I’m Glad My Mom Died

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A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette
McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating
disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing
mother—and how she retook control of her life.

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her
mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, whatever it took, and
Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what
her mother called “calorie restriction”, weighing herself five times a day and
ultimately shrinking down to 89 pounds.

She endured extensive at-home makeovers
using knockoff whitening strips, hot curlers, eyelash tint, and gobs of bleach to
enhance her “natural beauty.” She was showered by her mother until age sixteen
while sharing her diaries, an email account, and all her earnings. The dream finally
comes true when Jennette is cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly and is
thrust into fame. But for Jennette, the dream is a nightmare.

Practically overnight, her fake smile and cheesy airbrushed hair-do is plastered on
billboards across the country. And though her mom is ecstatic, ordering her to smile
for the paparazzi (with whom she’s on a first-name basis) and sign endless
autographs for fans who only know her by her character’s name, Jennette is riddled
with anxiety, shame and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders,
addiction and a series of unhealthy relationships.

These issues only get worse when
Jennette’s mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and coldly
examining the relationship with her mother, Jennette embarks on recovery and
decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with raw honesty and
equal parts gravity and humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is a a shocking, devastating,
and ultimately inspiring story of resilience.

About the Author

Jennette McCurdy starred in Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly and its spin-off, Sam &
Cat, as well as in the Netflix series Between. In 2017, she quit acting and began
pursuing writing/directing. Her films have been featured in the Florida Film Festival,
the Salute Your Shorts Film Festival, Short of the Week, and elsewhere. Her essays
have appeared in HuffPost and The Wall Street Journal.

Her one-woman show I’m
Glad My Mom Died had two sold-out runs at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre and Hudson
Theatre in Los Angeles. She hosts a podcast called Empty Inside, which has topped
Apple’s charts and features guests speaking about uncomfortable topics. She lives
in Los Angeles