Christy Carlson explains in her upcoming memoir, “Once Upon a Time in a Trainwreck: The Rise and Fall of a Child Star,” that Romano lived a life very different from his clear-cut Disney Channel image.
The former “Even Stevens” star, 42, writes in her memoir about the first time she tried cocaine — she says it was at a Halloween party at Paris Hilton’s house — and that she also suffered from bulimia.
In an excerpt obtained by People, Romano says a guest at Hilton’s party named Edie, whom he describes as a gorgeous assistant at a well-connected marketing firm, gave him cocaine.
“Even though I’ve been to a million clubs, I’ve never seen cocaine before, I’ve never used it, but I know what the white lines on the table are. I always swore I’d never try it,” he writes.
After inhaling the drug, the “Kim Possible” alum recalls Edie and her fellow partygoers laughing about “getting the Disney girl blown for the first time.”
Romano also writes that she became bulimic “just to feel something” and went down to a size 00 in her pants.
But after spending six months in Los Angeles, partying all night, sleeping all day, and taking more cocaine after trying it for the first time, Romano says he knew he had to go.
“I can’t take the shallowness of Hollywood and the clubs anymore,” he writes. “He’s going to kill me.”
“Once Upon a Time in a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star” will be released on October 6.
The former child star was promoting her book and on Wednesday publicly criticized one of her exes — her “Cadet Kelly” co-star Shawn Ashmore — by claiming he ghosted her because she was “not famous enough.”
“Shawn and I dated the summer we shot ‘Cadet Kelly’ and for a few months afterwards,” Romano, then 18, wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of them together on set.
“I ended up being ghosted and had heard that her ‘crew’ didn’t think I was famous enough to keep dating. Hollywood is cruel to a young girl,” she continued.
Romano concluded that he wrote his memoirs to “reveal everything that really happened in this business.”
Romano has talked about her eating disorder in the past. In October 2021, he spoke candidly about the unhealthy period in his life in a video on his YouTube channel.
The 5-foot-11 actress said at one point she dropped to an alarming 105 kilos.
“I remember drinking too much, smoking too much, not eating, not waking up later in the day, and generally not prioritizing my health,” she recalled.
“I look at photos of that time and realize how unhappy this lifestyle was for me,” he added.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) website or call the helpline (800)-931-2237 to get help.