Jennette Mccurdy Opens Up About Troubling Teen Romance With 30-Something Man

Jennette McCurdy Reveals Disturbing Teen Romance

In a candid conversation on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Jennette McCurdy unveiled the unsettling details of her teenage relationship with a man in his 30s. The former Nickelodeon star spoke with host Alex Cooper about her new book, Half His Age, which explores similar themes. Reflecting on her experience as a teen on the set of iCarly, she recounted how she became enmeshed in a troubling dynamic with an unidentified older man.

Jennette shared that the man would invite her to hang out in the writers' room after work, showing her films and playing music he thought she’d enjoy. Although she pretended to like his choices, she now sees these actions as part of his pursuit. "He would show me movies he thought I would like, like Dazed and Confused, which I did not like but pretended to like," she recalled.

The Intricacies of a Manipulative Relationship

The now-33-year-old actress delved into how the relationship unfolded. She recalled an incident where the man came over to her apartment drunk, a situation she didn’t fully grasp at the time due to her innocence and lack of experience with alcohol. "He comes over and he has beer stains on his shirt, and he's bumbling around. At this point in my life I've never had a sip of alcohol," she revealed.

“At that point, I was no longer going to church but I was still very tied to my Mormon roots, and didn’t want sex before marriage, and didn’t feel ready for that.”

Their interactions included dry humping and were devoid of actual intercourse initially, as Jennette adhered to her beliefs about premarital sex.

Manipulation and Aftermath

The age gap left Jennette feeling "special" and "different," fueling her belief she was mature enough for such a relationship. The man, who had a girlfriend at the time, manipulated her emotions, claiming he couldn't talk to anyone else the way he did with her. This dynamic continued until Jennette's mother's health crisis led to a reevaluation of the relationship.

Eventually, the relationship progressed to sexual activities Jennette was unfamiliar with, leaving her feeling embarrassed and manipulated. "I'm respectful of your boundary that you can’t have sex before marriage, but I also have needs of my own," the man asserted, a manipulation Jennette now recognizes.

Closure Through Writing

Jennette’s relationship ended following her mother's passing in 2013, though there was a brief rekindling. Writing her novel has been cathartic, allowing her to process lingering anger and emotions tied to the past. “Writing is my way to closure for past experiences," she explained, reflecting on how much emotion she still needed to address.

The interview is a part of Jennette's ongoing journey to heal, as she continues to work through the trauma of her youth. Our thoughts are with her and all young talents who may have faced similar situations.