Jennette McCurdy wasn’t a fan of working with Ariana Grande on Nickelodeon’s iCarly spin-off, Sam & Cat, because the then-burgeoning pop star kept taking time off to focus on her music career.
In her new memoir – titled I’m Glad My Mom Died, which was released Tuesday (9 August) – McCurdy detailed the difficult relationship she had with Grande and her newfound fame.
McCurdy recalled being told she was “a good sport” about the fact that Grande frequently missed filming for music commitments.
“I know why I’m hearing this phrase so often,” McCurdy wrote. “It’s because my co-star Ariana Grande is a burgeoning pop star who misses work regularly to go sing at award shows, record new songs, and do press for her upcoming album while I stay back and angrily hold down the fort.”
The actor said she became “a bitter person” because she had had to turn down projects due to her commitment to iCarly while Grande appeared to get a free pass.
“So I have to turn down movies while Ariana’s off whistle-toning at the Billboard Music Awards,” she wrote.
“Ariana misses work in pursuit of her music career while I act with a box. I’m pissed about it. And I’m pissed at her. Jealous of her.”
McCurdy added that she was envious of Grande because “she had a much easier upbringing than I did”. The actor’s book details the abuse she suffered at the hands of her “narcissistic” mother who, she alleges, conditioned her into eating disorders and administered breast and genital examinations until she was 16.
McCurdy wrote that her jealousy of Grande became harder to conceal as the singer’s success grew.
“What finally undid me was when Ariana came whistle-toning in with excitement because she had spent the previous evening playing charades at Tom Hanks’s house,” she said. “That was the moment I broke. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“From that moment on, I didn’t like her. I couldn’t like her,” she added. “Pop star success I could handle, but hanging out with Sheriff Woody, with Forrest Fucking Gump? This has gone too far.”
Elsewhere in her memoir, McCurdy said her mother warned her not “to get too close” to her iCarly co-star Miranda Cosgrove because she didn’t “believe in God”.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.
