Becoming a successful child star is not an easy feat. It requires a lot of dedication and focus, which is not something a lot of children can muster. Young Judith Barsi was a successful actor even at just 10 years old!
But then something tragic happened at the hands of someone she loved and trusted the most… Keep reading to know what happened.
By the time Judith Barsi turned 10 years old, she had already gained an enviable career. She was already well known for her work as an actress in several projects, as well as having voice acted iconic parts in films like The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven.
While her professional life seemed to be destined for success, her personal life was continuously failing her. The little girl and her mother were subjected to domestic abuse continuously. it was the same abuse that ended up taking her life.
Judith was born in 1978 to Maria and József Barsi. Her parents had moved to the US from Hungary in the 1950s. According to reports, Maria began to train her daughter for stardom from an early age. She gave her lessons on posture and how to conduct herself.
Judith was even spotted at an ice skating rink at just the age of 5 years old. The little girl went to star in more than 70 commercials. And by the time she was seven years old, she was already earning about $100,000 a year which helped her family move into a three-bedroom home in Hollywood’s West Hills. The child star had helped her family become financially secure.
But things were not as they seemed. In 1986, her mother Maria filed a police report against her husband. She mentioned instances of abuse which included choking her and also said that he had threatened to kill her. The police did not see any signs of physical injury and Maria also did not persue the case.
Judith’s agent Ruth Hansen later revealed that in the last year of the little girl’s life, her demeanor had changed. As the little girl headed to the Bahamas to film Jaws: The Revenge, his father had reportedly began to abuse her as well. According to Hansen, József told Judith that he would kill her once she comes back from filming the movie, and before she left he taunted her again by saying, “Remember what I told you before you left.”
After Judith returned two months later after filming Jaws: The Revenge, a neighbor noticed that things had gotten worse. The neighbor told Los Angeles Times that Judith’s father had told them “told me 500 times he was going to kill his wife.” The neighbor went on to recount, “I’d try to calm him down. I’d tell him, ‘If you kill her, what will happen to your little one?'”
By 1988, Judith was having issues with coping. During auditions she would not speak or have a break down. This prompted her team to send her to a psychologist for evaluation. When social services met with Judith’s mother she said she was planning to leave her husband and move out with Judith.
Before Maria was able to enact her plan, József shot both her and Judith dead. The little girl’s final role was as Ducky in The Land Before Time. The movie came out after she had passed away.
If you found this story interesting, read the story below about Lindsay Lohan’s troubled life as a child star.
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This is an incredibly sad story. A little girl with so much light inside of her and boundless potential, just loses her life because of a heartless act by someone she trusted blindly.
Share Judith Barsi’s story with others so that it is not forgotten.
