Mara Wilson wrote an essay for the New York Times criticizing the treatment of young stars, including Britney Spears, Drew Barrymore and Amandla Stenberg, by the media and Hollywood.
The actress, known for appearing in Matilda and lady Doubtfire, shared the rehearsal on Tuesday. She begins her article by describing how an interview with a Canadian newspaper had gone sour. What was planned as an interview about a film to come, became an article suggesting that Wilson had his time in the spotlight and would go on in dark ways – a series of events she calls “The Narrative”. Wilson’s treatment, however, is not just specific to her, as she draws parallels with the way the tabloids and the media treated Britney Spears.
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“Their story is a remarkable example of a phenomenon that I have witnessed for years: our culture edifies these girls just to destroy them,” wrote Wilson. “Fortunately, people are becoming aware of what we did with Mrs. Spears and starting to apologize to her. But we still live with the scars. “
Wilson recalls the inappropriate interactions she experienced while working on various films during the 1990s. Never appearing in “nothing more revealing than a knee-length summer dress,” Wilson recounts the ways in which the media and fans aimed and sexualized their pre-teen self, despite their best efforts. From people asking about their romantic relationships at the age of six to men in their 50s writing their love letters, Wilson said she “felt ashamed” at every uncomfortable moment of unwanted attention.
“Hollywood decided to combat harassment in the industry, but I was never sexually harassed on a film set. My sexual harassment has always come from the media and the public, ”she continues.
Wilson acknowledges that, unlike Spears during her punishment, she had a support system in the form of family and close friends. She wrote that she knew she had some control over her finances and how much was in the public eye.
She notes that the pop star did not have adequate space to deal with personal issues like divorce and motherhood. As a result of the constant attention of paparazzi and the media, “the narrative was forced” Spears, continuing to make it a spectacle for tabloids and gossip.
“The saddest thing about Spears’“ breakdown ”is that it never had to happen. When she separated from her husband, shaved her head and furiously attacked a paparazzi car with an umbrella, the narrative was forced on her, but the reality is that she was a new mother dealing with major changes in her life. People need space, time and care to deal with these things. She had none of that, ”she wrote.
Wilson’s opinion piece, entitled “The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls”, comes after Hulu’s Framing Britney Spears doc shed light on the media and the treatment that the general public gives to the superstar.
Read Wilson’s full article here.