Once upon a time, Jennette McCurdy was a big celebrity on Nickelodeon. Starring as Sam Puckett on iCarly and then the spin-off Sam and Cat, which co-starred Ariana Grande.
These shows were a staple in many living rooms where kids ruled the TV. Now she’s tying those memories to her upcoming debut novel, Half His Age.
The star, who also had roles in Malcolm in the Middle and True Jackson, VP before leaving acting to focus on other pursuits, has opened up about a creepy relationship in her late teens with a man in his 30s.
E! News reported that McCurdy, who is now 33, shared the story during a January 7 appearance on Call Her Daddy. She does highlight that she was most likely 18 at the time, but felt worn down by the imbalance from the beginning.
During the same appearance McCurdy added that there were red flags all over and that it didn’t feel romantic. It felt unstable.
The relationship
The Daily Beast reported that McCurdy said the relationship began while she was working on set. She described it as emotionally addictive, with the kind of unbalanced power dynamic that only looks clear once you’re older and out of it.
TMZ added that the man in question had a live-in girlfriend at the time, which McCurdy says she didn’t fully grasp as the obvious warning sign it was.
In the same report, it is said that the relationship had a high school feel early on, heavy on making out and intensity.
This is where the story gets darker, as it moves to a hotel near Universal Studios. McCurdy said she couldn’t have her dying mother and secret boyfriend staying at her place at the same time. So she would book a room, even mentioning she was excited about the idea of going on the Hogwarts ride. That’s a detail that makes the age gap land more heavily.
What followed for McCurdy was pressure, not just emotional, but physical. McCurdy said he pushed her into sexual situations before she felt ready, highlighting how inexperienced she was. This includes not even understanding basic terms he was introducing to her.
Praise got layered onto the power dynamic too, the kind that sounds flattering until you realize what may actually be going on.
A darker corner of fame
This story fits into an ongoing discussion of how child stardom does not pause for real-world risks. The truth is, it may actually amplify them.
The Daily Beast pointed to the broader scrutiny on how young performers were treated at Nickelodeon. This is especially true in the wake of the Quiet on Set conversation, and McCurdy’s story fits an uneasy pattern.
When my kids were young, watching iCarly and Sam and Cat, it felt like a goofy half-hour that was harmless. Hearing this, decades later, you realize that what we saw on screen was potentially hiding what was really happening on sets.
McCudry has kept the man’s identity private and focused on the dynamic, not a headline-friendly villain.
Complex reported that she was around 17 or 18 while he was in his mid-30s. Legally there is no line crossed, but that kind of age gap when someone is so young, does cause concern.
The reaction has obviously been loud, partly because McCurdy isn’t telling the story like a tabloid tease. She’s describing it like someone who finally recognizes what went on.
Still, it made my stomach drop, honestly. Not because she spoke up, but because so many people watched her grow up on TV and had no idea what was happening off-camera.
Fortunately, writing has become part of McCurdy’s way of processing her life. As Entertainment Weekly put it, she’s spoken about looking back with embarrassment and anger, and about how the relationship shaped her sense of boundaries and control.McCurdy’s book Half His Age, which is published by Penguin Random House, is listed to release January 20, 2026.