The Reason Jennette McCurdy Defended Her Mother For So Long

Jennette McCurdy told all in her memoir titled "I'm Glad My Mom Died." In the book, the "iCarly" star talked about being a child actor, specifically her experience with a show-runner who she calls "The Creator." "I feel like The Creator has two distinct sides," she wrote (via CheatSheet). She mentioned that he can make an actor feel like the "most important person in the world" one day and degrade an actor the next day. "The Creator knows how to make someone feel worthless," she added.

In her August interview with Vanity Fair, the "Sam & Cat" actor opened up more about being pitted against her co-star Ariana Grande. McCurdy was reportedly scolded for wanting to accept new movie offers while her co-star was able to pursue a career in music outside of the show. Furthermore, it was rumored that McCurdy had a need for money, but she revealed that the network paid her $300,000 to keep The Creator's actions hush-hush.

McCurdy also told stories about her mother being abusive in her memoir. "Abuse has a lot of shapes," the writer said in a lecture at the University of Maryland. She mentioned that her mother controlled her diet and took the money she earned as an actor. "I'm so grateful to see it resonating with people," she added. "It makes me feel like it was all worth something." And now, the former child actor is opening up more about the abuse.

As her memoir has gained popularity, "iCarly" actor Jennette McCurdy has now revealed why she put up with her mom's abuse for so long. Appearing on the "Drew Barrymore Show," McCurdy recalled defending her mother, explaining, "Immediately I went into, 'well she did this, but it's because she's such a good mom, it's because she wanted me to be successful, it's because she wanted me to have a better [life]." She added that it took her a while to realize that her mother was abusive, saying, "I was more concerned with how to keep my mom looking good than I was with expressing my true emotional reality."

In the September 26 episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, Jennette McCurdy elaborated on the mistreatment from her mother, specifically the actor's mom being with her daughter as she showered. "That was the hardest part to write about," she said. "I was just so resistant to it."

Drew Barrymore was able to connect with McCurdy during the interview on her show, as she also has been outspoken about the difficult past with her own mother, telling The Guardian in 2015, "It's painful to have conflicting feelings about the woman who gave birth to you." Barrymore told McCurdy during their sit-down, "I went after you like a crazy person wanting to have a conversation with you because of the things I went through in my life and with my mom."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.