That show, I say it all the time, it continues to be funny.
It's a great show.
>> Thank you so much.
>> It is, and
you're the smart one on it too, which must be fun to play the smart one.
>> It is really fun, I love my character.
>> Yeah. >> You know, I think it's really important
to have young girls see that it's cool to be smart as well.
You can still have friends, be cool, do all that stuff.
>> You're actually the coolest one on there,
because you're the smartest one on there.
>> Thank you. >> You haven't been on here since,
how old are you now?
>> I'm 18.
>> You were 13 the last time you were here.
>> Yeah.
>> And you have been through a lot.
There's a lot going on with you and your life at this young age.
So you were emancipated from your mother, right?
>> Mm-hm. >> Explain what people
don't know what that is, what does that mean?
>> Well emancipation is basically, you become your own entity,
nobody controls you anymore.
You handle your own business affairs, your own living arrangements, your own money.
Everything is sort of in your hands.
>> At 15 you did this?
>> Well, actually from 14 to 17 it was a legal custody battle.
My sister was granted temporary custody first.
And then when I was 17 in the beginning of the year she was granted
permanent custody.
And then to kind of just move forward with the process and end it altogether,
we got me emancipated.
>> Yeah. >> So I could just handle my own affairs.
>> So your sister has been really there for you and great for you, right?
>> She's been the best part of my life.
She really is my best friend.
She is the most important thing to me.
She's been there for me through absolutely everything and I I just love her so much.
I count on her more than anything.
>> Does she have a relationship with your mother?
>> Neither of us do.
>> Neither of you do. Okay so and
I think a lot of people that don't understand because nobody really knows
anybody's personal family business, why you would do that.
Obviously there's a reason you would not want to be connected to her,
and what is that reason?
>> Well, it's most definitely hard to grow up in the industry, but
just grow up in any instance without a mother from a very young age.
And it has been very sad for me, but at the same time it's been much better for
me emotionally and physically to be on my own and
have a better, safer household and support system.
I don't really talk about the reason that I I don't speak to my mother,
it's kinda been publicized.
But the reason I don't really share that is because I
want to give her the same respect that she didn't give to me publicly.
>> Yeah, she went on Dr.
Phil to try to show her side of the story which is, that to me is enough.
>> Well, it just really didn't try and fix anything with me,
it just tried to make herself look better, and I'm not interested in doing that.
People can make their own judgments, I did what I had to do for myself.
>> And so you're 18 years old.
[APPLAUSE] >> And
you are, tell me if this is wrong, you love the show, you love doing what you do.
>> I do. >> But
from a young, young age this was not your choice.
It was kind of not your choice to go into this business, you were kind of pushed and
forced into this business.
>> Well my mother put me in the industry when I was four years old.
And I think when you're four years old you don't really know anything that you want
to do, you want to be everything.
Not to say that this isn't my passion and I don't love it.
I do love it and I would love to continue doing it for the rest of my life.
>> Right. >> But
I also love to explore other avenues.
I wanted to go to college since I was very young, I've worked very hard.
I go to real high school, and I do my best to move forward in my future that way.
I would love to be a lawyer and I've applied for college, and
I'm going through that process right now.
>> Good for you, you go to real high school right now?
>> Yes.
>> And obviously they know who you are?
>> Mm-hm.
>> And they must be so excited >> Well
actually they're really wonderful because no one really cares.
[LAUGH] I know that seems weird but nobody really does, everyone's been really good
to me they just treat me normally which is what I love.
I've met some amazing friends and it's just been an amazing experience for
me thus far.
>> Good for you, I mean you're so, it's hard enough to grow up at that age,
you're going through so much anyway, much less what you've gone through.
And then on top of it you got bullied because you got a breast reduction,
which is a decision that obviously that was important to you.
>> Yeah. >> You get bullied for
body image then you get bullied because your scars were showing.
I mean, how do you let everything just roll off your back?
It's definitely been a process, and I don't say now that I am totally over it.
I think criticism always hits people, regardless of how old they are,
how far they've come.
It definitely, we all have insecurities.
And I'm not gonna say that I'm totally above it and it doesn't hurt me, it does.
But I've learned a little bit to be able to brush it off.
I've been dealing with criticism since I was 12 years old.
And I first started developing, which was already very hard to grow up in front of
the public and also have your body changing.
And then go through a surgery which I decided to make public because I thought
it was very important to talk to women about it in general, because I know
there are so many people who have been in my position that needed the surgery.
And I thought it was important to talk about it.
And although I got backlash from that, and criticism and
everything, at the end of the day it was what I needed to do.
The people who supported me are the people that matter in my life.
And that's what I just kind of had to train myself to remember, is that
the people that love me and support me are what mattered, their opinions matter.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> I support you.
>> Thank you.
[LAUGH]