Christina Crawford(I)
- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Christina Crawford was born on June 11, 1939, to teenage parents. She
was later adopted by screen legend
Joan Crawford, originally named
Joan Crawford Jr. When she was 11 months old, she was taken to Nevada,
where she was formally adopted by Joan and renamed Christina. Her early
life was one of happiness living with her "Mommie Dearest".
When she was three, her mother married
Phillip Terry and they adopted a baby
originally named Phillip Terry, Jr. but, after their divorce, he was
renamed Christopher Crawford. By her account, soon after, things
started to change at home. Her mother started giving her tasks around
the house, like doing the dishes but Joan also sometimes assigned her
things to do that where physically impossible for her to do. In the
mornings, everyone would have to walk on tiptoe and whisper so as not
to wake Joan up. Around this time, what Christina calls "night raids"
started happening, such as the infamous "No Wire Hangers Ever" scene
depicted in Mommie Dearest (1981).
These raids would sometimes last for several hours. When Christina was
about nine, Joan adopted twins, Cathy and Cindy.
Soon after, her mother decided to send her to the prestigious Chadwick
School, a boarding school in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, about forty
minutes from their home. Christina alleges during her time at Chadwick
she wore her coat to class because Joan gave her only two dresses, one
pair of shoes and the coat for a whole semester. There was also an
unfortunate incident where Christina was caught alone with a boyfriend
without permission. Joan heard about it a few days later and removed
her from the school. Christina was sent to a Catholic boarding school
until she went to college in Pittsburgh. She spent one year in college
and then started doing acting jobs. She moved to New York, worked in a
restaurant and did odd jobs. She went to England for a while and while
there her stepfather, Alfred N. Steele, CEO of the Pepsi-Cola company,
died. While in a summer stock production of "Splendor in the Grass",
she met a man she would eventually marry, but the marriage didn't last
long. Christina was cast on the TV soap opera
The Secret Storm (1954) in
1968. While out recovering from surgery, Joan, who by then was
well-past 60, stepped in for her, playing a 28-year-old woman. After
this, Christina returned to California, went back to school and met
David Koontz, later her second
husband.
When Joan Crawford died in 1977,
it made headlines that she had cut Christina and Christopher out of her
will. Shortly afterward, Christina wrote "Mommie Dearest" about her
life with her abusive mother. In 1981, the best-selling book was made
into a blockbuster movie. Christina shortly thereafter suffered a major
stroke from which she recovered. A couple of years later, she and David
divorced. Since then, she has lived in Northern Idaho, operated a
bed-and-breakfast, and continued writing.
was later adopted by screen legend
Joan Crawford, originally named
Joan Crawford Jr. When she was 11 months old, she was taken to Nevada,
where she was formally adopted by Joan and renamed Christina. Her early
life was one of happiness living with her "Mommie Dearest".
When she was three, her mother married
Phillip Terry and they adopted a baby
originally named Phillip Terry, Jr. but, after their divorce, he was
renamed Christopher Crawford. By her account, soon after, things
started to change at home. Her mother started giving her tasks around
the house, like doing the dishes but Joan also sometimes assigned her
things to do that where physically impossible for her to do. In the
mornings, everyone would have to walk on tiptoe and whisper so as not
to wake Joan up. Around this time, what Christina calls "night raids"
started happening, such as the infamous "No Wire Hangers Ever" scene
depicted in Mommie Dearest (1981).
These raids would sometimes last for several hours. When Christina was
about nine, Joan adopted twins, Cathy and Cindy.
Soon after, her mother decided to send her to the prestigious Chadwick
School, a boarding school in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, about forty
minutes from their home. Christina alleges during her time at Chadwick
she wore her coat to class because Joan gave her only two dresses, one
pair of shoes and the coat for a whole semester. There was also an
unfortunate incident where Christina was caught alone with a boyfriend
without permission. Joan heard about it a few days later and removed
her from the school. Christina was sent to a Catholic boarding school
until she went to college in Pittsburgh. She spent one year in college
and then started doing acting jobs. She moved to New York, worked in a
restaurant and did odd jobs. She went to England for a while and while
there her stepfather, Alfred N. Steele, CEO of the Pepsi-Cola company,
died. While in a summer stock production of "Splendor in the Grass",
she met a man she would eventually marry, but the marriage didn't last
long. Christina was cast on the TV soap opera
The Secret Storm (1954) in
1968. While out recovering from surgery, Joan, who by then was
well-past 60, stepped in for her, playing a 28-year-old woman. After
this, Christina returned to California, went back to school and met
David Koontz, later her second
husband.
When Joan Crawford died in 1977,
it made headlines that she had cut Christina and Christopher out of her
will. Shortly afterward, Christina wrote "Mommie Dearest" about her
life with her abusive mother. In 1981, the best-selling book was made
into a blockbuster movie. Christina shortly thereafter suffered a major
stroke from which she recovered. A couple of years later, she and David
divorced. Since then, she has lived in Northern Idaho, operated a
bed-and-breakfast, and continued writing.