Jennette McCurdy opened up about a troubling teenage relationship with a significantly older man during a candid interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. The former Nickelodeon star, now 33, revealed she was 17 or 18 when she became involved with a man in his mid-30s whom she met on the set of “iCarly.” Though she did not name him, McCurdy described how he pursued her by sharing movies and music she pretended to enjoy during private meetings in the writers’ room after work.
At the time, the man—whom McCurdy now calls “creepy”—had a live-in girlfriend. Their secretive dynamic required her to be “at his every beck and call,” leaving her exhausted. When she expressed she “couldn’t do it anymore,” he briefly considered leaving his partner but later pressured her into oral sex while intoxicated. McCurdy, who grew up Mormon and homeschooled, recalled feeling confused and uncomfortable during the encounter, which marked her introduction to sexual activity.
Initially committed to waiting until marriage, McCurdy eventually disregarded her boundaries after he emphasized his “needs” as an older man. She described their physical relationship as “addictive,” with intense highs followed by emotional crashes. The relationship fizzled after her mother’s death in 2013, though they briefly reconnected afterward.
While writing her upcoming novel, Half His Age, McCurdy realized she still harbored unresolved anger toward the experience, despite rarely thinking of him. She also reflected on her late mother, Debra, whose abuse she documented in her 2022 memoir. Though Debra left her “with a lot of shit to parse through,” McCurdy now feels she can miss her mother without lingering anger.
The actress concluded that writing has been her path to closure, allowing her to process past trauma and reclaim her voice.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.