Christy Carlson Romano has detailed pay disparities she experienced during her time on the Disney sitcom Even Stevens in her newly released memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star.
Romano, who portrayed Ren Stevens on the show, stated that she received half the compensation of her male costar Shia LaBeouf despite the two actors serving as co-leads with comparable screen time. The series aired for three seasons between 2000 and 2003. Following the book’s release on October 6, Romano shared her account on social media, including a letter her mother had sent to her agent in 2000 requesting equal pay.
According to Romano’s social media post, her family faced significant financial hardship at the time, with her earnings as a teenager essentially supporting the household. Her mother was advocating both for equitable compensation on the production and for the family’s financial stability. Romano emphasized that her memoir centers on her personal journey rather than on her famous castmates, stating that the book documents a young performer who matured too quickly within an industry that undervalued her contributions.
The actress noted in her post that she has since gained perspective on her mother’s efforts to secure fair payment, while also recognizing the toll that early fame took on her childhood. Even Stevens also featured Tom Virtue, Donna Pescow, A.J. Trauth, and Nick Spano. The sitcom followed the sibling dynamic between Ren and Louis Stevens in suburban Sacramento, California.
Romano’s memoir explores themes of childhood fame’s impact, according to its description, detailing the costs of early celebrity status and her process of reconnecting with herself.
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