Christina crawford biography

1. Biography of Christina Crawford
2. Early Life and Adoption
3. Childhood and Education
4. Acting Career and Personal Life

Biography of Christina Crawford

Christina Crawford was born on June 11, 1939, in Los Angeles, California. She is an American writer and actress, best known for her autobiographical book 'Mommie Dearest', in which she recounted her experiences with her adoptive mother, Hollywood star Joan Crawford, and the abusive treatment she and her brother Christopher endured while Joan battled alcoholism.

Early Life and Adoption

Christina's parents, who were very young at the time, did not marry. In an interview with Larry King, Christina revealed that her father, who was rumored to be serving in the military, was already married to another woman. In 1940, Christina was adopted. Adoption records show that the process was facilitated by Georgia Tann and her notorious organization, the 'Tennessee Children's Home Society', which was involved in illegal adoptions. Nevertheless, Christina became the first of four adopted children raised by Joan Crawford, who was already a highly famous actress at the time.

Childhood and Education

According to Christina, she experienced the effects of her adoptive mother's alcohol addiction during her childhood. Joan had unpredictable mood swings, transforming from a loving mother to an enraged fury in seconds. At the age of 10, Christina attended Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, California, where many children of celebrities were enrolled. However, her mother removed her from the school, citing inappropriate behavior with male classmates, and sent her to the Catholic boarding school Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in California, limiting Christina's contact with the outside world until she finished school.

Acting Career and Personal Life

After graduating from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Christina left sunny California and moved to Pittsburgh, where she attended the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for about a year. She later relocated to New York City and studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in Manhattan. After seven years, she received a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

During her acting career, Crawford appeared in summer theater productions and off-Broadway plays. In 1961, she had a small role in the film 'Wild in the Country' alongside Elvis Presley, and in 1962, she performed in the play 'The Complaisant Lover'. She also played five characters in Ben Hecht's controversial play 'Winkelberg'. In October 1965, she starred in the theatrical version of the romantic comedy 'Barefoot in the Park', and in 1968, she appeared in John Cassavetes' drama 'Faces'.

From 1968 to 1969, she acted in the soap opera 'The Secret Storm'. During a brief sick leave, Joan Crawford, who was almost 60 years old at the time, requested and received Christina's role, portraying a 24-year-old character. Joan did this without informing her daughter, and she appeared in five episodes, which increased the show's audience by 40 percent. Feeling betrayed, Christina eventually left the series. She continued to work in television until 1972, appearing in shows such as 'Medical Center', 'Marcus Welby, M.D.', 'Matt Lincoln', 'Ironside', and 'The Sixth Sense'.

After Joan Crawford's death in 1977, Christina and her brother Christopher discovered that they had been excluded from their mother's will for "reasons they knew well". The following year, Christina published her book 'Mommie Dearest', which caused a huge sensation and became an instant bestseller. In the book, she accused her mother of subjecting her and her brother to violence. Joan's friends and colleagues divided into two camps – some vehemently denied all the allegations, while others confirmed them.

Christina went on to publish several novels, her autobiography, and became involved in advocacy against child abuse. In 1981, she suffered a stroke that nearly took her life, but she made a full recovery. In 1998, she founded her own publishing company, 'Seven Springs Press', which she continues to lead.