'I'm Glad My Mom Died': Jennette McCurdy's memoir reveals actress' toxic relationship with Debra McCurdy
Former actress and Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy's upcoming memoir 'I’m Glad My Mom Died' discusses both her personal and professional life including her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Debra McCurdy, and her dark depressing time on Nickelodeon. From 2007 to 2012, the 30-year-old former actress rose to fame as Sam Puckett on 'iCarly'. McCurdy returned to the network's spinoff series 'Sam & Cat' after the show ended. Ariana Grande appeared as Cat Valentine in the 'Victorious' series, which aired from 2013 to 2014.
Jennette talks about her complex relationship with her mother in her upcoming memoir. The book includes heartbreaking, honest stances yet hilarious. Two excerpts in the memoir fully discuss the mother-daughter toxic relationship. Being a former child actor, Jennette shared about her struggles and her insecurity because of her controlling mother. In 2013, Jennette lost her mother to cancer, which only worsened her issues leading to eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships.
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In 2021, in an interview with PEOPLE, Jennette said "My earliest memories of childhood were of heaviness and chaos." "My mom's emotions were so erratic that it was like walking a tightrope every day. The mood fluctuations were daily," she added. As a child, Jennette revealed that she witnessed physical fighting between her parents. "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," she said. "And I wanted to make my mom happy," she further added.
McCurdy was suffering from full-fledged anorexia by the time she landed the role of Sam on 'iCarly'. "I know if my mom were alive, I'd still have an eating disorder," said McCurdy, who recovered in 2018, before adding, "It was only distance from her that allowed me to get healthy." McCurdy also told PEOPLE that she was also "so repressed and delayed developmentally" because of her mom's control.
Why did Jennette McCurdy quit acting?
In the memoir, Jennette revealed how she wanted to quit acting at a young age because she never enjoyed it. However, her mother guilted her into continuing to act despite her dislike for it. McCurdy has long been vocal about her decision to retire from acting, which came only after her mother died.
"'I don't want to act anymore,' I say before I even realize I've said it. Mom looks at me in the rearview mirror. A mixture of shock and disappointment fills her eyes. I immediately regret saying anything," Jennette writes in the memoir obtained by Entertainment Weekly. Jennette's mother reacts, "'Don't be silly, you love acting. It's your favorite thing in the world,' Mom says in a way that makes it sound like a threat." "She bangs on the steering wheel, accidentally hitting the horn. Mascara trickles down her cheeks. She's hysterical like I was in the Hollywood Homicide audition. Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of."
"I was a famous 19-year-old, and making a bunch of money, and I felt like I had everything at my fingertips," McCurdy once told PEOPLE. "But I was deeply unhappy, and I actually really resented my life because I didn't like the projects that I was a part of." "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 never would have thought was possible. And I finally feel free," she said.
Jennette's memoir 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' will be available on August 9.