Christy Carlson Romano in Conversation with Francesca Mariano: Once Upon a Trainwreck

For millions who grew up watching Even Stevens, Kim Possible, and Cadet Kelly, Christy Carlson Romano seemed to embody a particular kind of Disney kid success: talented, ambitious, and effortlessly composed. The truth was a lot messier.

Romano stops by to open up about her life as a child star in a conversation about her new memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck — an unflinching account of growing up in the spotlight and the personal costs of fame.

Thrust into the entertainment industry as a child, Romano’s life behind the scenes was a chaotic pressure cooker: a roller coaster of bullying and exploitation marked by the relentless pursuit of personal and professional perfection. And as she got older, her natural people-pleasing tendencies took a darker turn: she dated controlling men, started partying in to order fit in, descended into addiction, and was emotionally blackmailed into giving thousands of dollars to a manipulative psychic. Then she turned her life around. With honesty, humor, and hard-earned wisdom, Romano reflects on the journey that followed: rebuilding her life, reclaiming her voice, and learning to parent herself before becoming a parent to her own children.

Don’t miss Romano in a revealing and inspiring conversation in which she tells her story on her own terms: a story of resilience, self-discovery, and finding out what it takes to chart a new path and create an authentic life after fame.

Tickets bundled with the book will include a signed copy of Once Upon a Trainwreck.