Jennette McCurdy has opened up about the abuse that she endured from her mom throughout her childhood. The iCarly actress, who confirmed her retirement from acting in 2017, spoke to People Magazine about her new memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, in which she explained the extreme emotional and physical abuse that she endured at the very hands of her own mother, Debbie McCurdy, who died of cancer in 2013.
The 29-year-old actress said in the interview, “It’s thought-provoking. But even though it may seem black and white, there’s a fullness to my narrative. Life can be dark—and messy. Nobody had a perfect life.”
McCurdy continues, “My earliest memories of childhood were of heaviness, and chaos,” McCurdy, who is also set to share her story in an upcoming memoir, told People. “My mom’s emotions were so erratic that it was like walking a tightrope every day. The mood fluctuations were daily.” McCurdy’s father did not respond to People’s request for comment.
McCurdy explained that she felt pressured to become an actress very young. “My mom had always dreamt of being a famous actor, and she became obsessed with making me a star. I felt like my job was to keep the peace, and I wanted to make my mom happy.”
Since leaving her career in Hollywood, McCurdy has only been taking up her own personal projects.
McCurdy continues, “I did not know how to find my identity without my mom. And I’m not going to lie. It was very hard to get here. But now, I’m at a place in my life that I would never have thought was possible. And I finally feel free.”
I’m Glad My Mom Died will be available everywhere books are sold on Tuesday.
