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“Where are they now?” That’s usually a hot-button question when it comes to former child stars, but today, through podcasts and social media, many celebrities who grew up on screen are candidly answering it themselves.
“I feel like me and all my friends just woke up from a traumatic slumber and we’re saying, ‘Oh my god, like, here we are. We’re still standing. We’re stronger than ever,'” Actress Christy Carlson Romano said.
Romano’s most memorable work may be her role in disney channel “Even Stevens” or “Kim Possible” as a crime-fighting cartoon cheerleader.
Today, she is the host “Vulnerable,” A podcast about the ups and downs of growing up in the spotlight, the need for child labor reform in entertainment, and her own experiences with fame, trauma, and sobriety.
“Now that I’ve been sober long enough, I feel like I can really serve other people in my community,” Romano said. “My community just happens to look like the people you see on TV shows all your life.”
Since the project first launched this spring, Romano has interviewed other former child stars such as “Boy Meets World”‘s Will Friedl, “Matilda”‘s Mara Wilson, “Full House”‘s Judy Sweetin and Alison Stoner of “Cheap by a Dozen”. “
see more: Sexual Misconduct in Hollywood Affects Child Actors, Too
There was no poking or prodding in her hour-long interview. Instead, there is a friendly sense of familiarity and honesty. That’s because the topics discussed are both personal and timely for Romano and her guests.
before the former teen pop star’s recent death aaron carterhe was arranged to be a guest on “vulnerable groups” to talk about addiction and sobriety.
“It felt like a little brother, and while I didn’t know him, I didn’t want to claim to know him,” Romano said. “It feels like a little brother lost in the trauma and chaos of growing up in this industry without any safety net.”
That’s why Romano is advocating reform of child labor in the entertainment industry — an issue that has been brought to the fore after fashion label Balenciaga released a series of controversial ads in which children are surrounded by sex toys.
“My only real concern right now is the kids in those pictures: Are they okay?” Romano said. “It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s unacceptable and Balenciaga needs to make amends.”
Romano hopes to build a coalition around child labor reform in the entertainment industry — from advocating for more federal protections, guidelines for on-site mental health professionals and rehabilitation programs to addressing what former child star Alison Stoner calls “stumbling Toddler’s Training Wreck Pipeline”. “
“It’s a very multi-layered problem,” Romano said. “That’s exactly why my league is gaining momentum because it needs to happen.”
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