LeAnn Rimes: Another Victim Of Child Star Syndrome

Last night, LeAnn Rimes and boyfriend Eddie Cibrian sat down for their first interview—with ABC’s Robin Roberts—since their scandalous affair made tabloid headlines. More interesting, though, was Rimes’ admission that she crumbled under the pressure of child stardom.

Like many other young stars, Rimes says that her meteoric rise to fame at 13 resulted in a lost childhood. At age 14 she became the first country singer to win a Grammy for Best New Artist and her hit “How Do I Live” broke records when it became the longest-running single in Billboard Hot 100 history after spending 69 weeks on the chart. But doing three shows a day—without a break—over a three and a half year period took its toll. She had a breakdown of sorts, and at 17 voluntarily stepped away from the spotlight and filed a lawsuit against her father and record label.

Perhaps because they’re based in Nashville, away from the seedier scenes of L.A. and New York, the public tends to think of country singers as a little more wholesome than their mainstream counterparts. However, given the often depressing nature of country music and its subject matter (heartbreak, addiction, poverty, abuse, etc.) it’s kind of weird to assume that its stars would somehow be happier, more well-adjusted people.