She had the face television executives adored: bright eyes, comic timing and an energy capable of stealing almost any scene. Millions of young viewers watched her play a fearless, rebellious teenager. To them, she appeared confident, successful and completely at home in the spotlight. But when the cameras stopped, she returned to a life dominated by fear, isolation and a mother who controlled nearly every … Continue reading She Made Millions of Children Laugh While Living a Nightmare—Then She Walked Away and Told Everything

Before millions recognized the glare, the clipped sentences and the devastating one-liners, she was an eight-year-old girl watching her father receive death threats. Her father was a Brooklyn dentist who also worked part-time for New York City. After discovering that the government could save money by manufacturing dental equipment instead of purchasing it from expensive outside suppliers, he began challenging the existing system. The response … Continue reading They Told Her She Was Stealing a Man’s Future—Then She Built a $47 Million-a-Year Empire and Became Untouchable