TRIGGER WARNING: This article may be triggering for some readers and mentions child abuse and eating disorders. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. If you find these topics distressing, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673.
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Jennette McCurdy’s heartbreaking memoirI’m Glad My Mom Died is going to be a TV series on AppleTV+.
The book, which explores her life with her overbearing mother, Debbie, especially during her time on iCarly, was an instant bestseller.
It then spent more than 80 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.
However, Jennette has been upfront about it being a hard process.
When is the ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ series adaptation being released?
No date has been confirmed as of yet, and Jennette has revealed that it has not been a positive experience to put together so far.
While she spoke with Sam Sanders of KCRW in Los Angeles about the release of her debut novel, Half His Age, she told him and the audience not to get excited yet.
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“It hasn’t been a good process,” she shared.
“It’s Hollywood, it might not happen … That’s what I’m talking about in therapy,” she continued.
Before this, she spoke more about the behind-the-scenes challenges on Call Her Daddy.
While she did not share much, she said it was “interesting” and “complicated”.
“There are a lot of politics involved, which is not my forte,” she explained.
“It’s really interesting because for writing, you’re really rewarded for being truthful.
“I’m show running, creating and executive producing this thing. With producing, you’re rewarded for not being truthful. So it’s a lot of like, ‘OK, how can we tell this person one thing but do another?’”
She then added, “I won’t lie, it’s been challenging navigating the politics of it. I feel much more connected to my books. … There’s no games involved. There’s no chess match involved.”
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It’s a powerful memoir. (Credit: Simon and Schuster)
Is the book ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ a true story?
The book documents Jennette’s complicated relationship with her mother up until her passing, and how she took control of her life.
“It’s thought-provoking,” the former child star said to PEOPLE upon its release.
“But even though it may seem black and white, there’s a fullness to my narrative. Life can be dark — and messy. Nobody has a perfect life.”
While she is recognised for her work on iCarly, the author said acting was her mother’s dream, not hers.
Jennette McCurdy is open about the relationship she had with her mother in her memoir. (Credit: Getty)
“I felt like my job was to keep the peace,” she said. “And I wanted to make my mum happy.”
Not only did Debbie control her professional life, but she also introduced her daughter to calorie counting and conducted physical exams to measure her dimensions.
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“I know if my mum were alive, I’d still have an eating disorder,” she told the publication. “It was only the distance from her that allowed me to get healthy.”
The memoir also reveals her road to recovery and how she processed the trauma after her mother died.
The dramedy will focus on an 18-year-old actress on a popular kids’ show and her “narcissistic” mother who “relishes in her identity as a starlet’s mother”.
She dedicated her poignant memoir to her three older brothers, Dustin, Marcus, and Scott, whom she treasures dearly.
“My brothers have been so supportive, so understanding. They get the title, to put it simply,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
“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.”
Jennifer Aniston will star and be an executive producer. (Credit: Getty)
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Who is starring in ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’?
So far, Jennifer Aniston is the only confirmed star. We do not know who the Morning Wars star is going to play, but it’s possible she will be the protagonist’s mother.
“When it came across my desk as an option, an offer to play this character and work with Jennette and Sharon Horgan and LuckyChap, I was pretty much immediately intrigued and flattered and excited,” she previously told PEOPLE.
“It’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to be pretty great to start shooting it.”
In the past, she has spoken about her difficult relationship with her mother, Nancy Dow.
“She was missing what was [actually] important,” she preciously told Elle, adding that she was focused on dieting and beauty.
“I think she was just holding on and doing the best she could, struggling financially and dealing with a husband who was no longer there. Being a single mom in the ’80s, I’m sur,e was pretty crappy.”
Margot Robbie’s husband, Tom Ackerley, is one of the executive producers. (Credit: Getty)
Who is producing ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’?
The Friends star is also an executive producer with her company, Echo Films, along with Jennette and Ari Katcher, who will also write and show-run the series.
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Margot Robbie’s husband, Tom Ackerley, will also executive produce the series with Josey McNamara for LuckyChap.
Sharon Horgan and Stacy Greenberg are also listed.
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