Entertainment
Hilary Duff's family money set her apart as a child star, Christy Carlson Romano says
The Even Stevens star says her Cadet Kelly costar grew up with wealth and support, while kids who pay the family bills carry extra stress.
Christy Carlson Romano thinks her old "Cadet Kelly" costar Hilary Duff had a very different ride through child stardom than she did.
Speaking with host Avery Woods on the podcast "Cheers With Avery", the actress said the gap between them came down to money at home.
"I don't think that Hilary Duff is that normal," Romano said. She added that she believes Duff "came from a really wealthy family" with plenty of backing from the start.
When the kid pays the bills
The "Even Stevens" alum explained that young performers who support middle-class or working-class families face much higher stakes. In her view they carry an "extra layer of stress" that kids with a safety net do not.
She described kids who have to cover every bill themselves and keep the whole household afloat on their paychecks.
Credit to Duff's mom
Romano also gave Duff credit for making smart choices. She said Duff "was able to do the right things and listen to her mom" and guessed that her mother probably banked the earnings and invested them.
Duff has talked about her roots
Duff has spoken about her family background before. On the genealogy series "Who Do You Think You Are?" she said her father was "born into money" while her mother "grew up super poor."
At a Time100 event she called herself a "scrubby kid from Texas." She said her years as a young star were "amazing" but that the work could also be exhausting.
