Minka Kelly Opens Up About Reconciling with Her Mom After ‘Chaotic’ Childhood: ‘She Was Doing Her Best’
Posted April 19, 2023 by: Admin
Kelly, a successful actress known for her roles in hit shows like Friday Night Lights and Euphoria, is releasing her new memoir, Tell Me Everything, on May 2nd. The book reveals her traumatic childhood, where she was raised by her single mother, Maureen, who worked as an exotic dancer.
Kelly’s mother struggled to make ends meet and couldn’t afford rent at their apartment complex in L.A. So, they lived in a small storage shed that was only 125 square feet. As a young child, Kelly accompanied her mother to the strip club where she performed, making a living for them both. The actress reflects on feeling different from other little girls, wishing her mother was more like other moms, and only coming to appreciate her mother’s special qualities much later in life.
In the memoir, Kelly discusses her mother’s addiction and poverty, and her experience watching her mother try to survive while facing these challenges. Her mother died of colon cancer in 2008, and it was only after her diagnosis that Kelly and her mother reconciled after becoming estranged due to financial issues.
Kelly shares her regret about not spending her mother’s last Thanksgiving together, saying that it still breaks her heart. However, the actress finds solace in remembering her mother’s playful and loving spirit, describing her as “the most beautiful, free-spirited, big-hearted, deeply loving human I’ve ever known.” Kelly hopes that her memoir will help others who have complicated relationships with their mothers feel less alone and understand that they do not have to be a victim of their circumstances.
