Actress Mara Wilson speaks out on the sexualization of child stars
Mara Wilson, who starred in 90s movies "Matilda" and "Mrs. Doubtfire," penned an op-ed about the sexualization of child actresses and the "terrifying" treatment of Britney Spears.
In The New York Times piece, titled "The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls," Wilson, 33, framed her argument around "The Narrative" -- which she describes as "the idea that anyone who grew up in the public eye will meet some tragic end."
"[It] is the assumption that famous kids deserve it," she said.
The "Where Am I Now?" author said she believes she was weaponized against the "Toxic" singer when she was 13 after an article allegedly quoted her saying she "hated" Spears.
"I didn’t actually hate Britney Spears. But I would never have admitted to liking her. There was a strong streak of 'Not Like the Other Girls' in me at the time, which feels shameful now," wrote Wilson, adding, "I had already absorbed the version of The Narrative surrounding her."
"The way people talked about Britney Spears was terrifying to me then, and it still is now," the actress continued. "Our culture builds these girls up just to destroy them."
Past treatment of Britney Spears has been the subject of much attention lately, due to the release of the The New York Times and FX-produced documentary, "Framing Britney Spears." In the documentary, the intense media scrutiny and nonstop paparazzi attention the singer received at the height of her career is also analyzed.
In Wilson's op-ed, she also reflected on being sexualized as a young actress; she said 50-year-old men would write her love letters.
"My sexual harassment always came at the hands of the media and the public," she claimed, but attested her treatment pales in comparison to what Spears endured.
"I was never tabloid-level famous, but because unlike Ms. Spears, I always had my family’s support. I knew that I had money put away for me, and it was mine. If I needed to escape the public eye, I vanished," said Wilson. "She had none of that."
