Rose McGowan has become the latest celebrity to warn of the dangers of child stardom following the deathh of Hayden Panettiere.
Rose McGowan hit out at child stardom as she paid tribute to the late Hayden Panettiere.
The Charmed actress has warned that life in the spotlight is not “normal” and expressed her hope that the Heroes star – who died last weekend aged 36 – is now “free” from those who “orchestrated” her career, which saw her begin acting at the age of just four.
She wrote on an Instagram video dedicated to Hayden: “Rest in Power.
“Don’t put kids in show business. None of this is normal. May her spirit be free of those who orchestrated.”
Rose isn’t the only famous face to warn about the dangers of child stardom in the wake of Hayden’s death.
Anna Paquin – who won an Oscar for The Piano when she was just 11 years old – argued young performers are “not as protected” by Hollwood as theyy should be.
Referencing Hayden, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, who died aged 39 and 35 respectively, Anna wrote on Instagram: “It’s not a coincidence that so many former, specifically pre-sexualised female, child ‘stars’ have profoundly sad lives and untimely ends.
“We were not as protected by the ‘systems’ that look great on paper, as we are supposed to be. RIP HP, MT, DC, and too many others.”
She also described former child performers as belonging to a “strange, small club” and directly offered her support to others with similar experiences.
She wrote: “You are worthy of support no matter how our industry made us feel.”
Anna added: “Literally DM me. I believe you, and I will stand by your side. You aren’t alone.”
Melissa Gilbert, who began playing Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie as a child, also shared Anna’s statement.
Melissa wrote: “Thank you Anna. Someone has to say something. Someone has to change this. Someone has to help.”
The 62-year-old actress later penned a lengthy essay on the subject.
She wrote: “Within one year, Michelle Trachtenberg, Daveigh Chase and Hayden Panettiere have died. DIED! Three former female child actors of the same generation are gone. Tragically, heartbreakingly, agonizingly too soon …
“And why does this all feel so personal to me? I did not know Hayden personally and only worked briefly with Mishy and Daveigh. It feels personal because I was them …
“We are all members of the same tribe; Female Former Child Performers, and when one of us dies, it runs through all of us like an electrical current. When three of us die so close together, something is very, very wrong.”
Melissa – who is president of the President of the Screen Actors Guild union – went on to claim the invention of camera phones and the loss of privacy may have contributed to the tragedies and she called for serious changes to protect youngsters.
She wrote: “Where is the collective outrage? Where are the regulations? Where is the protection of privacy?
“It really seems like no one cares enough to enact real change. At least, not until the next death and everyone talks about how sad they are and how we must do something and then they forget and get on with their lives until it happens again and again and again.”
In her essay, Melissa opened up about her own time as a child star – claiming she felt obliged to continue working even when she was “horribly sick” or grieving the death of her father, who passed away when she was 11 and was working on the TV show – and suggested they should be given “free mental health support” to help them transition to adulthood.
She wrote: “Maybe we start a group of our own to meet and share ideas and ways we might be able lobby to support these young women. Maybe we sit down with the heads of the studios and Networks and have real conversations about mitigating exploitation …
“I think if we collectively had the opportunity to sit down with these “bosses” we might be able to work with them to Lobby for and enact real, substantive change.
“Mental health care is available for corporate, tech, public sector and government workers, but for performers it is only available if one qualifies for health insurance based on earnings.
“We need to work with the studios and networks to establish accessible free mental health support for all child actors as they transition into young adulthood. That can only be accomplished with industry-wide cooperation.”
‘Don’t put kids in show business’: Rose McGowan warns of child stardom dangers following Hayden Panettiere’s death
