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iCarly Star Jennette McCurdy Gets Candid On Her Freedom From Abuse

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By Favour Adegoke on November 12, 2021 at 10:27 AM EST

Jennette McCurdy is an American actress who joined the industry at a very young age and rose to prominence when she portrayed Sam Puckett in a famous Nickelodeon show titled "iCarly."

The show contributed to a greater part of people's childhood as they were always excited to tune in to the channel whenever "iCarly" was on. It was a six-season show that aired from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012.

Like some other American celebrities, McCurdy had a dark secret when she was cast in the American sitcom. She was a youngster who was forcefully compelled to pursue a life she never wanted for herself.

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A photo showing Jennette McCurdy sitting on a pedestrian pavement by the roadside.
Instagram | Jennette McCurdy
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Her mother forced her into fame and fortune, and as she became more popular, she also became unhappier. However, over the years, she has worked harder to recover from the abuse. Keep reading to see more details.

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McCurdy Joined The Industry At A Tender Age

The actress started acting at the age of eight when she played a role on "Mad TV," an American comedy television series. By the time she was a teenager, she had earned as much as she could to feed her family and make herself comfortable.

At age 15, she got a role in "iCarly," the biggest role in her theatrical career. In the teen sitcom, she played the role of Carly's best friend, and she perfectly acted that role with her energetic character.

The show went on for a few years before McCurdy was featured in a related show, "Sam And Cat." This show only lasted for a year between June 8, 2013, and July 17, 2014. It also aired a total of one season and 35 episodes.

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Recently, a streaming platform announced the reboot of "iCarly," and fans were excited to hear it. People were eager to see their favorite actors and actresses on screen again, but sadly, McCurdy didn't return for the project. It was later discovered that she stopped acting for a while, and she doesn't plan on going back to the industry. McCurdy revealed that acting was never in her plans, and she was not happy doing all that she did.

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McCurdy Was A Victim Of Abuse

During an interview with the People magazine, McCurdy explained that she was not interested in acting initially, but her mother, who was obsessed with fame, put pressure on her to pursue a career in theatre.

The pressure was not a positive one but an abusive one that warranted her mother to control every single move she made. She said her mother's emotional life was so crazy that she frequently fought with her father.

As a young girl, McCurdy thought it was best to do everything possible to make her mother happy irrespective of her personal feelings. Her mother also controlled her diet at some point in her teenage years to shape her appearance.

A photo showing Jennette McCurdy in a white crop-top and denim pant, with her arms spread apart.
Instagram | Jennette McCurdy
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Also, she would bathe McCurdy so that she could examine her body and private parts. The iCarly star said that her mother's abuse affected her emotional development, making it difficult to make decisions independently.

In 2013, Debbie McCurdy, Jennette's mother, died of breast cancer, and the actress saw that as the best time to recover from the physical and emotional abuse her mother put her through.

McCurdy Started A New Stand-Up Show

After her mother's death, she underwent a series of therapy to help her recover from her eating disorder and abuse in general. Presently, she is no longer acting but into stand-up comedy. She recently did a show called "I'm Glad My Mom Died."

The talks on the show that day sounded like she was complaining so much about her mother, but she said the issue is way more complex than that. She stated that thinking about the experience alone was provocative.

She further explained how tumbled and unpleasant life can be, judging from her plight. She feels nobody has a perfect life, and she fought to get back on track after so many years of suffering from emotional abuse.

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She didn't hide that the loss of her mother was the only clear chance to reclaim her life. She spoke like someone who had a plan on the show and was confident about it even if it meant leaving acting behind.

Her Role In 'iCarly' And Other Movies She Featured In

In 2007, she co-starred in "iCarly" as Sam Puckett, one of Carly's best friends and a co-host on the movie's talk show.

A year after she took the role, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her contribution to the sitcom. Sadly, the comedy sitcom ended in 2012, and she was featured in a spin-off show titled "Sam And Cat."

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In this new project, she acted alongside Ariana Grande, taking the same role as Sam Puckett in "iCarly."

The actress also appeared in some other TV series like "Zoey 101 (2005)," "Malcolm In The Middle" (2003 to 2005,) "Lincoln Heights" (2007,) "Between" (2015 to 2017), and many others.

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