She burst into our livingrooms as the precocious middle child on a beloved family sitcom.
Her catchphrase on the show became instantly iconic – but behind her smile was a life far more complicated than TV ever showed.
She was adopted as a baby, her father died in a prison riot and she endured multiple sexual assaults, starting with one when she was just a child.
Some stars are destined to shine forever, and the woman we’re talking about today is one of them. She burst onto the scene in the ’90s with a bang, starring in one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time.
For a period, millions of Americans tuned in every Friday to watch her play the middle child in what was often called “the Brady Bunch of the 1990s.”
But what many might not know is that this actress faced a remarkably tough start in life. Born in 1982 in Los Angeles, California, her earliest years were marked by tragedy.
Mom addict, dad died in prison
As an infant, both of her biological parents ended up in prison. Her mother battled addiction and her father later died in a prison riot. At just nine months old, she was adopted and raised as an only child by her uncle Sam and his second wife, Janice.
“My parents really wanted to have kids, and they were having some struggles,” she recalled on Olivia Jade Giannulli’s podcast.
Years later, she revealed she was advised not to speak publicly about her adoption, out of fear that people would assume she had been pushed into acting.
She has also revealed that she was sexually assaulted during her childhood.
”I was the girl who never reported because I blamed myself. I was the woman who never reported because I didn’t want to go through the pain and ridicule,” the actress said in 2018.
Started acting when she was 4
The acting bug bit early. She began taking dance classes at just three years old.
At just four years old, she landed a commercial for Oscar Mayer, and soon she was part of a whirlwind TV career. Her catchphrase on the show that made her a household name, “How rude!”, became instantly iconic.
“It’s the best one,” she once said. “’Pin a rose on your nose’ is cute. ‘Hot dog’ was very rarely used, and I feel like it’s kind of unoriginal.”
But while she grew up as a “soul sister” alongside co-stars like Candace Cameron Bure and the Olsen twins, fame brought its own set of pressures.
To truly grasp just how famous she was as a child star, look at what passed for a “normal” day in her life at age 12. Back in 1994, a reporter shadowed her for four hours during what was meant to be a routine press appearance.
Instead, it turned into controlled chaos. Nearly 1,500 fans showed up. Six security guards were brought in just to keep things orderly. By the time it was over, she had signed more than 3,000 photos and personal items.
People waited in line for hours just to catch a glimpse of her, say hello, or nervously ask her out on a date. Most of the crowd, though, was made up of young kids clutching posters and memorabilia, standing patiently beside their parents — proof of just how deeply she had captured America’s heart at such a young age.
Lost her job at 13
When the actress turned 13, the show wrapped, and overnight she was cut loose from the TV family that had been her entire world.
Suddenly, the cameras were gone, the routines disappeared, and the sense of belonging she’d known for years vanished just as quickly.
“Trying to figure out who you are at age 13 when you’ve just lost your job that basically identified you for the first part of your life is a little difficult,” she told Good Morning America.
Teen years were turbulent. At 14, she found her first taste of rebellion at a wedding reception, sneaking multiple glasses of wine to boost her confidence. That rebellious streak carried into college, where experimentation with alcohol, ecstasy, and cocaine took hold, even as she navigated her first marriage to a police officer.
“I was pulling off the deceit… I look at photos from that event, and I didn’t even look strung out!” she later admitted.
According to the actress, she turned to drugs because she was ”bored.”
”I was spiraling out of control fairly quickly. I scared a lot of people,” she said.
Near-fatal collapse
The L.A. native would hit rock bottom before clawing her way back.
A near-fatal collapse on a sidewalk forced rehab and the difficult work of rebuilding her life. Yet even in recovery, she returned to TV, touring colleges to share her story, and soon welcomed a daughter, Zoie, with her second husband, Cody Herpin.
“You look at your baby and think, ‘Wow, I did that.’ It’s really amazing,” the actress said. “It’s the most overwhelming, exciting thing I’ve ever done.”
The years brought more challenges: a second divorce, a third marriage, and relapses triggered by accidents or prescription pain medication.
But through it all, she persisted, working in rehab facilities and pursuing her own education to help others.
Reunions with her old TV family provided comfort, first through Fuller House and then on the set of Hallmark films, and she even competed on Dancing with the Stars, falling in love along the way.
“We met through mutual friends years ago and we reconnected a little over two years ago. It’s been really good ever since,” she shared about her current husband, Mescal Wasilewski, a clinical social worker.
The couple tied the knot in 2022, and at the time, life seemed absolutely perfect.
“Married life is amazing,” the actress said, “I couldn’t be happier.”
Heartbreak and goodbye
But one shadow loomed over her happiness: a personal tragedy hit when she lost her former TV dad, Bob Saget. She honored him at her wedding with a poignant nod: “I like kissed the shirt and I was like, ‘Bob’s here too.’”
She also paid tribute to her late co-star on Instagram. The actress wrote:
”I’ll make sure and tell an inappropriate joke at your funeral. In your honor. I know you would’ve wanted that. But you were supposed to be here longer … How Rude.”
Today, her activism has shaped much of her adult life. From standing up for reproductive rights to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, she has never shied away from speaking her truth.
And she continues to dream. When asked about a reboot, she pitched an idea inspired by The Golden Girls — and cheekily called it Fullest House.
”It’s great because I’m getting to work with the writers and the creators of the show. They had an idea of where she’s gone and what she’s been doing, and I’ve gotten to fill in the rest,” the 90’s icon said in an interview with Backstage.
From child star to survivor, from TV icon to advocate, this woman’s journey is a testament to resilience, humor, and heart.
Of course, longtime fans already know her as Jodie Sweetin — the unforgettable Stephanie Tanner of Full House and Fuller House.
READ MORE
- Expert reveals 5 steps to survive a nuclear blast amid WW3 fears
- “Home Alone” star who left Hollywood facing criminal charge after shock arrest
