She was eight when she had her first drink.
At 13, she was placed in rehab.
But somehow, this star overcame her demons, and today she is one of the most renowned and celebrated actresses in the world.
A troubled childhood
This legendary actress, who shot to fame in Hollywood at a young age, has a story defined by struggle, growth, and ultimate success.
Her journey began at just 11 months old, when she appeared in a dog food commercial that hinted at the stardom awaiting her.
At just seven years old, she was already a film sensation, famously pouring Baileys over her ice cream in a way that captivated hearts all over the world. A notable interview with Johnny Carson showcased her precociousness, humor, and flirtatious charm.
She was irresistibly cute, and while other kids didn’t always understand her — she admits she rarely related to her peers — audiences of all ages fell in love with her.
She made her screen debut at just five in Ken Russell’s sci-fi horror Altered States, but it was two years later, in Steven Spielberg’s E.T., that truly catapulted her to fame.
I don’t think I understood what was good, or pleasurable, or bad. I was probably chasing joy, but I don’t think it was the real joy. I was just too young to know,” she once reflected.
After her breakthrough, everyone knew the child actress, but few knew the real little girl behind the fame. The family she was born into had a notorious history of alcohol, drugs, and addictive behavior.
Behind the glamour, her childhood was shadowed by her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s unpredictable behavior. Her father wasn’t really part of her childhood, and she pieced together who he was over the years from little things her mother would mention. Growing up without him and wondering why he was absent haunted her — questions she finally asked her mother at age 10.
After her parents divorced when she was only nine, her mother brought her into the wild scene of Studio 54, where she was introduced to drugs and mingled with famous young men. Overnight fame from E.T. gave her both stardom and unexpected freedom.
”I really parented myself, so I am not mad at my mom or dad. I was more disappointed in my own parenting,” she once explained.
Started drinking at 9
By the age of eight, the young star was already calling herself a “party girl,” tagging along with her mother and her friends on nightly outings — sometimes five nights a week. By 11, she was struggling with alcohol, and by 12, she had spiraled into full-blown addiction.
Her chaotic lifestyle landed her in rehab at just 12. But at 13, tragedy struck: the young girl made a desperate suicide attempt, leading to an 18-month stay in a mental institution where she battled drugs and alcohol.
Reflecting on that time, she later admitted:
”When I was 13, that was probably the lowest. Just knowing that I really was alone. And it felt… terrible.”
Afterward, the star spent three months living with singer David Crosby and his wife. Crosby explained that the stay was necessary because she ”needed to be around some people that were committed to sobriety.”
However, her rebellious streak persisted. She ran away, wrestled with anger, and came to realize that her parents’ flaws had contributed to her turbulent path.
Locked up
Surprisingly, she found some value in the institution her mother had placed her in. It was a harsh environment, and the actress had no chance of leaving for a year and a half.
”My mom locked me up in an institution. But it did give an amazing discipline. I needed that whole insane discipline,” she revealed.
She describes her time at the facility as “the best thing” that could have happened to her. “It taught me boundaries. Until that point, I had none,” she explained.
