Ex-Nickelodeon Star Shuts Down Christy Carlson Romano

Nickelodeon alum Matt Shively reacted strongly to former Disney Channel actress Christy Carlson Romano's recent commentary on her child stardom. Romano, who starred in "Even Stevens" and "Cadet Kelly," had begun to tease a story about her past, hinting at potential shopping addiction issues influenced by Hilary Duff. Shively, appearing in a video, directly pleaded with Romano to cease such discussions. He captioned the clip, "it had to be done...." The public response to Shively's video indicated support for his stance. Romano, who also voiced Kim Possible and released a memoir titled "Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star" on October 6, 2026, has been vocal about the challenges faced by child actors. She has drawn parallels between early fame and CTE, emphasizing the lack of language to describe the pressures, scrutiny, and adult influence on childhoods. Shively, who gained fame on "True Jackson, VP" in his late teens, has since appeared in various television shows.