Former child star Jennette McCurdy’s shockingly-titled new memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” details alleged physical and emotional abuse from her mother and difficult antics from an unnamed former Nickelodeon creator.
McCurdy is best known for her role as Sam Puckett, the sarcastic friend of teenage vlogger Carly Shay, on the hit Nickelodeon show “iCarly,” which ran from 2007-2012.
In the memoir, the actress describes her mother as controlling and responsible for a years-long battle with an eating disorder McCurdy developed during her Nickelodeon years. The young star recalls financially supporting her entire family at an early age.
“My earliest memories of childhood were of heaviness, and chaos,” McCurdy told People magazine last year. “My mom’s emotions were so erratic that it was like walking a tightrope every day. The mood fluctuations were daily.”
“My mom had always dreamt of being a famous actor and she became obsessed with making me a star,” the actress recalled. Despite being “cripplingly shy,” McCurdy went on auditions out of what felt like obligation.
“I felt like my job was to keep the peace,” she added. “And I wanted to make my mom happy.”
Debbie McCurdy, the actress’ mother, died of cancer in 2013.
As for the title, the now 30-year-old says, it’s completely sincere.
“It was also a title that I knew I wanted early on,” McCurdy told The Hollywood Reporter this week. “I wanted something that was bold and also something that I meant sincerely. I would never use a bold and attention-grabbing title if it weren’t authentic. I would never do it if it were just coming from a flippant place.”
“That’s not my approach to humor,” she added. “I knew that anybody who had experienced parental abuse would understand the title, and anybody who had a sense of humor would understand the title.”
The apparently erratic Nickelodeon executive McCurdy talks about in the memoir is only referred to as “The Creator,” The Hollywood Reporter detailed. This person, McCurdy says, spewed anger-fueled outbursts on set and encouraged the then-underage actress to drink alcohol.
The report noted that Dan Schneider, who left Nickelodeon back in 2018, created “iCarly” — and had his hands in other massive hits, including “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” and “Victorious.”
Still, it’s unclear who McCurdy references in the memoir.
The New York Times in 2021 revealed that Schneider was investigated by ViacomCBS, the parent company of Nickelodeon, before his abrupt departure in 2018. The hitmaker was allegedly difficult to work with and some described him as verbally abusive.