Child stars speak out: The dark side of early fame revealed

When Alyson Stoner was a little kid when entered show business. Today, Stoner openly admits that it wasn't a place for a child.

Alyson Stoner is among the group of child stars from popular TV channels who regret being pushed into show business so quickly. Stoner acted in movies like "Cheaper by the Dozen" and gained recognition for her role in "Step Up." By the time they appeared in "Camp Rock," they had already starred in a music video for one of Missy Elliott's songs. Years later, they returned for "Step Up 3D," followed by "Step Up: All In." Their most recent project is the 2022 series "The Guardians of Justice." Soon, their story will be available in the documentary "Child Star," which reveals the behind-the-scenes life of young American stars.

Stoner gave an interview to their former nemesis from "Camp Rock," Demi Lovato. The young stars had long been in conflict, but they have now reconciled. Lovato, who directed the documentary "Child Star," asks, among other things, whether children like Stoner are aware of what they are getting into when joining television or film projects. The answer seems simple: no. In an online teaser for the film, Stoner admits that they felt dragged through the media and was constantly under pressure.

"My story has always been in my head that I've said in interviews for years is like, 'Yeah! I chose this, and then we chose this because I wanted this.' And I'm like I was 3 years old when I was performing. I was 6 years old. Six-year-olds want a lot of things, and it doesn't mean that that all just happens. So what were all the other factors that added to them?," she said in an interview with "E!."

"The world has had a story of all of us, right? Your friends, your family, your teachers, all the people around you—they know you for a thing, and sometimes we glue people to who we've known them as. And then, for example, you come out and they're like, 'But wait, you're not my little' whatever thing that they wanted you to be anymore. Or, ‘You don't fit into the box of how I knew you. You've changed.'" comments Stoner, who, a few years ago, admitted they are pansexual.

"I give myself the space to say that maybe I'll never return to the entertainment industry, and that's totally OK," says Stoner.

The documentary "Child Star" is directed by Demi Lovato, who suffered significantly from starting her career in show business as a child. In 2021, their online documentary, in which they talked about their addiction, rehab, and being abused as a teenager, was widely discussed.