Jennette McCurdy’s Family Supports ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ Book


Jennette McCurdy.
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A heavy topic. Jennette McCurdyThe title of her memoir raised eyebrows. I’m Glad My Mom Died, but her older brothers didn’t have a problem with her point of view.

The iCarly alum, 30, discussed her family’s reaction to the title during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday, August 15, one week after the book’s release. “My brothers have been so supportive, so understanding,” she explained, adding that her siblings were “not at all” thrown off by the choice. “They get the title, to put it simply. It was also a title that I knew I wanted early on.”

McCurdy continued, “I wanted something that was bold and also something that I meant sincerely. I would never use a bold and attention-grabbing title if it weren’t authentic. If it was merely a slap in the face, I wouldn’t do it. That’s not my approach to humor. I knew that anybody who had experienced parental abuse would understand the title, and anybody who had a sense of humor would understand the title.”

The California native called the response her memoir has received from fans around the world “overwhelming in the best way,” saying, “I am so grateful that it’s connecting with people the way that it is.”

Writing I’m Glad My Mom Died was a long process for the actress, who had tackled her “emotional and mental health history privately” in therapy before deciding to pen the memoir. “I definitely laughed a ton while writing; I cried while writing,” she told the outlet. “Because I’ve done so much of the work privately and for myself initially, I do think I was at a place where I was able to kind of discern what aspects of my life are legitimately entertaining and worth people reading about, and what aspects of my life are not entertaining. I think I waited the appropriate amount of time in my processing before approaching this in any sort of a creative way.”

The “Empty Inside” podcast host’s book hit shelves on August 9 and detailed her challenging upbringing as a child star. McCurdy discusses her difficult relationship to her mother, who died in 2013, and allegedly forced McCurdy into acting.

“You can’t quit! This was our chance! This was ouuuuur chaaaaance!” McCurdy recalled of her mom’s reaction to her wanting to leave the industry before booking her breakout role on iCarly. “She bangs on the steering wheel, accidentally hitting the horn. Mascara runs down her cheeks. She’s hysterical, like I was in the Hollywood Homicide audition. Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.”

Throughout her memoir, McCurdy reflected on feeling “exploited” as a young Hollywood star and remembered being jealous of her Sam & CatCostar Ariana Grande. They worked together on the iCarly spinoff in 2013-2014, after the original series ended in 2012. Despite her ups and downs with Grande, now 29, the author’s friendship with Miranda CosgroveIts strength is still strong today.

“The last I heard from her she said she was so excited to read it and sent a very supportive text about reading the book. I can’t wait for her to read it. I think she’ll really like it. I think she’ll laugh a lot. I think she’ll relate to … a lot,” McCurdy told Entertainment TonightThe Drake & JoshAn alum was earlier in the month. “I love Miranda to pieces. I will always love her. She holds a special place within my heart. She helped me to grow and heal, and I hope she did the same for me. I just love her so much.”

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