Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

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See Again

© Getty Images

0 / 31 Fotos

Jaime Pressly - The actress-model was granted emancipation from her parents at age 15.

© Getty Images

1 / 31 Fotos

Jaime Pressly - Pressly wanted to further her career as a model and have the freedom to travel to Japan alone for a job contract.

© Getty Images

2 / 31 Fotos

Macaulay Culkin - Thanks to his role in the 'Home Alone' movies, Culkin became a huge child star in the early '90s.

© Getty Images

3 / 31 Fotos

Macaulay Culkin - At 16, he was granted emancipation after claiming that his parents were mismanaging his income. After winning, his parents were forced to pay him US$17 million.

© Getty Images

4 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore - The award-winning actress became a well-known star at the age of seven.

© Getty Images

5 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore - After becoming addicted to substances and going through rehab, at age 14 the courts granted her emancipation from her mother.

© Getty Images

6 / 31 Fotos

Edward Furlong - The 'Terminator 2' star was adopted by his aunt and uncle shortly after his parents divorced when he was a baby.

© Getty Images

7 / 31 Fotos

Edward Furlong -

The decision to emancipate occurred after Furlong started dating an older woman, causing friction at home. After the emancipation was granted, he moved in with his girlfriend.

© Getty Images

8 / 31 Fotos

Alicia Silverstone - At the age of 15, the 'Clueless' actress was granted emancipation from her parents.

© Getty Images

9 / 31 Fotos

Alicia Silverstone - Her motive was to be able to work without being restricted by child labor laws.

© Getty Images

10 / 31 Fotos

Ariel Winter - Ariel Winter, known for her role as Alex Dunphy on 'Modern Family,' was also granted emancipation from her parents.

© Getty Images

11 / 31 Fotos

Ariel Winter - The 20-year-old actress, who now lives with her older sister, claimed that her mother was violently ab***** towards her, according to The Daily Greatest.

© Getty Images

12 / 31 Fotos

Michelle Williams - The actress emancipated from her parents at age 15 before rising to fame at age 17 when she starred in teen TV show 'Dawson's Creek.'

© Getty Images

13 / 31 Fotos

Michelle Williams - This was another case in which the emancipation was a way of getting around child labor laws (her parents fully supported her choice), as per The Daily Greatest.

© Getty Images

14 / 31 Fotos

Courtney Love - The lead singer for Hole and known for her marriage to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain (who died in 1994), Love had a tumultuous childhood. After her parents divorced when she was five, her mother remarried and bounced her from place to place.

© Getty Images

15 / 31 Fotos

Courtney Love - When her mom later divorced her stepfather and moved to New Zealand, Love stayed with her then ex-stepfather in the US. However, brushes with the law left her moving around from foster home to foster home before she was finally granted emancipation at age 16.

© Getty Images

16 / 31 Fotos

Aaron Carter - The late '90s teen pop star was granted emancipation from his parents when he was 16.

© Getty Images

17 / 31 Fotos

Aaron Carter - According to Carter, his mother had stolen US$100,000 from his account, as per The Daily Greatest.

© Getty Images

18 / 31 Fotos

Frances Bean Cobain - Ironically, Courtney Love's own daughter would be granted emancipation from her at age 17.

© Getty Images

19 / 31 Fotos

Frances Bean Cobain - Until she reached legal adulthood, Frances Bean Cobain was under the guardianship of her paternal grandmother and aunt.

© Getty Images

20 / 31 Fotos

Corey Feldman - The '80s child star filed for emancipation when he was 15 after discovering his parents had been mismanaging his money. By the time he realized it, there was only US$40,000 left of his acting fortune.

© Getty Images

21 / 31 Fotos

Corey Feldman - The actor revealed that his parents had also ab**** him and forced him to work against his will, according to People.

© Getty Images

22 / 31 Fotos

Bijou Phillips - The actress-model filed for emancipation from her musician father (John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas) and model mother (Geneviève Waïte) when she was 14, and won.

© Getty Images

23 / 31 Fotos

Bijou Phillips - She lived on her own in New York City working as a model.

© Getty Images

24 / 31 Fotos

Melissa Francis - Known for her role in 'Little House on the Prairie' and for her current job as a television journalist for the Fox Business Network and Fox News, Francis filed for emancipation at age 15.

© Getty Images

25 / 31 Fotos

Melissa Francis - She spoke to FOX411's Pop Tarts column about the emancipation (via Franchise Herald): "But I realized if I was going to seize the reins from my controlling stage mother, I had to be able to take charge of my life."

© Getty Images

26 / 31 Fotos

Natasha Henstridge - The actress-model was 14 when she filed for emancipation in order to pursue a career modeling in Paris.

© Getty Images

27 / 31 Fotos

Natasha Henstridge - After the emancipation, she moved to Paris and the following year appeared on the front cover of the French version of Cosmopolitan magazine.

© Getty Images

28 / 31 Fotos

Taylor Momsen -

Famous for her role as Cindy Lou Who in 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and later for appearing in the hit TV series 'Gossip Girl,' the actress had a rocky relationship with her parents.

© Getty Images

29 / 31 Fotos

Taylor Momsen -

Momsen felt her parents forced her to start working at a young age. She was ultimately granted emancipation at 16 and is now the lead singer for rock band The Pretty Reckless.

© Getty Images

30 / 31 Fotos

©

Getty Images

0 / 31 Fotos

Jaime Pressly - The actress-model was granted emancipation from her parents at age 15.

© Getty Images

1 / 31 Fotos

Jaime Pressly - Pressly wanted to further her career as a model and have the freedom to travel to Japan alone for a job contract.

© Getty Images

2 / 31 Fotos

Macaulay Culkin - Thanks to his role in the 'Home Alone' movies, Culkin became a huge child star in the early '90s.

© Getty Images

3 / 31 Fotos

Macaulay Culkin - At 16, he was granted emancipation after claiming that his parents were mismanaging his income. After winning, his parents were forced to pay him US$17 million.

© Getty Images

4 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore - The award-winning actress became a well-known star at the age of seven.

© Getty Images

5 / 31 Fotos

Drew Barrymore - After becoming addicted to substances and going through rehab, at age 14 the courts granted her emancipation from her mother.

© Getty Images

6 / 31 Fotos

Edward Furlong - The 'Terminator 2' star was adopted by his aunt and uncle shortly after his parents divorced when he was a baby.

© Getty Images

7 / 31 Fotos

Edward Furlong -

The decision to emancipate occurred after Furlong started dating an older woman, causing friction at home. After the emancipation was granted, he moved in with his girlfriend.

©

Getty Images

8 / 31 Fotos

Alicia Silverstone - At the age of 15, the 'Clueless' actress was granted emancipation from her parents.

© Getty Images

9 / 31 Fotos

Alicia Silverstone - Her motive was to be able to work without being restricted by child labor laws.

© Getty Images

10 / 31 Fotos

Ariel Winter - Ariel Winter, known for her role as Alex Dunphy on 'Modern Family,' was also granted emancipation from her parents.

© Getty Images

11 / 31 Fotos

Ariel Winter - The 20-year-old actress, who now lives with her older sister, claimed that her mother was violently ab***** towards her, according to The Daily Greatest.

© Getty Images

12 / 31 Fotos

Michelle Williams - The actress emancipated from her parents at age 15 before rising to fame at age 17 when she starred in teen TV show 'Dawson's Creek.'

© Getty Images

13 / 31 Fotos

Michelle Williams - This was another case in which the emancipation was a way of getting around child labor laws (her parents fully supported her choice), as per The Daily Greatest.

© Getty Images

14 / 31 Fotos

Courtney Love - The lead singer for Hole and known for her marriage to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain (who died in 1994), Love had a tumultuous childhood. After her parents divorced when she was five, her mother remarried and bounced her from place to place.

© Getty Images

15 / 31 Fotos

Courtney Love - When her mom later divorced her stepfather and moved to New Zealand, Love stayed with her then ex-stepfather in the US. However, brushes with the law left her moving around from foster home to foster home before she was finally granted emancipation at age 16.

© Getty Images

16 / 31 Fotos

Aaron Carter - The late '90s teen pop star was granted emancipation from his parents when he was 16.

© Getty Images

17 / 31 Fotos

Aaron Carter - According to Carter, his mother had stolen US$100,000 from his account, as per The Daily Greatest.

© Getty Images

18 / 31 Fotos

Frances Bean Cobain - Ironically, Courtney Love's own daughter would be granted emancipation from her at age 17.

© Getty Images

19 / 31 Fotos

Frances Bean Cobain - Until she reached legal adulthood, Frances Bean Cobain was under the guardianship of her paternal grandmother and aunt.

© Getty Images

20 / 31 Fotos

Corey Feldman - The '80s child star filed for emancipation when he was 15 after discovering his parents had been mismanaging his money. By the time he realized it, there was only US$40,000 left of his acting fortune.

© Getty Images

21 / 31 Fotos

Corey Feldman - The actor revealed that his parents had also ab**** him and forced him to work against his will, according to People.

© Getty Images

22 / 31 Fotos

Bijou Phillips - The actress-model filed for emancipation from her musician father (John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas) and model mother (Geneviève Waïte) when she was 14, and won.

© Getty Images

23 / 31 Fotos

Bijou Phillips - She lived on her own in New York City working as a model.

© Getty Images

24 / 31 Fotos

Melissa Francis - Known for her role in 'Little House on the Prairie' and for her current job as a television journalist for the Fox Business Network and Fox News, Francis filed for emancipation at age 15.

© Getty Images

25 / 31 Fotos

Melissa Francis - She spoke to FOX411's Pop Tarts column about the emancipation (via Franchise Herald): "But I realized if I was going to seize the reins from my controlling stage mother, I had to be able to take charge of my life."

© Getty Images

26 / 31 Fotos

Natasha Henstridge - The actress-model was 14 when she filed for emancipation in order to pursue a career modeling in Paris.

© Getty Images

27 / 31 Fotos

Natasha Henstridge - After the emancipation, she moved to Paris and the following year appeared on the front cover of the French version of Cosmopolitan magazine.

© Getty Images

28 / 31 Fotos

Taylor Momsen -

Famous for her role as Cindy Lou Who in 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and later for appearing in the hit TV series 'Gossip Girl,' the actress had a rocky relationship with her parents.

© Getty Images

29 / 31 Fotos

Taylor Momsen -

Momsen felt her parents forced her to start working at a young age. She was ultimately granted emancipation at 16 and is now the lead singer for rock band The Pretty Reckless.

© Getty Images

30 / 31 Fotos

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

Growing up was hard for these stars

Child stars who were emancipated from their parents

© Getty Images

11/12/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Emancipation

Our Hollywood idols often appear to have the perfect life, full of fame, wealth, and success. However, their private lives can often be wrought with the same familial nightmares that "regular" people face all over the world. Some child stars have even gone so far as to file for emancipation from their parents, whether it be to further their careers, to escape toxic home situations, or to prevent their parents from stealing their earnings.

Find out why the following celebrities were granted emancipation from their parents in this gallery!

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