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She was terrified to tell anyone. A staff member warned her that if she spoke up, she would be accused of lying and punished more severely. Isolated and powerless, she learned to survive by staying silent.
The trauma didn’t end when she left the school. It followed her into adulthood in ways she couldn’t immediately name. She has spoken openly about recurring nightmares that lasted for decades—dreams where she is kidnapped in the middle of the night, strip-searched, and locked away again. Even now, she sleeps only a few hours at a time.
She created a version of herself that felt safe to perform: the perfect Barbie doll, always smiling, always partying, always unbothered. That persona was rewarded by the public. It brought fame, attention, and money. It also kept people from asking deeper questions.
“I continued playing that character because I knew that’s what people wanted,” she later admitted.
Behind the scenes, she was also dealing with undiagnosed ADHD at a time when the condition was poorly understood, especially in girls. The creativity and intensity that came with it were labeled as misbehavior instead of being supported. She has said that if she’d been properly diagnosed as a child, her life might have unfolded very differently—and she likely would never have been sent away.
Eventually, she reached a breaking point. Staying silent no longer felt survivable.
Speaking publicly about her experiences was terrifying, but it became a turning point. She has described sharing her story as the most healing experience of her life. The decision wasn’t only about personal closure. It was about responsibility.
“I cannot go to sleep at night knowing there are children experiencing the same abuse,” she said.
What followed was a complete redefinition of her public role. She began advocating for reform in the troubled teen industry, pushing for oversight, regulation, and accountability. She used her platform not to sell an image, but to expose a system that profits from parental fear and child silence.
“I’m being the hero I needed when I was a little girl,” she said.
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