Her troubles began when, at the age of ten, she landed the role of abandoned girl Penny on the US sitcom Good Times. “It was a nightmare for her. She was told she was overweight, had to go on a strict diet and tie off her growing breasts,” says society expert Rob Shuter, and Janet recalls: “There was a time when where I was very down and I felt completely ugly. I used to bang my head against the wall a lot.”
At the same time, her brother Michael is said to have repeatedly bullied her because of her weight. Later she also became world famous, but that didn’t change anything about her disturbed body image: “I’m an emotional eater, so if I’m stressed or something really depresses me, that comforts me.”
Only she herself knows why Janet is only now revealing the harsh allegations against her brother and also whether her world-famous brother is really to blame for her disturbed body image, because he can no longer defend himself. (jve)
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