People Magazine is taking a chance by featuring a relatively-unknown minor celebrity with a compelling story on the cover this week. The headline reads “From Meth Addict to Mom” and features a photo of a smiling angelic-faced Jodie Sweetin holding her open-mouthed seven-week-old baby, Zoie. 26 year-old Sweetin is best known for playing daughter Stephanie on the late 80s/early 90s sitcom Full House. Her life since the series ended has been difficult and marred by a drug addiction at the age of 22. She was married to her first husband, a police officer, when she first tried crystal meth.
Sweetin has since become sober and is married again with her new baby.
Best known for playing spunky middle child Stephanie on Full House from age 5 to 13, Sweetin then landed a real-life role that cast her against type: battling an addiction to crystal meth.
At 22, Sweetin was a college student married to LAPD officer Shaun Holguin and taking a break from acting when she first tried the drug. Six months later, she had developed a crippling daily habit that she kept secret from her husband. That is, until in 2005, when she was hospitalized after a night of partying.
Sweetin and Holguin divorced after she left treatment, while she was spending six months in sober living with people from rehab. She met Herpin, a film transportation coordinator, through friends, and the couple began dating in May 2007 – and wed just two months later.
When their whirlwind romance was quickly followed by a pregnancy, says Sweetin, “it was a blessing.”
[From People]
Jodie calls her newborn daughter “the most overwhelming, exciting thing I’ve ever done.”
Is People changing to a more tabloid format by featuring this former child actress and her sensational story? It is an interesting one, and maybe she deserves the resulting boost in fame for kicking an addiction and becoming a devoted mom. Still, you can’t help but think they’re exploiting her story somewhat. Maybe if this cover sells they’ll start to seek out former child actors who have battled drug addiction and had a rough life post fame. There certainly seem to be enough of them for the slow gossip weeks. People must know that there’s nothing like a sweet baby and a reformed mom to move magazines, though.
Header from Cover Awards via D-Listed.
I think they’re trying to maintain their position as the “baby and wedding [and coming out of the closet]” leader. But when her manager probably approached the Mag about her baby pics, I bet they said “no one cares about her or her baby.” So they probably wanted to juice it up by tossing in the meth stuff, especially since she’s never really done an interview on it. So they probably worked that into the deal. I’m just guessing.
I would rather read about her and what she has done than about another Britney custody story, Nicole Ritchie:Good Mom? story, or hell, Brad and Angelina (I love the two of them, though…so it’s saying a lot). I hate magazines now. There should be more stuff like this.
elisha, she actually talked about it quite a bit a while back, and with People too, I remember being socked when I read the cover.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1155193,00.html
Wow, we’re the same age. Thats alot to go through & I think they are approaching it as america’s fallen now redeemed sweetheart. or some such.
I hate the spelling of the baby’s name. Zoie? There is no need for the extra i. But I love Pilot inspektor & Moxie Crimefighter so I’m hardly the one th judge 😉
I like stories like this MUCH more than Britney creating another paparazi frenzy because she went out to buy Starbucks.
Bodhi, that why I was shocked too(not socked, as I earlier lead you all to believe) because she and I are the same age, and I couldn’t imagine going through all of that in such a short span of time.
And that was before her baby, so wow.
The minivan majority loves a feel-good/ fall-and-redemption story.
And People Magazine knows that.
Full House was pure TV saccharine and nearly as poisonous, even Bob Saget would agree with me. But Stephanie growed up pretty darn good!
Oh,
And there’s the door Blanche- don’t let it hit ya on the way out.
take care- buh-bye now.
@ Jody: Oh. Well, I still think think they’re trying to maintain themselves and the baby and wedding leader, but it just wasn’t big enough without the meth angle.
I totally agree elisha, and not to sound callous, but Meth is a pretty trendy drug right now, so I’m sure it gives them much more of a draw.
WoW! (at some of the comments). Well I would have rather heard about her doing positive things then this Meth issue. So much has happened to her in such a short time. I hope she can maintain.
I got nothing bad to say
Hello, yes some of the Comments are disgusting and should NOT be published.
It’s a pretty hard thing to get over/deal with Meth, a divorce, a new marriage, and then raise a baby, so maybe instead of being rude, you should just be happy for her.
I don’t see any of you on the cover of people.
I just want to say that Jodie has come along way since her role as Stephanie on Full House. I give her alot of credit for going to rehab and admitting that she had a drug problem and fixed herself up, got re-married and had a baby. Be happy for her that she wants to take care of herself and her daughter.
Excellent site!!!love the layout aswell