! Definitely doesn’t ruin anything for me considering Hollywood really was corrupt back then. It may still be corrupt today, but in its “infancy days,” it was atrocious what went on “behind closed doors” for both the studio runners AND the stars themselves! (Case in point with poor Judy Garland when it came to The Wizard of Oz)

What Judy Garland endured on “The Wizard Of Oz” was cruel. Being starved & made to smoke, asbestos “snow” in the poppy field scene, the “munchkins” verbally abusing/molesting her & even being slapped hard in the face by the director for laughing during filming of the Cowardly Lion scene! Poor Judy. Thank god there are laws there to protect child actors now... 🥺

150: What about Judith Barsi? What happened to her is awful. Well known in Don Bluth’s The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven, even the under appreciated Jaws: The Revenge

I relate to Jenette. I won’t shed any tears when my mother goes.

I’m also done with Jeanette McCurdy’s book and OMG. I can’t believe that her and her mother use to share a TV dinner together because her mother was so focused on her weight.

Wow. It sure is sad that those things happened to all those child actors. Shirley Temple is by far my most favorite one ❤

It blew my mind to see Ariel Winter playing a knife-wielding murderous ghost child who was killed by neglect in the movie One Missed Call. The movie itself was ridiculous and bad, but she's an amazing actress and did a great job with such a role. It's really too bad that she had to deal with her mom living vicariously through her.

After reading Jennette’s book I can’t look at iCarly, Victorious or Sam & Cat the same. It’s just too depressing knowing what happened behind the scenes.

Man, I feel so bad for Jake Lloyd. For all of them. Phantom menace wasn't that bad. It just didn't live up to what the originals were. Those were big shoes to fill. But it wasn't that terrible of a movie.

I think Judith Eva Barsi was missing from this list. What a tragic, sad story of such a promising young ball of sunshine! She voiced “Ducky” in The Land Before Time among many other things. “Yep! Yep! Yep!”

Seeing so many actors of my childhood (Raven, Laleine, Jannet) being mistreated like that.. how mess up is that? They shapped a whole culture of young girls! And to see them suffering this much. Gosh is so upsetting

I remember Alyson Stoner from the Missy Elliott clip 'Work It'

As a child, I kept thinking about how everyone treated talented children to get them to perform -- you're horrible to them, and they reward you for it. As an adult, I have to keep trying to recall my thoughts as a child. EDIT: Recall two titles: "Mommie Dearest" and "Please Don't Shoot My Dog".

I feel bad for all of these stars. I'm glad Jennette can be free to do whatever she wants now that makes her happy.

I f*cking hate how people treat Jennette beacuse of the title of her memoir. Like, without even knowing anything about her

No Drew Barrymore?! It would be nice to see someone who was able to turn it around.

@4:40 when they said “stage mom” I thought that meant Julie Bowen(Claire). I’m glad that wasn’t the case, but it’s still a shame what happened to her. I wonder if her brother had the same problem(he played Pugsley in the Addams Family movies).

I already knew the story behind Judy Garland on the set of The wizard of Oz she also was a substance abuser because she suffered from depression

I'm so glad Macaulay has straightened out & is now happy w Brenda & their new baby

Raven and Ariel were the ones that shocked me because I didn't know that happened to them and I loved them on these shows and I've only found out these things happened to them too, as for the other actors and actresses, I know it happened to them already but I still feel bad equally for all of them because none of them should experience any of that specially at that age

Ron Howard fortunately escaped these fates. It helped that his parents were also actors, and were familiar with the seedy side of the industry.

My heart breaks for all these child celebs who've had to emancipate themselves from their own parent because of child abuse. Some people should not have children, especially if they're going to try and mold them into little cookie cutter figurines of their ideal selves. I feel bad for any child who has to deal with the darker side of Hollywood. Poor Jake Lloyd! He didn't deserve all the bullying he got because of Phantom Menace.

Your also forgetting Jodie sweeten from full house had a substance abuse problem but she's turned her life around now

Judith Barsi also have a rough childhood which ended with her dad killing her and her mom

Amazing video Rebecca from ms mojo of child stars childhood might ruined memories of there great work in movies/shows, fantastic job.

All of these child stars deserved better.

Patty Duke had a horrible childhood too!

Jennette McCurdy is probably the only actress that has my full respect.

It’s hard to imagine Wizard of Oz without Judy Garland, but knowing all the horrible stuff they did to her just to “make her look younger,” it kinda makes us wish they really did hire someone else. Little known fact, Shirley Temple was actually once considered to play the role of Dorothy, but Fox Studios didn’t want to hand her over to MGM so they refused her even getting a chance to do a casting call rehearsal

Not as much as it ruined their childhood. It’s sad that kids are ever put in these situations

Patty Duke should be on this list.

My childhood is still intact after watching this.

I have Jennette McCurdy's books and I really love the book I just feel sorry for her in the book and behind the scenes of icarly

I read Shirley Temple Black's memoir years ago and was saddened to learn her parents spent all her earnings. It's actually good that she broke away from Hollywood and later became an ambassador for President Reagan. Jeanette McCurdy's memoir is on my reading list.

I never knew that about Macaulay Culkin that was surprising about his father mistreating him or being jealous of his Fame

These child stars deserve the world

What happened to Judith Barsi would be top of that list for me. Also, Natalie Wood.

You forgot that Shirley Temple was gaslight by her mother and her parents ran through her entire fortune. She easily ties with Garland.

Damn! Hollywood is evil...

Where is Michael Jackson? I'm sure his early dead has at least something to do with his youth.

Ah Hollywood is generally ruining childhoods ever since Hollywood existed.

I was shocked to find out that macaulay culkin father was an abusive monster towards him and his other children

I read somewhere that the munchkins got handsy with Judy on a few occasions. Ugchhh.

Legendary child star Natalie Wood had a tough childhood she had psychological problems as a child star growing up, from relationships with men, a controlling mother, and wanted to end her life.... The dark side of Hollywood today for child stars is very difficult, because as a child gets older, there is psychological problems and disorders that children go through at a young age into their adult years. Just research about legendary child stars that had psychological problems in Hollywood.

Raven isn't even big...what is big to these people I'm so confused

1:56 She's sporting a Chinese traditional outfit and I love it! 5:08 Not to mention how she needed to get breast reduction surgery.

My childhood has been ruined since I turn 18

I sure feel sorry they had to go through all that, though, I understand it can be harder for the kids then adults when being in the industry. I understand it was pretty hard for Michael Jackson when he started in the industry as a child but would go on to be great and helpful with other (regardless of what people said about him), I believe.

Really wish they put a list with time codes

Poor Shirley Temple. This "casting couch" sounds weird and different fsm, but I will always remember her for her cute curls. Let's all look on the bright side!

Damn…those people who are forced to work in Hollywood underaged and working like a dog. Being bullied or harassed.… I am so sad that they will have live with that.

I have a hard time watching The Wizard of Oz with out thinking about how bad the actors where treated. Beyond the horrible treatment of Judy, Buddy Ebsen the first Tin Man had a bad reaction to the Aluminum make up. Margret Hamilton received first and second degree burns from a stunt that went bad. The “Munchkins” were under paid and Toto was run over in one scene.

I just watched a documentary about Lora Lee Michel and how it was the judge who oversaw her custody cases between her adoptive parents, birth mother and acting coach through which he became aware of the exploitation of children in Hollywood then went on to focus on the rights and welfare of children within the entertainment industry and put in place laws to protect them physically, emotionally and financially. What is sad about that is those protections were put in place almost 80 years ago but children in the entertainment industry are still experiencing exactly what Lora Lee Michel did all these decades later. Nothing really changed at all.

Ariel Winter? The voice of Sofia the First? Unbelievable

I'm glad more of these tv studio heads are being exposed after all the undeserving admiration they used to get.

The Star Wars fandom is shit on many levels, but its treatment of Jake Lloyd is *really* damn low. Also, Raven -Symone was body-shamed on The Cosby Show??? I mean, I'm not surprised that she got that as a teenage star (even though it's still fucking disgusting), but on Cosby, she wasn't even 6 years old! And people wonder why kids develop eating disorders; Jesus Christ. And I don't blame Jennette McCurdy for her feelings toward her mother. Even aside from the truly horrible stuff, no child deserves to be expected to be their family's breadwinner.

Thongs change scent from one end to the other. Knowledge is power. God bless

Stage parents and studio heads are the worst. The treatment of children are criminal. 🤬

Whenever I hear “somewhere over the rainbow ” my next immediate thought is “blue birds DIE❗️” (that one scene from a series of unfortunate events)

What happened to Judith Barsi (aka Ducky (Land Before Time) and Anne-Marie (All Dogs Go to Heaven)) still haunts me to this day and makes it hard to watch either movie.

Jake Lloyd also had some major legal troubles. He was convicted of assaulting his mother, reckless driving (going over 100 mph) while avoiding cops in his home state of South Carolina, resisting arrest, and driving without a license. He spent 10 months in jail, without a trial, no doubt. While he was incarcerated he was diagnosed with schizophrenia which he now has under control.

It is so sad to think that now all you think is "what are the current gen going through?" You almost don't want to know some of these stories.