Christy Carlson Romano says she and her mother, Sharon Carlson, have a good relationship today. Sharon lives near her in Texas, even as the former Disney Channel star speaks publicly about the strain that managing her childhood career placed on their family.
Romano, 42, discussed that history in a November 6th interview, describing how a close bond gradually became entangled with auditions, employment and the pressure to keep working. She said their relationship grew “toxic and unstable” as professional concerns overtook their personal connection.
Her memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star, was published October 6th. The book examines the experiences behind her early success, including difficult family relationships and the challenge of finding her identity beyond the roles audiences knew.
Romano now shares two daughters, Isabella and Sophia, with her husband, Brendan Rooney. Becoming a parent has changed how she views the decisions adults made for her when she was young.
Romano Says Her Mother Supports the Memoir Despite Its Difficult Portrait
“She understands that I feel the way I feel, but she also still supports me,” Romano told The Guardian.
That support extends to the book, although Romano acknowledges that it does not always portray Sharon favorably. She described her mother’s willingness to back its release as consistent with the determination she brought to her daughter’s career.
Romano also remembered enjoying their time together when she was young, traveling to auditions and celebrating the jobs she booked.
She recognizes the practical sacrifices that made those opportunities possible. Sharon spent extended periods away from home and organized her life around her youngest child’s jobs. Romano has struggled with what that arrangement meant for everyone else in the family.
Her Childhood Career Took Her Away From Home and Her Siblings
Romano grew up in Connecticut as the youngest of four children. Her mother had encouraged her older daughters to enter dance competitions before concentrating on Romano’s acting. According to the actress, Sharon considered her more willing to follow instructions than her sisters.
At six, Romano landed a part in a production of Annie in Atlanta. Work in The Will Rogers Follies followed, taking her and her mother to San Francisco, where they spent a year away from the rest of the family.
She remembered missing home, friends and the chance to learn how to be a child outside a professional setting. Moving for work became familiar, but she still struggled to feel that she belonged anywhere beyond the entertainment business.
Her Disney Channel breakthrough brought another move. Romano and Sharon lived in Los Angeles while she played Ren Stevens opposite Shia LaBeouf in Even Stevens, which ran from 2000 to 2003. Her other Disney work included starring alongside Hilary Duff in Cadet Kelly and voicing the title character in Kim Possible.
Romano said she does not really speak to her older sisters, Jennifer and Marcella, as Us Weekly reported. She believes their mother’s absence during important parts of their childhood contributed to that distance.
Her relationship with her brother, Anthony Jr., remains close. He now serves as her financial adviser.
Romano Recalls Her Mother’s Advice About Breast Implants and an Early Audition
The move toward adult roles brought new pressure over Romano’s appearance. She recalled receiving casting feedback that she was not attractive enough, despite her experience. Management suggested changing her nose, a procedure she decided against.
She did seek her mother’s opinion about breast augmentation. In Romano’s account, Sharon encouraged it because she thought the change could help her daughter be taken seriously for adult roles.
Romano previously told PEOPLE in March 2024 that she had the procedure at 18 and did not regret it. She described having someone to discuss the decision with as a positive part of the experience.
Her memoir also returns to an uncomfortable encounter much earlier in her career. At six, she auditioned for a Zest soap commercial in New York. After she read her lines, the casting director asked Sharon whether Romano would be comfortable appearing without a shirt, filmed from behind, in a shower scene for the proposed advertisement.
According to the passage reported by Entertainment Weekly, Sharon agreed while her daughter felt uncomfortable. Romano recalled wanting to leave but remaining in the room and smiling. She did not book the commercial.
Discussing the memory in an October interview with Evie Magazine, Romano said revisiting it helped her articulate what it felt like to navigate adult professional situations as a child.
She Wants Her Daughters to Explore the Arts Without Becoming Child Stars
Romano believes she and Rooney have the experience to guide young performers, but she has little desire to become a stage parent. She knows how much time and responsibility the role demands, including the prospect of setting aside a parent’s career for a child’s.
In an October 6th interview with USA Today, she said she would support her daughters’ artistic interests on a small scale. Having industry contacts does not mean she wants to start taking them into casting offices.
“Making money from something becomes a very different experience than just enjoying it for the sake of learning about it,” she said.
The memoir includes letters to both girls, giving them a record of the experiences that shaped their mother. Romano hopes they will eventually understand her more fully through the book and find encouragement in it when they face difficulties of their own.
Her own work now includes videos and podcasts made with Rooney, giving her an audience and income outside traditional acting jobs. She has also returned to a scripted production with Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, filmed at Walt Disney World.
Romano plays the older sister of Lacey Chabert’s character. She told USA Today that making the film was an enjoyable return to skills she had developed when she was young.
The movie premieres on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, November 28th, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central, with streaming on Hallmark+ the following day.