Formerchildstar Stories

She was the nation's darling - the perfect smile on every screen, the face of a thousand commercials. But behind the glittering fame was a girl who never got to grow up. In a series of raw, haunting journal entries, former child star Steffani "Stephie" Gonzaga peels back the curtain on her life in the spotlight - from rehearsed tears and photo-op birthdays, to a love she was forced to erase and a mother who saw her as a brand, not a daughter. Fame gave her everything. But it also took everything real away. This is not a tell-all. This is a tell-true. "Loosely inspired by the stories of former child stars in the entertainment industry. All names and events are fictional."

A name, place, object or job sparks something. An idea. It's often random. It sometimes doesn't belong. But it can grow. It can become a story. These are mine.