Big things are happening for retired actress and former child starJennette McCurdy. Widely known for her work on Nickelodeon shows likeiCarlyandSam & Cat, McCurdy chose to walk away from the spotlight several years ago, partly due to the alleged mistreatment she endured behind the scenes of those shows. She details all of this and more at length in her new memoir,I’m Glad My Mom Died, which has basically been flying off the shelves.
PerPublishers Weekly, it has now been revealed that the memoir’s immense success has helped line up McCurdy’s next creative endeavor. Reportedly, Ultra Literary’s Peter McGuigan inked McCurdy to a two-book, seven-figure deal which will include her writing her debut novel. Exact numbers haven’t been revealed, though the deal, sold to Sara Weiss, is said to be worth “several million” dollars. McGuigan points to the continued high sales ofI’m Glad My Mom Diedfor leading to this agreement.
“We were number one for eight weeks straight,” he said of the book’s place on theNew York Timesbest-seller list. “Jennette wants to write fiction. Being a novelist is her dream job.”
Released in August,I’m Glad My Mom Dieddives into McCurdy’s life as a child star along with the abuse she suffered from an abusive stage mother. The book is said to have sold out at stores just two days after publication. With international appeal, the memoir has also been increasing in sales outside of the country as well, with 14 countries to date selling translated versions. With the sales numbers continuing to rise, it’s no wonder why McCurdy is in such hot demand in the literary world.
Related:Jennette McCurdy Explains Why She Resented Sam & Cat Co-Star Ariana Grande
Ahead of the book’s release, it was revealed how she spoke inI’m Glad My Mom Diedabout her exit from Nickelodeon. According to McCurdy,she was offered $300,000from the network under the condition that she couldn’t publicly speak about her experiences behind the scenes with the creator ofiCarlyandSam & Cat. McCurdy wasn’t comfortable accepting “hush money,” though she questioned if she made the right choice.
“What the f***? Nickelodeon is offering me three hundred thousand dollars in hush money to not talk publicly about my experience on the show? My personal experience of The Creator’s abuse? This is a network with shows made for children,” McCurdy says in the book. “Shouldn’t they have some sort of moral compass? Shouldn’t they at least attempt to report to some sort of ethical standard? I lean back against the headboard of my bed and cross my legs out in front of me. I extend my arms behind my head and rest them there in a gesture of pride. Who else would have the moral strength? I just turned down three hundred thousand dollars.”
She adds, “Wait… I just turned down three hundred thousand dollars. That’s a lot of money. I’ve made a decent amount on this Sam & Cat spin-off, but definitely not enough that three hundred thousand dollars doesn’t make a difference. Sh*t. Maybe I should’ve taken it.”
With McCurdy now set to make much, much more than that as a result of telling her story, she clearly made the right decision after all.
