By Victoria White
Staff Writer
On Aug. 9, Jennette McCurdy released her memoir entitled “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” McCurdy, once a child star, who has since retired from acting, McCurdy starred in the Nickelodeon television shows “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat.”
The book begins with McCurdy as a child whose mother Debra insisted that she get into acting at age six, and continues chronologically until present-day.
A now 30-year-old McCurdy, ten years removed from her mother’s death and undergoing therapy to recover from traumas both directly and indirectly related to her mother.
“I’m Glad My Mom Died” is not an easy book to read. It covers a variety of issues which may require content warnings for some readers.
McCurdy discussed not only the abuse she experienced at the hands of her mother, but also by a prominent figure at Nickelodeon. She details her experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
The memoir is written in present-tense, which displays McCurdy’s feelings toward her mother at each chapter of her life. Though it is clear to the reader McCurdy is being manipulated by her mother Debra, McCurdy speaks with love and admiration about her.
McCurdy never had an interest in acting, only doing so to appease her mother, who herself was a failed actress. Readers see McCurdy’s perception of her mother change from blind adoration to contempt over the course of 300 pages.
The memoir is both shocking and saddening, as it is the first time McCurdy’s issues have been made public to a mainstream audience. Debra manipulated her into becoming an actress and continuing to act when it was no longer enjoyable for McCurdy.
Much of McCurdy’s time on Nickelodeon was a miserable experience for her. Upon booking “iCarly,” McCurdy’s first series regular role, nearly ten years after being pressured into the acting world, she expresses genuine excitement, but not excitement for herself.
“I’m elated. Everything’s going to be different now. Everything’s going to be better,” McCurdy says. “My mom will finally be happy. Her dream is coming true.”
The memoir also brings to light the inappropriate behavior of Dan Schneider, who is simply referred to as “The Creator.” Dan Schneider created the shows “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat,” as well as other successful Nickelodeon shows like “Drake & Josh,” “Victorious,” and “Henry Danger.”
On set, Schneider was quick to anger and was known to lose his temper at any given moment. McCurdy recounts moments when he would scream at cast and crew, adults and children alike, if a scene was not to his satisfaction.
In addition to the verbal abuse, McCurdy also details the inappropriateness of Schneider’s relationships with his female cast and crew members, namely McCurdy herself.
Schneider created scenarios for the show in which she was put in compromising and uncomfortable positions. He would also invite McCurdy to dinners where he would allegedly provide her with alcohol and make advances on her.
Upon leaving Nickelodeon in 2014, McCurdy was offered $300,000 by the network as a “thank you” for her time with them. The only stipulation was McCurdy could never speak about the events that transpired behind-the-scenes during her time with the network. She did not take the deal.
In 2018, Nickelodeon discontinued their relationship with Schneider. A 2021 New York Times article recounted the internal investigation which led to the firing of Schneider.
“Some former colleagues, in recent interviews, said they found him a controlling, difficult showrunner, prone to tantrums and angry emails,” the article states. “A man with a delicate ego who made some staff members feel as though they were always walking on eggshells.”
“I’m Glad My Mom Died” has been a massive success for McCurdy. The memoir (initially only envisioned as a one-woman show) sold out on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target less than 24 hours after releasing.
At the time of this publication, the memoir is still the number one bestseller on the New York Times nonfiction list, and the audiobook, narrated by McCurdy herself, is the number two bestseller on Audible.
McCurdy deserves the success this memoir has granted her. As the saying goes, “tragedy plus time equals comedy,” and it’s clear McCurdy needed those ten years of time to grieve and process, resulting in a memoir which somehow manages to be genuinely funny while still discussing heavy concepts and traumatic events.
Because this is a memoir and the content is highly personal, I do not intend to give it a rating. However, McCurdy’s writing is excellent, and she provides a much-unseen look into show business, particularly for young children.
While portraying a carefree teenager and young adult on Nickelodeon, McCurdy was dealing with major hardships and was forced to remain silent.
This memoir was a profile in courage, and I encourage all who are interested in her story to read it.