Christina Ricci’s childhood was basically the kind of drama you’d expect if you mixed a reality show with a failed cult leader as a dad—and, yes, that’s exactly what happened.
In a chat with Demi Lovato (because when isn’t that a perfectly normal conversation starter?), the 44-year-old Addams Family star spilled the tea for Hulu’s Child Star documentary. Spoiler alert: Ricci’s childhood home wasn’t exactly what you’d call a chill place. “I had a very chaotic home,” she said, probably the understatement of the century. “My father was a failed cult leader”—wait, failed? Was there a cult leader performance review that didn’t go well? Did he not meet his ‘brainwashing quota’? Either way, he came with all the classic accessories: narcissism, violence, and a deep commitment to making everyone’s life… fun, but in a train-wreck kind of way.
Ricci describes her father’s vibe as having “all that crazy narcissism that goes along with someone wanting to run a cult.” Honestly, it sounds like a movie plot rejected by Netflix for being too unbelievable. Apparently, when your dad’s trying to be a third-rate Jim Jones, the only thing that’s consistent is chaos—and maybe some questionable fashion choices. And let’s not forget the constant threat of him pretending to drive the car into a wall. Talk about family road trips you’d rather miss.
Little Christina found her escape, not in the traditional run-away-from-home sense, but on film and TV sets. “I knew nothing totally insane was about to happen,” she shared, probably side-eyeing the family car just to be sure. While most of us were complaining about homework, Ricci was like, “At least no one’s trying to play bumper cars with my life today.”
Born and raised in New Jersey (where else, right?), she was the youngest of three siblings, which is like being born into chaos on hard mode. Her parents eventually threw in the towel on their marriage when she was 13—right after she wrapped up filming Addams Family Values. You know, because after portraying a spooky, emotionally detached kid, what’s more fun than coming home to a divorce?
She and her dad drifted apart, a move we can’t help but root for. In a 2000 interview with The Guardian, Ricci had a mic-drop moment, explaining, “It was one of the first things I ever did for myself. Decide that only people who deserve it can be in my life.” Honestly, a life lesson we all should take notes on: If someone doesn’t deserve a seat at your table, make them sit at the weird kid’s table—preferably far, far away from any cult-related nonsense.
