Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything: A Memoir

Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything exposes the abuse and exploitation of child stars in Hollywood, contributing to a growing catalog of literature and media on the same subject. The problem is not a new one: As Danny Leigh writes, Judy Garland “has been a cautionary tale for kids who might venture on to the big screen” (Leigh, Danny. “Drugs, Exploitation, 72-Hour Shifts: Can Hollywood Take Care of Its Child Stars?” The Guardian, 30 Aug. 2019). Among other abuses, Garland’s biographers have documented that her mother drugged her with stimulants and sedatives and that Garland was molested during the filming of The Wizard of Oz (Taylor, Tom. “The Uncomfortable Truth of Judy Garland’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Experience.” Far Out, 28 Nov. 2024). Such behavior remains an ongoing issue. In 2019, “BBC aired the mini-series Dark Money, concerning a 13-year-old British actor abused by a Hollywood producer. The message came as a jolt, the suggestion of a film business that feeds on the young” (Leigh). 

This docuseries spurred a string of subsequent exposés on the film industry. Recent projects, including Showbiz Kids (2020), Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024), and Child Star (2024), have offered former child stars the opportunity to speak out about their negative experiences in Hollywood.