Michael Lohan recently went on the record to accept blame for daughter Lindsay’s tumultuous career in the wake of his 2007 divorce with Dina Lohan, the former child star’s mother.
Lindsay was just 21 when her parents’ divorce was finalized, but the family drama was playing out in the public eye long before that, and Michael feels that it created added pressure on his daughter that pushed her towards multiple arrests and a substance abuse problem.
“I don’t think she should have taken any of the blame for what happened to her,” Lohan said. “It’s my fault and Dina’s fault. We put her in the middle of the divorce. Now it’s up to me and Dina to make this better.”
Michael claims that the family has rallied around Lindsay during her recent rehab stint and that the “healing in our family has really helped a lot.”
The situation has definitely put how children handle divorce in the public eyes. Here’s a look at other child celebrities who were forced to deal with their parents’ divorce in the spotlight.
Angus T. Jones, Two And A Half Men
Jones was nine years old when he landed the “half” part on Two And A Half Men. Seven years later, his parents would get a divorce. In 2012, Jones famously declared himself to be a “paid hypocrite” for doing the show that made him famous and professed his allegiance to God on a video for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The move drew criticism and media accusations of “meltdown.” It also pushed writers to write him out of the series as a regular character. But Jones currently seems to be happy through his faith and charity work.
Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana/Singer
The former Hannah Montana and daughter to country star Billy Ray Cyrus is 20 years old and recently witnessed her parents learn how to file for divorce after 19 years together (and five kids). Miley’s behavior since then has been somewhat erratic, culminating in a not-for-television VMA appearance on Sunday night. Many critics agree Miley is trying too hard to seem “grown up,” wearing what amounts to a one-piece bathing suit everywhere she goes and in case you’re not picking up on her adulthood, making lewd tongue movements whenever there’s a camera around.
Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter, brother of Backstreet Boys lead singer Nick Carter and a singer in his own right, accused his mother, Jane Carter, of lifting $100,000 from his bank account without permission in 2004. Around that time, Jane was arrested and charged with battery for allegedly attacking her ex-husband’s girlfriend. Aaron said he was pushed in to show business and claimed his parents often argued about his money when he was a teen, forcing him into the middle of their disagreements. Needless to say, the Carters’ split was far from a do it yourself divorce.
In 2008, Carter was arrested for possessing less than two ounces of marijuana, but has since kept a low profile.
What these parents are now finding out is something all parents should be aware of when kids are caught in the middle of a broken marriage. Whether it’s a long, drawn-out courtroom thing or an online cheap divorce, the breakup cannot become a platform for selfish posturing from one or both parties.
Be committed to keeping the conflict away from your children by putting their needs ahead of your own. They don’t ask to be brought into the world, and they’re not the ones asking for a divorce. Keep that in mind, and know that your divorce will have an impact. It’s just up to you to decide what kind of impact it will be.
These kids have really gone haywire for quite sometime but I think it is something that can be fixed with proper guidance and counselling. The parents would have to play a big part with the recovery though.