Since then the validity of the scenes described in the memoir have been debated and dissected at great length. Cathy has been very vocal about her experience, and that’s her privilege, but there was eight years’ difference between us. When you have a statute of limitations against sexual abuse of children, then most of the perpetrators go free because some states only have three years. During the interview, Cathy Crawford LaLonde, stated "Christina says Joan was rotten, and I say she was a good person," further going on to say, "I just can't feel for anybody who would do that to their own mother. Now, 30 years after publishing Mommie Dearest, Christina Crawford is reissuing the book with a new introduction and afterword, supporting testimonies from contemporaries and more than 100 pages and photographs that were cut from the 1978 edition.

It’s said that Crawford knew of the book’s existence before her death in May 1977, but that she’d never discussed it with Christina.

I think it's probably true, but I also get the impression that had JC had a lot of money when she died (she actually didn't have much) and had left a lot of it to Christina, this book would never had hit the shelves. She was one of the original studio ingenues, an actress who overcame an impoverished childhood to become one of the highest-paid women in the business.

I do not want to talk anybody out of reading it, but in my opinion it is one of the few cases where the movie is better than the book.However, next day, Joan sent someone (God only knows who) to the school, and had ALL of Christina's attire picked up- leaving her with the shoes, underwear, and dress she was wearing, and one cotton dress in the closet. Whatever the case, we will never know the real story as to what happened between Joan Crawford and her adopted daughter. Crawford hated wire hangers, and reportedly once woke up her daughter in the middle of the night for using them.

Released in September 1981, Mommie Dearest swiftly garnered a reputation among audiences for its highly-charged performances and melodramatic style, leading Paramount to retool their marketing campaign, presenting the film as an unintentional comedy despite its dark subject matter.Whatever your opinion of Crawford the actress (and I repeat that I am a huge fan), it is worthwhile to read her daughter's perceptions - not because it should influence your opinion of Crawford's talent, but because it helps to gain a more complete understanding of the very driven, ambitious and probably highly damaged person that rose to the top of the most competitive field in the world: movie stardom. Some time later, Joan has met and married Alfred Steele, president of Pepsi Cola, and moves to New York City. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. We take intellectual property concerns very seriously, but many of these problems can be resolved directly by the parties involved.