Jodie Sweetin, known for her role as Stephanie Tanner in the ABC sitcom 'Full House,' has spoken candidly about a period of severe financial hardship that preceded the Netflix reboot, 'Fuller House.' The 44-year-old actress shared that during this time, she was living in a one-bedroom apartment with her two daughters and had only $190 in her bank account.
Sweetin revealed these details during a recent appearance on actress Natanya Ross's 'We're Still Here, Babe' podcast. She explained that the earnings from the original 'Full House,' which aired from 1987 to 1995, had been used for treatment before she achieved sobriety in 2011. The actress described the humbling experience of having to return items at a store because her debit card lacked sufficient funds.
To make ends meet, Sweetin took a job as a director of operations while in treatment. "I was happy," she said. "And I think part of the reason that I was able to come back into the business and enjoy it truly is that I had gone completely in the other direction. I was just working a normal job."
She further elaborated on her financial situation, stating she was raising her two daughters, Zoie and Beatrix, in a cramped apartment and was $2,200 short for rent each month, relying on her parents for assistance. Sweetin drove an older, used car and expressed no ego about her situation, focusing instead on paying her bills. "Kids don’t pay for themselves," she noted.
Despite these challenges, Sweetin found happiness by focusing on being present and adopting a "bloom where you’re planted" attitude. Her circumstances began to change with the 2016 premiere of 'Fuller House' on Netflix, though it took time to stabilize financially. "I had to borrow money the first week I was working on ‘Fuller House,’ and I skidded into my first paycheck with, like, $190 in my bank account," she recalled.
Sweetin has previously discussed her struggles with addiction, including cocaine and crystal meth, admitting that while she did not face addiction during 'Full House,' it became a public focus in her 20s. She acknowledged that her fame made her addiction struggles more "sensational" than those of others. However, she also recognized that her childhood work afforded her access to treatment and help she might not otherwise have had, though she found making mistakes publicly to be very difficult.
'Fuller House' streamed for five seasons from 2016 to 2020. Sweetin has continued to work in entertainment, recently participating in the HGTV series 'Totally 90s House.' She has been married to clinical social worker Mescal Wasilewski since 2022.