Christina Ricci says stardom as kid was an 'escape' from 'horrendous childhood': 'Real life is worse'
'Yellowjackets' star says 'real life' worse than negativity she experienced in Hollywood, where she felt 'valued'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Christina Ricci this week said, for her, acting at a young age was an "escape" from her "horrendous" childhood.
"When I first started, and still as adults, this career has always been an escape for me," the actress, who first became famous as Wednesday Addams in 1991’s "The Addams Family," told Entertainment Weekly when asked about surviving childhood stardom.
The actress, who now stars in Showtime's "Yellowjackets," continued, "As a kid, it was an escape from, like, a horrendous childhood and just getting to go away – be in hotels and be on set and be with other adults and be valued. All the little things that sort of are negative about the industry and the career, they've always been things that I've just been like, 'Well, real life is worse.'"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She agreed there are many parts of Hollywood that are "difficult to navigate," but she said, "I also think that I really benefited from this place in time where gradually things have been getting better and are so much better now. We benefit from all the amazing work that younger generations are doing."
JOHNNY DEPP 'EXPLAINED HOMOSEXUALITY' TO CHRISTINA RICCI WHEN SHE WAS 9 YEARS OLD
Christina Ricci said kid stardom was her escape from a "horrendous" childhood. (Robin L Marshall / WireImage / File)
She has made accusations of "child abuse" in her family in the past, telling The Guardian last year, "People write things like, ‘Christina talks about the trauma of fame.’ It’s like, no. When I am talking about childhood trauma, I am not talking about the trauma of fame. There’s been childhood stuff, child abuse in my family."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In another interview with the Sunday Times last year, she said she "grew up in a very chaotic home. I was the youngest child. I was adorable, and I learned very early on that my ability to be adorable could diffuse things or distract people; I don't feel the need to go into much more detail."
Ricci added that her parents divorced when she was 13, and she hasn’t spoken to her father since she was a teenager.
CHRISTINA RICCI SAYS SHE DOESN'T REGRET HER CHILD STAR YEARS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Christina Ricci first became famous as Wednesday in 1991's "The Addams Family," which premiered when she was 11 years old. (Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images / File)
The "Wednesday" star also spoke at a luncheon for The Family Place, the largest domestic abuse support provider in Texas, last year, saying, "I was a child in an abusive and violent household and then repeated that mistake as an adult," according to CBS.
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In 2021, the "Addams Family" actress accused her ex-husband, James Heerdegen, of physical abuse.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She filed for a restraining order that year, citing "severe physical and emotional abuse," which Heerdegen has denied. Ricci filed for divorce in 2020.
Christina Ricci has said her home life as a child was "chaotic" and that she preferred to be on set where she felt "valued." (Paramount / Getty Images / File)
Despite calling child acting a positive "escape" for herself, Ricci told the New York Post in 2018 that she wouldn’t put her own son into the industry.
"I feel it’s child abuse to make your child famous," she said of then-4-year-old son Freddie. "Once he’s an adult, and he studies, and he understands that it’s an art form, then he can pursue an acting career if he’d like."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As an adult, Ricci starred alongside Jenny Ortega, who plays the title character in "Wednesday." (Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images / File)
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She added, "Being famous is not good for children, it’s just not. We have a million examples of why it’s not good for children. I’m just not going to risk it. Why would you put the most precious thing in your life up for that?"