Jennette McCurdy Was Never The Same After iCarly
The following article contains mentions of verbal, physical, and emotional abuse, eating disorders, alcoholism and addiction, and child abuse.
The story of child actors whose lives don't go the way they planned is a tale as old as time. Whether it's the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, blockbuster movies, or network sitcoms, these young stars can often become the faces of controversy for their behavior as they grow older. However, few child actors have had a life story as redemptive as Jennette McCurdy, who rose to prominence playing Sam Puckett, the best friend of Miranda Cosgrove's titular character in the Nickelodeon show "iCarly."
"iCarly" first debuted in 2007, airing for six seasons and becoming one of Nickelodeon's biggest hits. It centered on a trio of teenage friends who band together to create a web series that quickly turns them into viral stars. McCurdy faced a similar career trajectory as her on-screen character, being confronted with sudden fame as a lead on a popular Nickelodeon sitcom. The story only got darker from there, as McCurdy's personal life caused many horrifying issues for her behind the scenes.
Nowadays, McCurdy's life is in a much more balanced place than it was when she was on "iCarly." Though her days of acting on Nickelodeon are over, Jennette McCurdy's life was forever changed by "iCarly" — for better or worse.
iCarly strained McCurdy's relationship with her mother
Becoming a child star was never a strong aspiration for Jennette McCurdy, but rather for her mother, Debra. As the actress later alleged, Debra had wanted to become famous herself, but when they didn't happen, she relentlessly pursued the same for her daughter. It didn't help that McCurdy's home life was already troubled as a child; her family was Mormon, she was homeschooled, and her mother was a compulsive hoarder.
Most of this obsessive behavior from McCurdy's mother the actress attributes to her health at the time. In Jennette McCurdy's infancy, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, which clearly contributed to her determination to fulfill her lifelong dreams vicariously through her daughter. Debra also routinely examined her daughter's body for signs of cancer, among other troubling behaviors that deeply traumatized the child actor. It became difficult for McCurdy to challenge her mother's authority, as her mother would often remind her how lucky she was for her early success on "iCarly," saying, "Everyone wants what you have," (via The New York Times).
The pressure of Nickelodeon stardom affected her mental health
The pressure on Jennette McCurdy only got worse the more successful she became through "iCarly." Desperate to keep up appearances on television, McCurdy's mother taught her to develop an eating disorder when she was 11, shortly before she was cast on the Nickelodeon show. As McCurdy later recounted in a Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett-Smith, her mom was the one to encourage her to restrict calories, reflecting on the bond it created between her and her mother: "We were just in the disease, in the sickness. But there was a connection that the sickness created that I, of course, couldn't see at the time."
McCurdy's struggles with anorexia and bulimia followed her into "iCarly" and beyond, when she was limiting herself to under 1,000 calories a day in an attempt to make her mom proud. Even after the death of McCurdy's mother, the eating disorder grew worse, with the actress at one point collapsing in Miranda Cosgrove's bathroom.
She was forced into a music career
It was common for child stars from Disney Channel and Nickelodeon to attempt careers in music, with successful examples being Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus. Jennette McCurdy was no exception, revealing in her memoir that when "iCarly" was shut down due to the 2007 Writer's Guild of America Strike, her mother pushed her into pursuing country music. In 2009, she signed a record deal with Capitol Records, turning down an offer from Taylor Swift's then-home label Big Machine Records.
After releasing several singles and EPs, McCurdy's debut self-titled album came out in 2012. McCurdy's music career didn't last long after that, as the Nickelodeon star ended up leaving Capitol Records because of a commitment to her new show post-"iCarly."
McCurdy went on to express regret over her country music days, though the brief stint offered one huge shift in her life. Because of Debra's cancer returning, McCurdy went on tour without her, which was the first time the two were separated for a long period of time. However, this just ended up creating more guilt for McCurdy, who told The Guardian in 2022, "God did it feel s***ty to feel relief that I'm going to be away from my mom for the first time, when my mom also was just diagnosed with cancer and was dying."
McCurdy was never paid for iCarly
There are one too many stories in Hollywood of child actors being taken advantage of by the adults in their lives. Jennette McCurdy was no different, given the extreme control exerted on her life and career by her mother. While McCurdy's acting success was a fulfillment of her mother's lifelong dream to be a star, there was also a practical purpose for it, as she supported her parents and three older brothers, who struggled financially throughout her youth.
However, McCurdy did not receive any of the money that was meant to be saved for her during the "iCarly" years. As the actress has alleged, her Coogan Account, which is meant to shave off 15% of whatever a child actor makes into a savings account, was never properly filed. As a result, McCurdy is unaware of what happened to all of the money or where it went, but considering her mother's control, it was likely stolen.
Fortunately, McCurdy's hard work paid off in other regards later in life. While releasing a memoir in 2022 about the abuse she suffered from her mother, titled "I'm Glad My Mom Died," McCurdy confirmed that her older brothers were in favor of her decision to speak out. As she told The Hollywood Reporter, "My brothers have been so supportive, so understanding. They get the title, to put it simply."
Sam & Cat was more of the same after iCarly ended
"iCarly" ended its run on Nickelodeon in 2012, though Jennette McCurdy didn't stray far from the network in its immediate aftermath. In 2013, the actress starred in a spin-off series with "Victorious" stand-out Ariana Grande, called "Sam & Cat." However, when McCurdy initially signed onto the show, it was meant to be a solo series, until Nickelodeon re-developed it to include Grande's character.
On the set of "Sam & Cat" was where things started to skew out of Jennette McCurdy's favor at the network. As she wrote in her memoir, Grande was consistently given preferential treatment on the program, missing entire weeks to pursue her music career. Meanwhile, McCurdy was forced to turn down several film offers due to her contractual obligations to "Sam & Cat," a standard Grande was not held to.
Though her anger towards Nickelodeon is justified, McCurdy has since softened towards Grande, telling Vogue in 2022 that "I'm able to look back on it and just see it as the comedy gold that it is, to be on set at 21, where you're just the most susceptible to jealousy and comparison that you can possibly be, and I'm there across from a burgeoning pop star of the day."
Nickelodeon introduced McCurdy to alcohol
A good portion of Jennette McCurdy's book, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," recounts her experiences with "The Creator," a pseudonym for "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat" creator Dan Schneider. Schneider's behavior was common knowledge by the time of the book's release; Nickelodeon severed ties with him in 2018, and he has since been accused of verbal abuse and sexual misconduct.
McCurdy's memoir added fuel to the fire, with the actress claiming that The Creator intimidated her into drinking alcohol for the first time when she was a minor, among other inappropriate actions he committed towards her. As she wrote, "The Creator is doing the thing that I've heard from my co-stars he does with every new star of a show that he's making — he takes you under his wing. You're his favorite. For now," (via Vanity Fair).
After McCurdy's mother passed away from cancer in 2013, the actress began to lean heavily on alcohol after The Creator introduced it to her. She opened up about her relationship with alcohol for the first time in a 2020 episode of her podcast "Empty Inside."
She struggled to break out of Nickelodeon's shadow
As if the treatment Jennette McCurdy faced from Nickelodeon on "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat" wasn't enough, the actress was also limited in her opportunities elsewhere. Aside from having to turn down movie offers due to prior Nickelodeon-related commitments, the actress also struggled to get work outside the network. Throughout the airing of both shows that starred her, McCurdy made numerous appearances in similar projects.
Among those included guest spots on other popular Nickelodeon shows like "True Jackson, VP," "Big Time Rush," and "Victorious." Though her frequent appearances on tween television netted her nominations at the Teen Choice Awards and Kids' Choice Awards, there was often little career benefit the older she got. It wasn't until long after both "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat" were over that McCurdy branched out to more serious roles, such as the 2016 thriller "Pet" or the Netflix drama "Between."
McCurdy didn't even have the benefit of leaving Nickelodeon on good terms with the network. As she alleged during press for her 2022 memoir, Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 to stay quiet about her experiences, which she turned down. Though she briefly regretted the decision with the hopes she could use the money for good, these days she's proud that she chose the path of morality rather than caving to the network that not only exploited her but limited her opportunities.
McCurdy sought therapy after the death of her mother
The death of Jennette McCurdy's mother Debra was a pivotal moment in the young actress's life. Her mother died three years after receiving word that her cancer had returned, when McCurdy was only 21 years old. Even without this monumental figure in her life controlling her every decision, it took years before McCurdy could reconcile with the damage done.
McCurdy opened up about how she believes the kind of healing she was able to do wouldn't be possible with her mother still alive, claiming that therapy wasn't an option at the time. Even when she finally started going, it was a long road to figure out how she really felt. During an appearance on The View, McCurdy recounted, "The first therapist that I saw ... eventually got the point where she said, 'You know, what you're describing is abuse,' and I left. I quit therapy. I couldn't tolerate ... the notion that my mom was abusive."
Nowadays, McCurdy takes great pride in her mental health journey, which she credits to unpacking years of emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of her mother. However, like many people who tackle grief and trauma in therapy, it's an ongoing journey for McCurdy.
What's Next For Sarah? allowed her to take control
In 2014, "Sam & Cat" was canceled after one season, ending Jennette McCurdy's seven-year tenure on Nickelodeon. A lifetime's worth of trauma had occurred to the actress during that time, but within a year she would make the first steps towards shaping the rest of her career. This began with her creating, writing, and starring in her own web series, "What's Next For Sarah?"
The four-episode show finds McCurdy playing the titular Sarah, whose hit tween TV show is canceled, throwing the fictional actress's life in disarray as she tries to figure out what to do with her life. The cast of "What's Next For Sarah?" included many friends McCurdy had made through her Nickelodeon years, including Mary Scheer of "iCarly," Shayne Topp, and Danielle Morrow.
As one can easily tell, the show was quite autobiographical for McCurdy, and was her first opportunity to grapple with what her career in entertainment has meant on her own terms. This included a not-so-subtle reference to her former "Sam & Cat" co-star, lampooning her tendency to brag about all that was going well with her own career. McCurdy has continued to follow this inspiration to write and create art about what's happened to her, while simultaneously pursuing a career that keeps her as far away from her Nickelodeon past as possible.
McCurdy now seeks projects she can be proud of
Jennette McCurdy made a handful of film and TV appearances following the end of "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat," the most notable being the 2015 Netflix series "Between," in which McCurdy starred for two seasons. Meanwhile, the actress sought professional help to process what had happened to her on the sets of her Nickelodeon series. Eventually, she decided to quit acting altogether, announcing the decision in an episode of her pandemic podcast series "Empty Inside."
McCurdy further explained her decision as stemming from the death of her mother, as well as unhappiness with the career she had, saying, "I imagine there's a very different experience to be had with acting if you're proud of your roles, and if you feel fulfilled by them," (via E! News). Thankfully, "What's Next For Sarah?" proved to McCurdy that she had a future in entertainment behind the camera.
In 2018, she made her directorial debut with a short film, "Kenny," which premiered on YouTube's "Short of the Week." McCurdy was especially proud of the project, as well as the fact that she assembled an all-female crew to help her make it. She's since written and directed a handful of shorts over the past few years, but in 2020 she made a return to performing that surprised even her.
She opened up about the iCarly years in I'm Glad My Mom Died
In 2020, Jennette McCurdy debuted her first one-woman show, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," which was her most honest and vulnerable work to date. The actress was even hesitant about performing the show herself, though she eventually realized that only she could convey this story the proper way. However, McCurdy only got to tell this story for a few months at the start of 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live theater, but it was just the beginning of her journey to break the silence.
McCurdy continued the conversations mid-pandemic with her podcast series, "Empty Inside," in which she opened up about her mom, her relationship with alcohol, and her career with guests including Anna Faris, Mike Birbiglia, and Daniel Sloss. After reviving the one-woman show in 2021, she turned her story into a memoir in 2022, also titled "I'm Glad My Mom Died." With this, McCurdy sparked lots of media attention as she came forward about the abuse she suffered from both her mother and Nickelodeon.
The book almost immediately sold out on online retailers within a day and remained at number one on The New York Times bestseller list for eight weeks. McCurdy has since signed a new deal to write books for Penguin Random House, telling The New York Times that opening up about her life "felt like finally I'm saying my words and saying things I want to be saying. I'm myself."
McCurdy has put iCarly behind her
Jennette McCurdy's life has been quite the rollercoaster ever since she was first cast on "iCarly" in 2007. Though there's been a lot of unimaginable tragedy and harrowing trauma, she's come out on the other side not only stronger, but braver. The real opportunity to show that she had changed came when Paramount+ made the decision to reboot "iCarly" in 2021, bringing back Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainor to re-inhabit the characters they had last played in 2012.
As McCurdy described in her book, Cosgrove contacted her personally to invite her to reprise the role of Sam Puckett. Despite Cosgrove's encouragement, McCurdy refused to return, not wanting to retread the experience that caused her so much pain throughout her life. Kress later addressed McCurdy's absence on his own podcast, "RadioActive Dads," "I think it's just a personal decision and where she's at and what she wants to do," citing her exploration of writing and directing.
Fortunately, McCurdy doesn't miss the experience of being on "iCarly" one bit, and has a huge future to look forward to between her book deals, her new podcast "Hard Feelings," and her plans for writing and directing. Hopefully, she's proud of herself for coming so far.
If you or anyone you know needs help with an eating disorder, addiction issues, or mental health, or may be the victim of child abuse or sexual assault, contact the relevant resources below:
- The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
- The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
- The National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
- The Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).