Former Disney-turned-adult-star Maitland Ward opens up on Hollywood 'hell'
A former child actress has admitted to turning her career around and diving into the adult industry after the things she witnessed in Hollywood.
Maitland Ward, 49, has been a known figure on screen since her 1994 breakout role in The Bold and the Beautiful.
From there, her career took off, with the actress landing work in shows like USA High, Home Improvement, Rules of Engagement, Out of Practice, and Disney’s Boy Meets World.
She is also widely known for playing Brittany Wilson in the 2004 flick, White Chicks.
Advert
But after her experience in the world of Hollywood, the actress took a hiatus from acting for a decade, before reappearing as a new kind of actor.
Namely, pornography.
Now, she’s speaking out about the reason for her career change, having appeared in the latest season of HBO’s Investigation Discovery's Hollywood Demons.
Five new episodes have been released which expose the ins and outs of the dark side of the tinsel town, such as children getting early public exposure to some things that aren’t appropriate for their age.
Speaking with the Daily Star, she reflected on her time on the docuseries, explaining: "I have to say, being on a docuseries like that is a personal experience like no other.
"You sit down and discuss at length experiences in your life that are emotional and raw. I'd say it's a lot like when I wrote my memoir, Rated X, in how cathartic the experience was. It really makes you sit with yourself and reflect.”
The star went on to reveal how the series made her reflect on past experiences and relationships, sharing that she could then ‘see them for what they were’, noting: "If it wasn't for the fans, I'd never have the success I have today. I definitely talk about some bad experiences on Hollywood Demons. How studios controlled the young actors, and especially the young women was toxic. The 90s and early 2000s were hell for young girls in Hollywood.”
Ward added that there were some ‘personal relationships on set, that should've have been dealt with’, that she said she struggled with.
She went on to reveal that there was an instance where ‘a 25-year-old guy’ was ‘doing provocative love scenes’ with her at 16, and alleged he was ‘taking advantage of the situation’.
Ward didn't mention the project, whether this was a broadcasted scene, or if it was an audition for a potential role.
But now, as an adult star, she said she finally knows who she is after previously wanting ‘everyone to love her’.
However, that doesn't mean those around her have found the transition easy.
She said: "From the outside, I'm sure people from when I was growing up think I've changed the most. They all think of me as a blonde virgin!"
Topics: Celebrity, Film, Entertainment, HBO, Disney
Britt Jones