Corey Feldman’s Ups and Downs: Child Stardom, Surviving Abuse and More

From child actor to advocate. Corey Feldman started his career at the age of 3 and went on to speak candidly about his alleged experiences with abuse as a young person in the entertainment industry.

“The biggest problem in Hollywood is pedophilia,” the California native told The Guardian in February 2020. In 2013, he released his first memoir, Coreography, which detailed his struggles with addiction and child sexual abuse. The tell-all delves into his friendship with fellow child star Corey Haim, who he says was also a victim of sex crimes.

“Corey asked me to make sure that if he died before me that his story was told. I am doing exactly that,” Feldman told E! News of his Lost Boys costar in January 2018. Dubbed “The Two Coreys,” the actors had their own A&E reality show of the same name from 2007 to 2009. They remained close friends until Haim — who also struggled with addiction for much of his life — died of pneumonia in March 2010 at 38.

Feldman posted a heartwarming tribute to the Lucas star after his death.

“I miss you so much already. When I think of something funny, I don’t know who to tell it to. I find myself trying to call you but then remember you’re not there,” he wrote via his blog at the time. “I always feared this day would come, and often rehearsed how to face it. But once confronted with the reality of it, it’s so much more painful than I could have ever imagined.”

The Bad News Bears actor rose to prominence in the 1980s, appearing in films including Gremlins, The Goonies, and Stand By Me. He later pivoted to a music career, releasing three solo albums between 1994 and 2016. In May 2020, Feldman had his first top 20 hit with “U R Free,” the theme song to his documentary My Truth: The Rape of 2 Coreys, an exposé about the alleged abuse that he and Haim suffered during their younger years.

“It’s really for all survivors of any type of abuse, in saying, ‘You don’t have to live in it anymore. You can be free of it and let it go,’” the ‘Burbs actor said of the track during a May 2020 appearance on Sirius XM’s Volume. “And I think doing this film is a big part of that for me — letting it go for myself and telling him that it’s OK to let it go, wherever he is. It’s about moving on and being free from the bondage of abuse.”

Scroll down for a look at Feldman’s ups and downs over the years:

Sara Donnellan

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