Jennette McCurdy Reveals Horrific Message She Once Received From Her Late Mother
In August, former child star Jennette McCurdy released her bombshell memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," which chronicled the abuse she suffered at hands of an unnamed Nickelodeon executive she deemed "The Creator" and her late mother, Debra McCurdy. As snippets of the book spread across social media, Jennette garnered support from fans, friends, and even fellow Nickelodeon alums Josh Peck and Miranda Cosgrove. Even though the former "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat" star's candid recounting of The Creator's unethical behavior — which included pressuring her to consume alcohol and wear a bikini — caught people's attentions, the physical and emotional abuse her mom tolled out was especially harrowing.
The Nickelodeon star shared that her mother criticized her weight, forced her to shower with her younger brother, and gave her physical exams supposedly in the name of health. "Whether or not Scott is there with me, mom gives me a breast and a front/butt exam, which is what she calls my private parts," Jennette wrote. "She says she wants to make sure I don't have any mysterious lumps or bumps because those could be cancer." Jennette, who's been on a press tour to promote her memoir, kicked off Season 6 of "Red Table Talk," the Facebook Watch show hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith. During the broadcast, Jennette shared an email sent by Debra that gave her supporters an even deeper look into the tragic relationship with her mom.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Jennette McCurdy's mom disowned her in an email
The September 7 episode of "Red Table Talk" peeled back another layer of the complicated relationship between Jennette McCurdy and her mother, Debra McCurdy, who succumbed to breast cancer in 2013. During the episode, Jennette read a passage from her memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," which is purported to be an email sent to her by her mom. "'I am so disappointed in you. You used to be my perfect little angel, but now you are nothing more than a little' — all caps — 'slut, a floozy, all used up,'" Jennette read. "'And to think you wasted it on that hideous ogre of a man." Her mom then referenced pictures she saw of Jennette on TMZ, claiming she was rubbing her friend Colton's "disgusting' hairy stomach," adding that she was " [a] liar, conniving, [and] evil." Jennette went on to say that Debra called her a "disgusting monster," before saying that she and her brothers had disowned her, then oddly enough, asked her to send money for a new fridge because "ours broke."
Later in the interview, Jennette spoke on whether or not she's forgiven her mother. While she worked towards forgiving her mom for a "really long time," Jennette said that her therapist questioned what would happen if she didn't work towards forgiveness. "And I wept, and I knew that that's what I needed to hear, because I had been trying to find a way to still honor my mom... I was still trying to live for her," Jennette revealed.