We all love reading about our favorite celebrities — consuming tabloids, social media posts and interviews that feature them. But every person in the spotlight has their own story to tell that isn’t shaped by their public image. These seven stars lived through the unimaginable in their climb to fame in music, television, pop culture and more. Their memoirs follow their journeys away from a difficult past and into a brighter future.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (Simon & Schuster)
If you never watched Nickelodeon’s iCarly, you’ve surely seen this title and book cover at the front of every bookstore this year. In I’m Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy details the hardship of being a child star, her struggle with eating disorders and addiction, and life with an overbearing mother who controlled every aspect of her life. After her mom died, she quit acting with the help of therapy and took charge of her own life.
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Open Book by Jessica Simpson (Dey Street Books)
Jessica Simpson is the actress, singer and popular icon who has been the center of public scrutiny for years. She began her climb to fame as a teenager and experienced backlash and sexualization, where her worth was always based on assumptions. The shaping of her public image and her life in the spotlight are covered in Open Book. The memoir is on its way to a television adaptation that focuses on themes of embracing life’s challenges and following your heart.
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Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes (Simon & Schuster)
The actor and model, most famous for his role on MTV’s Teen Wolf, had a challenging past. Before he was 16, he was signed onto top modeling agencies and his face was on billboards. But growing up with numerous stepfathers and coming to terms with his sexuality led to devastating addiction. After being hospitalized, Haynes knew it was time to share his story, Miss Memory Lane, and admit to his difficult past so he could live a more honest future.
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Unspeakable by Jessica Willis Fisher (Thomas Nelson)
Fans of reality television and country music groups will likely remember the Willis Clan from their appearance on America’s Got Talent and their show on TLC. Jessica, the eldest daughter, pulls away the curtain to reveal a childhood full of sexual abuse, neglect and religious trauma. Unspeakable is the unforgettable story of how one singer overcame her childhood and toxic family through her faith, strength, truth and grace.
(Read BookTrib’s review and an interview with Jessica Willis Fisher.)
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Mean Baby by Selma Blair (Knopf)
The cult film Cruel Intentions or the beloved drama Legally Blonde brought Selma Blair to popularity. She was called a “mean baby” for her grumpy face when she was born, and felt herself playing into that name by acting out and getting drunk before the age of seven. She gracefully explores assault, depression, alcohol abuse and complicated relationships. Mean Baby celebrates the triumphs of growing up, and the multiple sclerosis diagnosis that surprised and saved her.
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Unprotected by Billy Porter (Abrams)
Billy Porter is a former Broadway star, a gay icon and an award-winning screen actor. As a child, he was forced into therapy because he wasn’t “masculine” enough, was sexually abused and bullied, and struggled with a world that didn’t accept a Black gay man. In sharing the news of his HIV diagnosis, his career and his internal journey, Unprotected shows his path to healing and proudly being himself.
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Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett (Celadon Books)
The frontman for the band Airborne Toxic Event is more than just a rockstar. He grew up in the Synanon commune turned cult, which became known for its criminal activity and violence. Hollywood Park explains Jollett’s strained relationships with his parents and his life of poverty and addiction without emotional support or therapy. By forming his successful band, connecting with his brother and writing his memoir, he was able to overcome a childhood that didn’t set him up for success.
(Read BookTrib’s review here.)
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