The Actress Whose Career Tanked After Full House Ended
Television history is filled with cautionary tales of child stars. Perhaps it's the early introduction to international fame that causes the downfall. Perhaps the blame rests with the parents who often come to see their offspring as a business enterprise. Whatever the cause, each generation has its collection of child stars struggling down a dark path. From Danny Bonaduce of "The Partridge Family" and Dustin Diamond of "Saved By the Bell," to Dana Plato of "Diff'rent Strokes" and Amanda Bynes of "The Amanda Show," the price of young fame has often been high. Sometimes it seems the more wholesome the show and the character, the more tabloid fodder the young stars generate. Such is the case for Jodie Sweetin of "Full House."
Sweetin was just five years old when she landed the role of Stephanie Tanner on the ABC family sitcom, a role she would play for all eight seasons of show's run. The actress' troubles, however, would begin shortly after the series wrapped in 1995. Returning to a normal life — one that included all the pressures of high school — proved a difficult transition for the young star. Here's what happened to Jodie Sweetin after the curtain fell on "Full House."
Jodie Sweetin's struggle with addiction began after Full House
In her 2009 memoir "unSweetined," Sweetin revealed that her first experience with alcohol came when she was 14. Attending "Full House" co-star Candice Cameron's wedding, Sweetin consumed two bottles of wine. Writing about that experience, Sweetin shared, "That first drink gave me the self-confidence I had been searching for my whole life." As she progressed through high school, and later college, her alcoholism progressed into drug addiction, with a daily habit of rotating through ecstasy, cocaine, or crystal meth. Despite attempts to get clean, Sweetin's addiction issues continued until 2013, when she relapsed after a lengthy period of sobriety.
Unlike many of her child star predecessors, Sweetin was able to regain control, and is currently experiencing a professional renaissance. In 2016, she returned to playing Stephanie Tanner in Netflix's "Full House" revival "Fuller House." In addition to five seasons of "Fuller House," Sweetin has added several more credits to her resume in recent years, including a lead role in the Hallmark Channel Christmas movie "Merry & Bright," playing an exaggerated version of herself on the Pop TV comedy "Hollywood Darlings," and the upcoming rom-com "Will You Be My Quarantine?"