Latest news with #entertainment industry
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mind Reading: Alyson Stoner's Current Act Is All About Protecting Child Entertainers
Alyson Stoner began appearing on screen at age 9, starring in film and television projects including 'Cheaper By The Dozen,' 'Camp Rock,' 'The Suite Life of Zack & Cody' and Missy Elliott's 'Work It' music video. Now 32, Stoner (who uses they/them pronouns) is a vocal advocate for safeguarding child entertainers. They do so through Movement Genius, the company they founded in 2020 that offers science-backed resources to support mind and body, through championing conversations in the industry circles and, most recently, through the release of their new memoir, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything. 'Literally everything' is a harrowing catch-all. Stoner survived sexual assault, battled an eating disorder, experienced stalkers and kidnapping plots, and 'had no idea what bodily autonomy and consent were until my early 20s.' Add in exposure to traumatic film and television storylines, daunting work schedules, being in rooms with adults who didn't display appropriate behavior around minors, financial pressure and instability, and the picture becomes even more vivid. 'I had a 15-person team of adults who relied on me to make them money and so even if my family said, 'This is just for fun,' I knew I'd be dropped like a fly if I didn't keep booking work,' Stoner says. 'For a child, it's important to have stability and routine and consistency. The industry is the absolute antithesis of that. It's last minute, life-altering opportunities. You're removed from school to go to an audition, you don't have childhood hobbies, highs are ultra high and lows are ultra low. There's cut-throat competition, constant rejection. It's not a recipe for a balanced developmental curve.' What the equation of these circumstances led to, Stoner says, 'was my nervous system's best attempt at coping, which became the development of deep trust issues, preferring to isolate, and experiencing high levels of dissociation. Plus, generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorder. None of these were random problems. They were survival responses for a young kid to try to stay safe and connected in a grownup world.' After years of extensive therapy and work, today Stoner is in a position of imagining new possibility. While many former child stars have exited Hollywood and not looked back, Stoner in some ways is digging in deeper. They're still immersed in entertainment—returning this summer to again voice a character in the new season of Disney series 'Phineas and Ferb,' for one. But with healing and newfound agency over their lived experiences, they're using ingrained knowledge of how to navigate the industry to push for safeguards that didn't exist when they were coming up. 'The industry didn't have any kind of front-line prevention or onboarding manual of what to expect. In fact, the resources provided to young artists and families center on the profitability of the child, the commodification of the child. You attend workshops that increase your chances of succeeding. You don't attend workshops about the child's wellbeing, at least when I started,' Stoner says. 'Fame has been proven to correspond to the same impact as being addicted to drugs, fame has been linked to shorter lifespan by up to 12-14 years, fame increases the likelihood of dying by suicide by three to four times. It's enough to ask ourselves, if we know that, why are we intentionally hooking a young child to an addictive drug?' 'With my experience, I feel, comes a responsibility to be a translator to people in different places of the industry. And I realize there is a lot at stake and how I deliver this message is not only going to reflect on my own reputation but anyone else who wants to come in and make a difference in this arena. But it's also the game I signed up for because I think there's something I can do to make a difference,' they add. Among resources provided by Movement Genius, which Stoner founded in 2020, is the Artist Wellbeing Essentials toolkit that provides foundational education on the mind-body connection for children, parents and caregivers. Tools are specifically tailored to the experiences of a performer such as getting in and out of character, managing stage fright, and coping with rejection and job uncertainty. Stoner is quick to not place blame on any individual but rather on a system they believe is now primed for reimagining. 'I think people are ready to update protocols and improve the standards,' they say. 'The gap we're trying to bridge is making sure productions, agents, the adults in the surrounding ecosystem know we're here to collaborate with and align with them and better support their young talent vs. trying to come in and disrupt or stop what they are doing. The term mental health still carries stigma and it can be fear-inducing if companies feel this is going to be some sort of liability issue, when in reality we're here to support you in creating a safer, more productive and more successful set experience.' 'It takes a lot of empathizing and understanding everyone's distinct location in the ecosystem and what information they are privy to and what information they may need to supplement and provide so it rounds out the decision making.' While more child entertainers are speaking out about their experiences in recent years - from Jennette McCurdy's memoir 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' to Demi Lovato-backed series 'Child Star' to Investigation Discovery doc 'Quiet on the Set' and Paramount+ series 'The Carters: Hurts To Love You' - Stoner says it's still just the tip of the iceberg. 'I'm more than ready to share intimate details of my personal experience so we can graduate the public conversation beyond just a sensational retelling and start to raise new questions and contemplate ways we can make a difference in what's happening,' they say. 'And also zoom out so we can see what's happening in the microcosm of child performers and media actually reflects larger cultural norms and societal myths it's time to debunk.' Mind Reading (formerly Hollywood & Mind) is a recurring column that features interviews with musicians, actors, athletes, creators and other culture influencers who are elevating conversation and action around mental health, and breaking stigma.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Live on Newsmax Today, August 13, 2025 – Venu Holding Corporation Founder, Chairman, and CEO J.W. Roth Appears for Live Interview at 2:40 PM EDT
Venu Holding Corporation ("VENU" or the 'Company') (NYSE American: VENU), a developer, owner, and operator of upscale live music venues and premium hospitality destinations, Founder, Chairman, and CEO J.W. Roth has been invited to join Newsmax for an anticipated live segment at 2:40 PM EDT during the network's American Agenda broadcast. Roth will share his expertise and insights on the booming entertainment industry and VENU's role on shaping its future. Watch live on cable, streaming platforms, or at Source: Venu Holding Corporation About Venu Holding Corporation Venu Holding Corporation ("VENU") (NYSE American: VENU), founded by Colorado Springs entrepreneur J.W. Roth, is a premier hospitality and live music venue developer dedicated to building luxury, experience-driven entertainment destinations. VENU's campuses in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Gainesville, Georgia, each feature Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, The Hall at Bourbon Brothers, and unique to Colorado Springs, the over 9,000-seat Ford Amphitheater and Roth's Sea and Steak. Expanding with new Sunset Amphitheaters in Oklahoma and Texas, VENU's upcoming large-scale venues will host between 12,500 and 20,000 guests, continuing VENU's vision of redefining the live entertainment experience. Click here for company overview. VENU has been recognized nationally by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Denver Post, Billboard, VenuesNow, and Variety for its innovative and disruptive approach to live entertainment. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as AEG Presents and NFL Hall of Famer and Founder of EIGHT Elite Light Beer, Troy Aikman, VENU continues to shape the future of the entertainment landscape. For more information, visit VENU's website, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
