Jennette McCurdy Alleges Her Late Mom Gave Her 'Breast And Vaginal Exams' In The Shower
By Favour Adegoke on July 14, 2023 at 6:00 PM EDT
Jennette McCurdy still has much to reveal about her traumatic relationship with her late mother. The actress recently claimed that her mom would shower her daily until she turned "17 or 18."
During these showers, Debra would give McCurdy "breast and vaginal exams" in the guise of cancer checks.
The actress shared similar traumatic experiences in her 2022 memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died." McCurdy also previously shared an email from Debbie in which she criticized and slut-shamed her daughter.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Jennette McCurdy Makes Shocking Revelation About Her Mother
According to Page Six, in a recent appearance on the "Louis Theroux Podcast," Jennette McCurdy made more disturbing reveals about her late mother, Debra McCurdy. The reveal comes almost a year after she released her highly successful memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died."
During the podcast interview, McCurdy revealed her mom bathed her daily until she turned "17 or 18." She recalled Debra "shampooing and conditioning [Jennette's] hair [and] washing [her] body." McCurdy further claimed that her mom would give "breast and vaginal exams in the shower" while claiming that she was checking for lumps, which indicate cancer.
The "iCarly" alum spoke about feeling "uncomfortable" and "violate[d]" during these checks. However, the one time she brought up solo showering to her mom, it caused a "hysterical" reaction. McCurdy kept up the shower routine until her mom's cancer battle began.
Jennette McCurdy Waited Years To Release Her Memoir
Debra eventually died from breast cancer in 2013, but McCurdy didn't release her memoir until 2022. "I'm Glad My Mom Died" sold out within 24 hours of release at major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target. The book has become a number one New York Times Best Seller for non-fiction.
According to Deadline, McCurdy's book has sold almost 2 million copies in multiple formats as of February 2023. It has also been heavily praised by book critics, with one report from Publishers Weekly calling it "Insightful and incisive, heartbreaking and raw."
She Was Also Forced To Bath With Her Brother
Shortly after she released the memoir, McCurdy had a promotional interview on the "Red Table Talk." The "Sam & Cat" alum read out one of her experiences from the book for host Jada Pinkett Smith. The story was of how Debra forced her to shower with an older brother for years until she turned 11.
She read, "He's almost 16 at this point. I get embarrassed when she showers us together. I can tell he does too. … Scotty asked if he could once shower himself [on his] own. Mom sobbed and said she didn't want him to grow up, so he never asked again after that."
When Smith asked McCurdy if the negative experiences affected her relationship with her siblings, she said they've remained "so close" regardless. "They have been a source of love and consistency in my life when there wasn't much anywhere else. We have such a beautiful bond … because of what we went through together and saw together," McCurdy said.
Jennette McCurdy's Memoir Contains More Shocking Experiences
During the "Red Table Talk" interview, McCurdy also shared an email Debra sent to her before her death. The email featured multiple insults in all caps and emphasized Debra's disappointment in her daughter.
It read, per People magazine, "You used to be my perfect little angel, but now you are nothing more than a little … slut, a floozy, all used up." She further criticized McCurdy for her choice of partner, saying she'd chosen a "hideous ogre of a man" and that she'd seen her "rubbing his disgusting hairy stomach" on a "website called TMZ."
Later in the email, Debra called McCurdy a "conniving, evil … liar" and body-shamed her for gaining weight. She wrote, "You look pudgier, too. You're eating your guilt. Thinking of you with his ding-dong inside of you makes me sick. Sick! I raised you better than this." This email is just one of several instances of abuse and body shaming that McCurdy shared in her memoir.