She grew up in chaos — a childhood marked by instability, pressure, and a level of scrutiny no child should ever endure. Yet, she rose to become one of the biggest stars Hollywood had ever produced.
Sadly, the little girl was pushed into the spotlight while being controlled, criticized, overworked, and fed pills just to keep going.
Behind the sparkling costumes and magical roles was a child battling exhaustion, insecurity, and a system that cared more about profit than protection.
Born in Minnesota
Understanding this icon’s early years doesn’t just explain the brilliance that later captivated the world; it exposes the dark machinery of old Hollywood, the pressures that shaped her adulthood, and the wounds that never fully healed.
Her story became a warning for generations of child performers to come, and a reminder that even the brightest legends often rise from places of deep pain.
From a very young age, this girl who would one day follow the Yellow Brick Road was already performing. Born in Minnesota, she made her stage debut before she was even three.
Her home life, however, was anything but magical. Her mother had reportedly wanted to end the pregnancy but was unable to, and the family was shaken by ongoing rumors about the father’s secret relationships with teenage boys and young men.
In June 1926, the family quietly relocated to Lancaster, California, after whispers about her father’s personal life began to spread.
Her parents, who worked as vaudeville entertainers, had a marriage that was a constant cycle of breaking apart and coming back together, something she remembered vividly.
”It was very hard for me to understand those things and, of course, I remember clearly the fear I had of those separations,” she said.
