Jennette McCurdy's grandmother was 'not happy' with title of her memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died

The title of Jennette McCurdy's best-selling memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, caused some division in her family.

Appearing on the premiere episode of Red Table Talk Wednesday, the former Nickelodeon star spoke candidly to co-hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris about her complicated relationship with her late mother Debra, who died of breast cancer in 2013. McCurdy, who details the abuse she endured in her memoir, revealed on Red Table Talk that her grandmother was not happy with the title.

"I have very strong boundaries around my relationship with my grandma, and my brother shared with me that she was not happy with the title," McCurdy said. "But I expected that. I'm not surprised at all." McCurdy explained that, like her mother, her grandmother had abusive tendencies toward her. "I tried to have a relationship with her, and it was very clear to me that she was incapable of honoring literally any boundary that I set."

She added, "I mean, things like, 'Can you please not comment on my body? It's really detrimental to me and I want to believe you have the best intentions, but these comments are really harmful, and please can you stop?' She'd say 'sure,' and then five minutes later, another comment will come out and she just seemed incapable of honoring the boundaries, so ultimately, it was a matter [of] 'Okay, I just can't have a relationship with this person.'"

In her memoir, McCurdy details how her mother, who never achieved her own dreams of becoming an actress, forced her daughter into show business at a young age. She also recounts her mother encouraging her to develop an eating disorder and administering breast and genital examinations to check for cancerous lumps until she was 16.

Jordan Fisher/Red Table Talk Jennette McCurdy on 'Red Table Talk'

She also opens up about the horrors of child stardom, alleging that the Creator — a moniker she gives to an unidentified person behind Nickelodeon's iCarly and its spin-off Sam & Cat — encouraged her to drink alcohol while underage and would administer unsolicited massages, among other accusations. McCurdy quit acting in 2017, pursuing writing and directing instead.

McCurdy told the Red Table Talk co-hosts that one positive takeaway from her time on the show is her relationship with her former iCarly costar Miranda Cosgrove. "I'm very grateful for that friendship," she said. "It did provide me a lot of comfort in those really challenging years. My relationship with Miranda was hugely healing to my concept of women."

Watch McCurdy's Red Table Talk episode above. I'm Glad My Mom Died is available where books are sold.

Related content:

• Jennette McCurdy isn't ready to forgive her late mother's abuse in Red Table Talk first look

• Jennette McCurdy details the dark side of getting cast in iCarly in I'm Glad My Mom Died excerpt

• iCarly star Jennette McCurdy says Nickelodeon offered her 'hush money' over alleged abuse