#25: Mistreatment by a Parent, The Wizard of Oz
Well, it seems we might have an answer to our previous question about why Judy Garland’s horrible mistreatment on the set of The Wizard of Oz went so wildly unnoticed. It seems it was only one incident in a much longer sequence of abuse that started quite a lot before.
It’s sad how often child stars’ worst enemies are their own parents and how their drive to make their children successful so often leads them to harmful behaviors. And what’s worse is when the pattern of abuse that is instilled at home enables and legitimizes later abuse at the hands of film execs.