Hollywood’s been at this for a long time, making children stars overnight—and then toasting them just as quickly. For every redeeming resurrection, there are sad stories of child actors destroyed by fame, fortune, and the cynical machinery of show business. Let’s consider 10 of the greatest meltdowns, from recent breakups to the first warning signs in Hollywood.
10. Tori Spelling – From Mansions to Motels
Being the daughter of television legend Aaron Spelling should have secured her a life of riches. Instead, Tori Spelling’s life has been far from glamorous. After Beverly Hills, 90210, she was bouncing from motel to motel and even sharing an RV with her children. Nowadays, she’s leasing a $15,000-a-month home, but it’s a whole different world from the half-billion-dollar dynasty her dad created. If her tale teaches us anything, it’s that even Hollywood royalty is not above hitting rock bottom.
9. Christy Carlson Romano – Disney Darling Broke
She was loved by fans as the perfectionist sister on Even Stevens, but in real life, Christy Carlson Romano was spending herself into oblivion. She admits to spending fortunes on fancy cars, endless shopping, and even a psychic who ripped her off for thousands. Reflecting on her Disney years, Romano admits she didn’t get money at all—she just knew she did. Now, via her YouTube channel, she’s frank about the money pitfalls many child stars fall into.
8. Lindsay Lohan – From It-Girl to Infamy
Lindsay Lohan looked invincible after The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls. She was worth tens of millions at her height. But DUIs, courthouse fights, and non-stop tabloid coverage sabotaged her career and her bankroll. Nowadays, she’s working her way back up with Netflix films and retro cameos, but her descent is one of Hollywood’s most legendary. Lohan’s tale indicates just how quickly the industry can take its greatest star and turn her into its go-to punchline.
7. Macaulay Culkin – The Isolated Life of a Child Icon
Playing Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister, Macaulay Culkin was the world’s most well-known child. The stardom came at a price, however—he became the breadwinner of his family, developing toxic relationships that followed him into adulthood. There were substance problems and family conflicts as a result, and he struggled to find his place. Culkin’s demise speaks to an all-too-common issue: when children are handled as economic assets, they tend to get slapped with the bill long after the limelight is gone.
6. Jackie Coogan – The Boy Who Changed the Law
Before Lindsay and Macaulay came Jackie Coogan, the sweet young thing from Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid. When his career savings were gone—spent by his own mother and stepfather—Coogan sued them. It was that suit that spawned the “Coogan Law,” mandating that some of the child actors’ earnings be put in trust. But today, too, loopholes allow stars like Jennette McCurdy to be cheated out of their money. Coogan’s experience confirms that Hollywood has been taking advantage of children right from the start.
5. Mara Wilson – Walking Away
Mara Wilson captivated fans in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, but fame wasn’t worth the cost. She quit acting as a teenager after withstanding constant media attention and turned to writing instead. Unusual among her peers, Wilson’s parents shielded her finances, providing an exit strategy. Nevertheless, she’s talked about how vicious the spotlight can be, particularly when young actors are demonized simply for being mortal.
4. Demi Lovato – Disney Pressure Cooker
Demi Lovato’s success on Camp Rock and Disney Channel catapulted her to fame—and thrust her into the position of being a breadwinner. At age 17, she was reassuring her parents, “I pay the bills! ” That pressure, along with impossible expectations heaped upon Disney stars, fueled decades of self-injury, anorexia/bulimia, and addiction. Lovato has since spoken out on her platform about the mental health cost of surviving life in the Disney machine.
3. Amanda Bynes – Nickelodeon’s Tragic Star
From All That to She’s the Man, Amanda Bynes was among the most talented comedic stars of the 2000s. But early fame came with a very public collapse and struggles with mental illness. Bynes’s plight highlights a bigger issue: children who grow up as stars are supposed to smoothly transition into adult roles without the help they so desperately require. When they fail, Hollywood and the media tend to ridicule rather than assist.
2. Corey Feldman – Hollywood’s Darkest Open Secret
As a star of Stand by Me and The Goonies, Corey Feldman was living on cloud nine. But there was something much more sinister behind the success—Feldman has been vocal about endemic abuse in Hollywood. Even after years of attempts at outing predators, Feldman claims the industry constantly shut him down. His tale is a spine-chilling reminder that the greatest threat to child stars isn’t necessarily fame—it’s those who surround them.
1. Shirley Temple – The Smile That Concealed the Strain
Shirley Temple was the sweetheart of America during the 1930s, yet her memoir testifies that even she was not protected against exploitation. Mothers were excluded from sets by studio regulations, and young performers were thus open to abuse. Temple’s tale confirms that the plight of child stars today is not unusual—they have been part of Hollywood culture for close to a century.
From shattered fortunes to pilfered childhoods, these tales tell a bleaker picture of what it actually means to grow up in the limelight. Stardom may appear to be a glamorous affair, but off-screen it’s an arena of financial exploitation, stress, and psychological trauma. If Hollywood wishes to continue churning out stars, it owes them something it’s not always granted: protection, care, and an opportunity to lead normal lives.