8 Celebrities Who Had Abusive Mothers

1. Marilyn Monroe

“My mother’s screams haunt me.”
Monroe’s mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, suffered from severe mental illness and was eventually institutionalized. She was abusive and neglectful during Monroe's early years, contributing to a lifetime of trauma, abandonment issues, and mental health struggles.

2. Christina Crawford (Daughter of Joan Crawford)

“Mommie Dearest wasn’t a myth.”
Actress Joan Crawford was accused by her adopted daughter Christina of being violently abusive, especially when drunk. The memoir Mommie Dearest detailed beatings, emotional cruelty, and extreme control—later adapted into a chilling film.

3. Drew Barrymore

“I was partying with my mother at Studio 54 at age 9.”
Drew’s mother, Jaid Barrymore, exposed her to drugs, alcohol, and nightlife at a dangerously young age. After stints in rehab, Drew legally emancipated herself from her mother at 14, citing neglect and emotional damage.

4. Macaulay Culkin

“It was about control and money.”
Culkin’s parents, particularly his father, were often blamed for his troubled childhood. However, his mother was also deeply involved in the controlling and financially exploitative environment surrounding his career, leading him to seek legal emancipation as a teen.

5. Rose McGowan

“I was born into a cult. My mother kept me there.”
McGowan grew up in the Children of God cult, where abuse was widespread. She has spoken about emotional manipulation and neglect from her mother, who remained within the cult’s harmful ideology during Rose’s early years.

6. Jeannette McCurdy

“I’m Glad My Mom Died.”
The former iCarly actress described extreme emotional, psychological, and physical abuse by her mother, who forced her into acting, micromanaged her body, and ignored boundaries. Her best-selling memoir details her journey to healing after her mother's death.

7. Augusten Burroughs

“She gave me to her psychiatrist at age 12.”
In Running with Scissors, Burroughs tells the harrowing story of his unstable mother, who suffered from delusions and gave him away to her psychiatrist’s dysfunctional household. He endured years of emotional abuse and neglect.

8. Chelsea Handler

“I was emotionally abandoned.”
Comedian and author Chelsea Handler has been candid about her strained relationship with her mother, who was cold, critical, and emotionally distant. Chelsea has discussed how the lack of maternal affection and validation contributed to her rebellious behavior and emotional void in early adulthood.

Final Thoughts

These celebrities faced turbulent childhoods shaped by abusive or emotionally neglectful mothers. Despite their fame, their stories underscore that trauma doesn't discriminate — and that healing often begins by speaking out.