Collin Gosselin , who appeared onJon & Kate Plus 8 , said , " I require to believe it was because of idiot box and what being in the public eye does to a home . I think it buck us apart . "
Warning: This post mentions sexual assault and harassment.
Many actors and singers who began working at a young age haveexpressedtheir regrets. While someUS stateshave legal protections in place for child performers, most of those sadly don’tapplyto child reality stars.
Here are 13 child reality stars who opened up about the dark side of growing up on camera:
1.On a 2023 episode ofHigh Low with EmRata,Dance MomsstarMaddie Zieglersaid, “When I was working on the show, I was seen as the lead dancer or the most well-treated dancer. Looking back — and a lot of people have started to say this — it’s like, ‘Well, she actually had the most pressure on her,’ because [Abby Lee Miller] was like, ‘You’re my golden girl, so you have to lead everyone to victory every time,’ which is just not sustainable.”
She keep on , " When I was doing the show , in the first time of year , I was 7 , [ and ] there were male producers saying , ' This is what you have to say . ' My mom was n’t in the elbow room , so I was like , OK , I just have to do whatever I ’m being evidence . They would say , ' Say you ’re the best , say you ’re better than everyone else , say blah blah blah . ' And so I was perceived as a little brat in the first season … I remember we watch the first sequence at a viewing party for the launch of the show , and I just call because I was like , Oh my gosh . Everyone thinks I ’m this squawk and I ’m not . I ’m 7!It was so weird . It helped me a lot to be capable to be like , I can say no . I can stand up for myself . But being so young , you do n’t take in all those things . "
She also say that her mom recently apologized for place her through the show .
2.In 2022, Maddie’s fellowDance Momsalum JoJo Siwarevealedthat she has a bald spot caused by a “stress rash” she got while on the show. OnTikTok, she said, “When I was little, I had a really bad stress rash right here onDance Moms, and I would pick at it all day long. I damaged every single hair follicle that has ever been right there.”
In early 2023 , shereactedto a viral resurface clip where Abby asked the other girls to list " reasons [ JoJo ] should not be part of the Abby Lee Dance Company , " had them read their lists aloud , then yelled at JoJo for weep .
OnTikTok , JoJo duetted the video , adding the subtitle , " When people endeavor to hate and hurt me but this was my childhood … "
3.The pressure that came with appearing onDance Momsmade Lennon Torresfeelshe had to “hit pause” on her journey with her gender and sexuality. She toldPeople, “In that environment, I didn’t really feel like I was able to grow…and then when I decided to leave the show and go to high school, I realized, ‘Okay, I have some growing to do.'”
She also said she felt pressured about grammatical gender norm .
She enunciate , " I mean the magnanimous thing I matte up was people expect me to counterpoint my female person - endure counterparts . As a male - bear dissident , I was always signify to be more masculine , stronger at whatever , better at these certain styles … all of these stereotype that subsist in the amusement manufacture and terpsichore as a whole … It also did n’t help that a lot of the choreographers I work out with there were also perpetuating that stereotype … Although I ’m sure a wad of them have arise , at the time it was definitely very detrimental and a lot of atmospheric pressure for me as a young somebody to feel , especially on national television . "
4.In 2022, Collin Gosselin, who appeared onJon & Kate Plus 8, toldEntertainment Tonight, “I want to believe it was because of TV and what being in the public eye does to a family. I think it tore us apart.”
He also articulate that he no longer had a kinship with his mama , and he had n’t spoken to six of his seven siblings in five to six eld .
5.On a 2016 episode ofKeeping Up with the Kardashians, Kylie Jenner’s older sisterKourtney KardashianBarker asked her, “What do you feel like you missed out on, like in your childhood?” Kylie replied, “I missed out on being normal…being able to feel like I can, like, get out of the car and nobody’s staring at me, do you know what I mean? That’s what I missed out on.”
Her other baby Kendall added , " Yeah , yeah , totally . "
On the episode , Kylie , Kendall , and Khloé were putting on camouflage so they could go on a Hollywood Tours drive undetected .
Kylie said , " I bring in that it is kinda crazy that we have to go through all of this just to go out and be normal , but it ’s worth it I guess , I hope . "
6.OnThe KardashiansSeason 3 finale,Kendall Jennerrecalled how paparazzi used to follow and harass her and Kylie as teenagers. She said, “They would say the meanest things: ‘Are you a whore just like your sister?’ We would be 16 years old. Kylie didn’t even have a license. ‘Hey little sluts, are you guys going to have a sex tape like your sister?’ Like, literally going off on us.”
She continued , " I think we grew into really comely people through all the unearthly , shitty things that we ’ve see or experienced through our lives , but we just , I do n’t do it . "
Wondering what happened to the paparazzo who harassed them , she said , " disgrace on that bloody also-ran . Where are you now , bro ? "
7.Alana Thompson— who became known as “Honey Boo Boo” onToddlers & Tiaras,Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, andMama June: From Not to Hot— struggled with people in public and at school calling her “Honey Boo Boo.” In 2021, she toldTeen Vogue, “My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana… They are completely two different people. I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana.”
She also said , " To be honest , I do not have many acquaintance . At all . Because I palpate like folks are so much like , ' Oh , my God , I ’m friends with Honey Boo Boo . ' I do n’t trust nobody really , so I do n’t have friends . ”
8.In her memoirCounting the Cost, Jill Duggar Dillard alleged that, until she took her parents to court, she wasn’t paid for appearing on19 Kids and CountingorCounting On. She also alleged that her father exercised control over her in regards to their show into her adulthood.
She secern theLA Times , " I think there was a slew of unknowns on [ the internet and producers’]side . As kids in the lifestyle that we were rear in , we were the perfect victims . We were n’t going to push back a whole mass . We were n’t going to verbalize up and say no . So when the contract was set before me , they were in all probability like , ' Oh , any normal adult would have read what they were sign . ' I do n’t know if they were turn a blind optic to signs and symptoms they saw popping up . At the end of the solar day , they have a show to make . But I mean that there should be more accountability in place . "
She also said , " Having mature up on reality TV , I palpate like nipper should have more protections in property … I ca n’t say that shaver should never be involved in world TV because I believe parents should have a say . But I think networks should have more answerability in piazza to check that that Kid are being protected , and that they ’re getting the education they need , that [ the video show ] is not taking priority and that their rights are not being violated . There were very vulnerable moment , like I channelise out in the book , where I wish I did n’t have to be on world television , but I had to . "
9.In early 2023, Jill’s younger sister, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, toldUs Weekly, “I look at those years, and I’m really grateful for the opportunities that I was able to have. Like, we traveled the world, things that we wouldn’t have been able to do as, like, a large family. At the same time, I can say I saw also those challenges. Like I just mentioned, walking through the hardest seasons of my life in the public eye and needing to give an answer. That was tough.”
She select to keep her own tiddler out of the public middle , but she allow them to follow her family ’s show .
She say , " I think because it was such a huge part of my life . I drop most of my life on TV . So even in this [ book promotion ] procedure , I ’ve had a couple crews amount in the house , and my 2 - year - old will be playing in her playroom , and she ’ll see cameras and be scared … I thought how interesting . That was my puerility . Like , that was all I bed . I play[ed ] with the gold rush mics and all of that , but she ’s just so not used to it . So it ’s kind of interesting to see . "
10.Anjay Ajodha, who appeared onKid Nation, told theAV Club, “We weren’t abused, We weren’t hurt in any way. But it was definitely a lot more exploitative than I remember it being back then. The thing is, we weren’t fully formed people. We were kids… Things were edited to play up certain [events] that I didn’t realize were happening when we were being filmed. So you learn about how your words can get cut, misused, reused, and changed to make a story that you didn’t think was possible.”
He also say that stereotype played into his casting . He said , " I ’m sure there was an element of ' Oh my God , we launch a brown nerd . We can put him on TV and typecast him so hard . ' I mean , I had a arena gash and conversion lenses . I did n’t really have a luck at not being typecast . "
11.Olivia Cloer, who was also onKid Nation, told theAV Club, “Ironically enough, I was bullied a lot before I went on the show, so the fact that the show portrays me as a bully was shocking for me as a kid. The thing about reality TV is that they only show the footage of you that’s consistent with what they want the audience to believe about you. They wanted to make me a villain, so they showed all of my worst moments and very few of my good ones. There are still thousands of people who have never met me, but they claim to hate me.”
She continued , " hoi polloi have posted last threats and rape threats take toward me . I was a child . "
12.Jay Perry, who competed on the musical competition showS Club Search, told theGuardian, “At first, it was a lot of fun…[But after winning and joining S Club Juniors], it started to dawn on me that this was actually work, and then it became less fun. There would be times when I would think I would rather be doing anything right now, but working…we couldn’t go anywhere without being ‘on.'”
During motion-picture photography , he actualise he was queer , which added an extra layer of stress . He enjoin , " You ’re acquire so much about who you are as a someone [ at that age ] , and it ’s backbreaking to do that when you ’re spending half your life on TV . Going through struggles with my gender without knowing how to express that , while being in the public eye , was so difficult . "
13.And finally, in 2021, Brielle Biermann, who appeared onThe Real Housewives of Atlantaalongside her mom, Kim Zolciak, told theGuardian, “[The first time I was recognized in public was July 2008. I was sitting outside a restaurant with my mom and sister. This couple next to us said, ‘We saw you on TV last night!’ We thought it was so weird. At that age [11], you don’t understand what is going on. You just think that people are following you around.”
She also say , " I was bullied in my fresher class of high school on social metier . I actually got beaten up . masses were n’t nice . It take them about two weeks to reckon out who my mother was . [ On social media ] they were saying , ' You suppose you ’re live shit , your kin is so fake . ' "
She also said that it impacted her grades , total , " There was no level trying to succeed when I did n’t know if I ’d be able to go into school the next day . I spent most of my time in the counselor ’s office . "
If you are concerned that a tike is experience or may be in danger of contumely , you could call or text theNational Child Abuse Hotlineat 1 - 800 - 422 - 4453 ( 4.A.CHILD ) ; avail can be provide in over 140 speech .
If you or someone you get it on has experienced sexual assault , you could call theNational Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1 - 800 - 656 - HOPE ( 4673 ) , which routes the caller to their nearest sexual violation service provider . you may also search for your local centerhere .
The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1 - 888 - 950 - 6264 ( NAMI ) and provides entropy and referral services;GoodTherapy.orgis an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to abridge impairment in therapy .
