- Jennette McCurdy quit acting in 2017 after she was forced by her mother, Debra McCurdy to become an actress when she was 6
- Her Mother died in 2013 after a protracted battle with breast cancer
- In August 2022, she released her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, chronicling her life, struggles, addictions, and the broken relationship with her mother
Jennette McCurdy is a 32-year-old American writer, director, singer, podcaster, and former actress. As an actress, she gained fair recognition for her roles in Nickelodeon’s iCarly (2007-2012), iCarly spin-off series Sam & Cat (2013-2014), and Between (2015-2016).
McCurdy quit acting in 2017 to pursue a career in writing and directing. She has written and directed 4 short films including The McCurdys (2017), Kenny (2018), and Strong Independent Women (2019)
In August 2022, she released a memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, that documents her upbringing, and how her mother forced her to stop writing, and take on acting.
Jennette McCurdy’s Mother Forced Her Into Acting As A Child, But She Quit As An Adult
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McCurdy wanted to become a writer, but that dream was squashed by her mother Debra McCurdy who forced her into acting when she was 6 but quit acting at 25.
By the time she turned 8, she made her debut on Mad TV (1995-2009) and subsequently appeared in several TV series, including Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006), Will & Grace (1998-2006), and The Inside (2005). In addition, she appeared in the 2003 action-comedy movie Hollywood Homicide.
When she was 15 in 2007, McCurdy starred in Nickelodeon’s TV series iCarly playing the role of Sam Puckett until 2012. The following year, she appeared in iCarly’s spin-off series, Sam & Cat alongside singer Ariana Grande. Moreover, she was nominated for the 2008 Young Artist Award, and 2009 Teen Choice Award for her performances in iCarly.
Having appeared in several works on TV and in film, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2002), Breaking Dawn (2004), Judging Amy (2005), Snowflakes, the White Gorilla (2013), and Pet (2016), McCurdy quit acting in 2017.
Shortly after, she made her directorial debut. She released 4 short films; The McCurdys (2017), Kenny (2018), The Grave (2018), and Strong Independent Women (2019).
In addition, she hosts the podcast Empty Inside and has written articles for several papers including Huffington Post and Wall Street Journal.
Moving forward, she was born Jennett Michelle Faye McCurdy on June 26, 1992, in Los Angeles, California. She has three half-brothers, Dustin, Scott, and Marcus.
Regarding education, she didn’t attend any conventional school because she was homeschooled by her mother. She later started attending writing classes.
Fascinating Facts About Jennette McCurdy
1. Her Mother Abused Her As A Child
While growing up, the former actress suffered abuse at the hands of her mother. Part of the abuse came from her mother’s domineering spirit. Jennette wanted to be a writer, but her mother wanted her to be an actress.
As result, the former actress’ mother subjected her to unwholesome treatments such as taking showers together, performing vaginal and breast exams on her, and sharing a diary. More so, her mother bleached her hair, whitened her teeth, and introduced her to calorie restriction.
2. The Former iCarly Actress Started Struggling With Her Mental Health From the Age Of 11
Jennette McCurdy has struggled with mental health challenges since her teenage days. She revealed in a 2019 interview how she had anorexia and bulimia when she was 11. She blames her mother and the entertainment industry for promoting the culture of disordered eating. Consequently, she lost a tooth after regurgitating stomach fluids that affected her tooth enamel.
Besides her struggles with eating disorders, she also became an alcoholic.
See Also-Who is Thaddea Graham? All We Know About The Actress
3. She Was 21 When Her Mother Died From Breast Cancer
Jennette McCurdy’s mother died in 2013 after battling breast cancer. She was almost 3 when her mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer around 1994 or 1995. Her mother underwent chemotherapy and several surgeries, including a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, cancer still showed its ugly head in 2010 and was a huge health challenge until her passing three years later.
4. Mark McCurdy Is Not Her Biological Father
It turns out that Mark McCurdy is not the biological father of the Los Angeles native. She got to find the truth when she met her biological father after her mother’s passing.
She said her mother had a long affair during her marriage with Mark and had 3 children that were not his. So, that means she and two of her brothers are not Mark McCurdy’s children, even though they bear his name.
5. Her Memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died Chronicles Her Struggles As A Former Child Actor
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Jennette McCurdy accomplished her childhood dream when she released her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Die on August 9, 2022. The memoir talks about her struggles, eating disorders, addiction, and the complicated relationship she had with her mother.
Reactions continue to pour following the book’s release. While her story resonates with young people who are facing or had similar experiences, there is a cross-section of people that think she is celebrating her mother’s death. She did admit that she was glad her mom died, but she explored a different meaning to it in the book.
Interestingly, there may be plans to adapt the memoir into a TV series or a film in the future.
6. She Is A Singer Who Has An Album And A Couple Of Songs To Her Name
While writing was Jennette’s childhood dream, she also finds consolation in singing. She made her musical debut in 2009 following the release of her first single, So Close. Two years later, her second single Generation Love was released.
In addition to those, she did a cover of Amana Stott’s song, Homeless Heart. The song was in honor of her friend that died from brain cancer.
She released her first radio single Not Far Away from her EP of the same name in 2010. Two years later, she released her debut self-titled studio album with the following tracks:
- Generation Love
- Don’t You Just Hate Those People
- Break Your Heart
- Stronger
- Better
- Put Your Arms Around Somebody
- Have To Say Goodbye
7. Jennette McCurdy Has A Net Worth Of $3.5 Million
The former child actress’ net worth is $3.5 million. She earned a part of the fortune from her previous acting career, and also as a writer, singer, and director.
In addition to what she earns from her career, she made a decent sum from real estate in 2016 when she sold her Los Angeles home for $995,000. She initially bought the property for $905,000 in 2013.
Having amassed such a fortune, McCurdy has donated and supported various charitable courses, including the Cody Waters Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Invisible Children Inc. Also, she was a StarPower Ambassador for Starlight Children’s Foundation.
The $3.5 million rich former actress quit acting for 7 years now. She is fully settled in her writing career, however, would she ever return to the silver screen? The odds are in favor of writing, so the possibility of a return is ruled out.
