Christy Carlson Romano has spoken out about a past relationship that ended abruptly, with the actress claiming her ex-boyfriend ghosted her because she "wasn't famous enough." Romano, who starred in the 2002 Disney Channel film "Cadet Kelly," shared her experience via Instagram on Wednesday.
"Shawn and I dated for the summer we filmed ‘Cadet Kelly’ and for a few months after," Romano wrote, referring to her "Cadet Kelly" co-star Shawn Ashmore. "I was eventually ghosted and had heard ‘his team’ thought I wasn’t famous enough for us to keep dating. Hollywood is brutal for a young girl."
Romano, who was 18 at the time of the relationship, is releasing a memoir titled "Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Rise and Fall of a Child Star" on October 6. She stated that she wrote the book to "expose everything that actually happens in this business."
A representative for Ashmore did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Page Six.
In the comments section of Romano's Instagram post, fans expressed support and sympathy. Some users noted that they remembered Romano more than Ashmore. Others commented on the harsh realities of the entertainment industry.
Romano, now 42, has been candid about her experiences as a child actress. In an October 2023 podcast interview, she revealed that she underwent breast augmentation as a teenager due to significant body image issues that arose after filming "Cadet Kelly."
She also discussed in a 2021 YouTube video that she lost millions from her earnings as a child star, attributing this in part to advice from her mother and management team, who she stated told her the work would not slow down. Romano clarified that she is no longer a millionaire.
Further, Romano has addressed her past relationship with former "Even Stevens" co-star Shia LaBeouf. In a 2021 video, she described feeling "salty" and experiencing "sibling rivalry" over LaBeouf's subsequent success in Hollywood, while she chose to pursue a college education. She indicated that her memoir would also delve into her relationship with LaBeouf and his father, noting that she is "finally sharing everything" in the book, hoping her story can help others.