Jennifer Aniston to Star in Jennette McCurdy’s Memoir Adaptation ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’

We knew her as Rachel Green or in roles where she’s a sweetheart (except perhaps for Horrible Bosses), but Jennifer Aniston is officially set to star in the upcoming adaptation of Jennette McCurdy’s best-selling memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. 

Sources confirm she’ll be playing Debra McCurdy, the real-life, manipulative stage mom who pushed young Jennette into the spotlight.  

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aniston, who will also serve as Executive Producer, will play McCurdy’s mom in the Apple TV+ adaptation of the best-selling 2022 memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died. In the book, the former iCarly actress detailed the abusive relationship she had with her mom and her journey to claiming her life back after her death in 2013. 

McCurdy, along with Ari Katcher, will serve as co-showrunners. 

The dramedy series will focus on “the codependent relationship between an 18-year-old actress in a hit kids’ show, and her narcissistic mom who relishes in her identity as a starlet’s mother.” 

In an interview with THR in 2022, McCurdy said of the book, “I’ve been so touched by how much the emotional thrust of the story has connected with people, which I see as being my relationship with my mom. That’s an important and complicated relational dynamic to explore, and to see that people are responding to it has been amazing. And to see people responding to the humor of it and the aspect of exploring eating disorders and complicated grief, it’s really been incredible.” 

McCurdy, who was shoved into the limelight by her mother, who wanted to become famous herself, experienced not only emotional abuse and manipulation from her, but also inappropriate and coercive treatments from “The Creator” when she was working in Nickelodeon. Although not explicitly named, people deduced it to be Dan Schneider. 

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, details of alleged sexual misconduct towards Nickelodeon employees, many of them underage, were made public. The children's cable channel terminated its long-time partnership with Schneider after the allegations. McCurdy claimed in her memoir that “The Creator” offered her alcohol while she was underage and promoted a toxic and exploitative environment on set. She said that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 to not talk about her experiences at the network, something she turned down. 

The book, which sold more than 3 million copies per Rolling Stone, also received positive reviews from critics. The New York Times called it "a coming-of-age story that is alternately harrowing and mordantly funny,” while Kirkus Reviews wrote it as “the heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.”