Roseanne Barr's Daughter Reveals New Details About Her Tragic Childhood
There was a time in 2018 when any mention of comedian Roseanne Barr fueled a tornado of controversy — whether tied to the cancellation of her show's reboot, her polarizing Twitter rages, or intense political beliefs. Now, after remaining fairly quiet over the last three years, it is her family that is presenting new content into the world.
Barr's daughter Jenny Pentland, 45, has written "This Will Be Funny Later," a memoir that is set to be released January 18, according to Publisher's Weekly. Pentland's childhood ran alongside Barr's rise to success, branching out into the world of stand-up comedy and securing the hit ABC series "Roseanne," a show loosely based on their actual family life. It is this rapid catapult into the Hollywood atmosphere of tabloids and toxic culture that Pentland traces to the beginning of her adolescent struggles. She spoke with People about the choices her parents made in response to her acting out and how it shaped her anxieties.
Jenny Pentland talks about being 'locked up'
"This Will Be Funny Later" reveals Pentland's experience being shuffled in and out of troubled teen facilities throughout the '80s and '90s, a subject she has never discussed openly until now. In her interview with People, Pentland mentions being sent to "reform schools, psychiatric institutions, and a wilderness boot camp." She speaks frankly on the memory, saying, "I was locked up." The "Roseanne" star's daughter breaks down her version of acting out at the time, explaining that bad grades, mouthing off, self-harm, and smoking cigarettes were at the core of her issues. She says simply that she was "just depressed."
Pentland "witnessed or experienced" abuse at "several" of these places, later developing PTSD. Her sister Jessica was also sent to a psychiatric facility for joyriding. Strangely enough, Roseanne Barr spent eight months in a mental institution when she was 16 after sustaining head injuries from a car crash, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Pentland tells People of this painful time period that "the worst abuse I feel I suffered was having my free will removed — the lack of freedom."
The author is now a happy wife and mother, sharing unfiltered moments with her five boys on her personal Instagram. She hopes through her story she can raise awareness on troubled teen programs. "I don't think about what I've lost anymore. I think about what other people are losing right now or what they're going to lose if it doesn't change," (via People).