Jennette McCurdy Talked About The "Intense" Abuse From Her Mom, Who Would Perform Breast Exams On Her And Not Let Her Shower Alone

You probably know Jennette McCurdy — she starred as fan favorite Sam on the hit show iCarly.

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Heads-up: This post deals with talk of eating disorders and parental abuse.

Well, last week, Jennette McCurdy talked to People about her one-woman theater production, I'm Glad My Mom Died — a title she knows is "thought-provoking."

  Axelle / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Axelle / FilmMagic / Getty Images

"My earliest memories of childhood were of heaviness and chaos," Jennette said.

  Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images

"My mom's emotions were so erratic that it was like walking a tightrope every day. The mood fluctuations were daily."

  Gregg Deguire / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Gregg Deguire / FilmMagic / Getty Images

"My mom had always dreamt of being a famous actor and had become obsessed with making me a star," Jennette continued.

  Alexandra Wyman / WireImage / Getty Images
Alexandra Wyman / WireImage / Getty Images

And although Jennette admitted she was "cripplingly shy" as a child, she said, "I felt like my job was to keep the peace. And I wanted to make my mom happy."

  Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Jennette further told People that by the time she was 11, her mom had taught her calorie counting, bleached her hair, and whitened her teeth.

  Jason Merritt / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Jason Merritt / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Once Jennette got the role of Sam in iCarly, which debuted in 2007, she was suffering from anorexia, "which later swung to binge eating and then bulimia," People states.

  Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images
Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images

"I know if my mom were alive, I'd still have an eating disorder," Jennette said. "It was only distance from her that allowed me to get healthy."

  Taylor Hill / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Taylor Hill / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Three years into her role as Sam, at age 17, Jennette said her mother would perform vaginal and breast exams and forbade her from showering alone.

  Paul Archuleta / Getty Images
Paul Archuleta / Getty Images

After her mother died of cancer in 2013, Jennette began the healing process, attending "intense therapy."

  Jason Merritt / Getty Images
Jason Merritt / Getty Images

"I did not know how to find my identity without my mom," she says. "And I'm not going to lie — it was very hard to get here. But now, I'm at a place in my life that I never would have thought was possible. And I finally feel free."

  Mike Pont / WireImage / Getty Images
Mike Pont / WireImage / Getty Images

You can read all the quotes from Jennette's interview with People here.

The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text “NEDA” to 741741.

If you or someone you know is being abused, call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233. You can find more resources, information, and support here.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, there are resources available. RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline is 800.656.HOPE, or you can chat online with trained professionals here.