This Is Where it Started
On the second to last day of the year 1984, a young mother from Akron, Ohio, gave birth to a healthy boy. The young mother, Gloria Marie James, named him her newborn boy LeBron, which roughly translates to “the brown-haired one.”
Unfortunately, Gloria James had to raise that little boy all by herself, with only the help of her mother. But regardless of the absence of a father figure, she raised him to become a person everyone wants to know.
A Single Parent
With her mother’s passing when she was only 19, Gloria had to raise the boy alone, and he was now just over two years old. This meant no more help from anybody, so she had to care for a little boy on her own.
While going from one neighborhood to the next in Akron, finding a job was difficult, so life became quite challenging. This was when she decided that she needed to move to a place where there’d be some stability for her and the boy.
An Unstable Life
While they were living in Akron, they moved around a lot, and often they stayed with friends. This made him change schools regularly, and he lost nearly half of the year while traveling from one place to another.
At this time of his life, he found comfort in sports and started playing pee wee football for the South Side Rangers. This team, where he found sanctuary, was coached by Frank Walker, who decided to look out for the family.
The New Place
When Frank Walker and his wife Pam heard that the young mother was looking for a new place, he made her an offer. So, they moved in with the Walkers and became part of a healthy home environment where a child could grow up.
Frank and his wife asked Gloria to move in with them until she found something permanent for her and her child. This was the best thing that could happen for the little boy who was struggling to find his place in life.
First Introduction to Sports
A great opportunity was given to LeBron by Frank, who was the coach of the youth football team. When he was still in fourth grade, he joined the team and became friends and teammates with Frank Walker Jr.
This was a great way for the energetic young boy to find his feet and become part of a team. Becoming part of something that meant a lot to him was only the beginning of a new era in his life.
What Changed
When LeBron James was nine years old, he was introduced to basketball by his coach and mentor, and that changed everything. After his first taste of basketball, there was no stopping this young player, and he played whenever he could.
His first introduction was joining the first rec-league basketball team, the Summit Lake Community Center Hornets. This was where he belonged, James was in his element now, and things just started happening for this young athlete.
Shooting Star
Just one year after joining the team of Frank Walker, LeBron James joined the Shooting Stars basketball team. This was a traveling youth league basketball team and was part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) from Northeast Ohio.
This team became both a local and national hit and showed that LeBron was an exceptional player. Life was becoming great for the young boy who had recently struggled to stay ahead with his schoolwork.
The Fab Four
It was playing for this team that LeBron and three of his teammates became known as the Fabulous Four. They were LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, and Dru Joyce, who led their basketball team.
These four also became best friends off the court and ended up in the same high school after a mutual decision. They all chose to attend the private school, St. Vincent-St. Mary high school.
How They Came Together
While LeBon was playing in the Summit Lake community team, Dru Joyce or Little Dru was playing at the Ed Davis Community Center team. They practiced together at the Salvation Army gym and soon started playing together in the traveling Youth League team.
Cotton, who was a football and baseball player, was persuaded to play basketball and joined them soon after. When McGee moved from Chicago to live with his older brother, he joined their team. With the addition of McGee, the group was complete.
Great Things Await
When joining this school, the first thing that Lebron did was join the many different sports teams played with a ball. LeBron became a favorite in both the football and basketball teams, where he dominated in all aspects.
Unfortunately, he had an injury while playing football, making him focus more on playing basketball than the other. According to expert sports analysts, if it weren’t for that, LeBron would easily have been chosen to play in the NFL.
Savannah
Savannah was born on August 27th, 1986 as the youngest daughter of JK and Jennifer Brinson. She was one of five children and, being the youngest, was raised by all members of the family.
She grew up in a stable and healthy environment with parents who taught her the better values of life. This made her appreciate many things and made her care not just about her close family but also about those who are in need.
An Open Home
As long as Savanah can remember, her parent’s house was always open to those who needed a place or any help. Her parents were always taking care of others who were in need.
These were some of the values she learned from her parents, which made her the person she is today. Any kid or friend of her two brothers and two sisters who had some kind of trouble or need was always welcome in their home.
A Great Athlete
While she was a member of the cheerleading squad, Savannah Brinson was also quite an accomplished athlete in her own right. She also grew up in Akron and was in a rival school in the area where LeBron was born and raised.
She was part of her school’s softball team and had quite a busy social life at the age of 16. At that time, she knew nothing of the popular basketball player just a few miles away.
LeBron and Savannah Meet
He was only 17, and she was 16 when they met, making them the first famous couple from Akron, Ohio. When asked much later, LeBron could still remember what color clothes she wore that first day they met.
They first met when Savanah was a high school sophomore and LeBron was attending a rival school; they became high school sweethearts after that. She remembered that he had asked a friend for her number and she decided that she would take his phone number.
Get the Courage
According to LeBron, he didn’t have the courage to ask her out at first and asked a friend to be his wingman. Even though they were in rival schools, that didn’t bother him, and he decided to go after her anyway.
Even though he didn’t muster the courage to ask her out, they eventually became a couple and have been ever since. Many fans and the press say they are the first power couple coming from the same highly competitive area.
The Wingman
Fortunately for LeBron, the wingman dared to ask for Savannah’s number on his behalf and passed it on. Savannah recalled she first thought to say no and ask for his number instead, so she could decide whether or not she wanted to meet him.
It didn’t take long for her to make a move and give him a call, which according to her, wasn’t a dramatic decision. She recalled she had the number of a boy and decided to call him and see how it went.
A Local Hotshot
Because they were both athletes, LeBron asked her to attend one of the basketball games he was playing. She was quite surprised to find out that he was very talented and that he was a local hotshot at his high school.
After that match, she joined him and his team at a local Applebee’s, where they could get to know each other better in a friendly environment. This was the beginning of a years-long relationship that just got better over time.
First Official Date
For high schoolers, their first date was quite a decent feat; he took her out for an Outback Steakhouse dinner. According to Savannah, the date was very good but what impressed her most was the deed of chivalry after dinner.
She had her leftovers packed in a takeaway bag but forgot to take them with her. Luckily, he saw that she’d missed the bag and took care of it by bringing it to her.
A Real Gentlemen
LeBron James was a real gentleman and respected her parents’ rules by staying within the curfew set by them. He was wise enough to know that winning the favor of her parents was the best way to earn the girl’s respect.
LeBron made sure that her family knew that he was quite serious about Savannah and obeyed their rules. He brought her home in time and tried not to get on the bad side of her father.
Personality Won Her Over
Even though LeBron was quite a hotshot at his high school, his talent wouldn’t win her heart. She wasn’t interested in anything other than his personality and him being himself; that’s what made him attractive to her.
She didn’t need any fans or the spotlight or a big bank account to make her fall for this young athlete. She stuck with him right from the start, and they grew together into a great couple.
New to the NBA
In 2003, LeBron James was not yet 19, and he was already a top pick in the NBA draft. This was a big year for him, not just because it was his senior year in high school but also for his basketball future.
He was destined for greater things than just being the hotshot basketball talent of his high school. Before he could get his bearings, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which started his big-league life.
Much Higher Expectations
This was not junior or high school basketball, this was the big leagues, and much more was expected from LeBron James. Being the youngest rookie placed much more pressure on this talented player, even someone as talented as LeBron.
He was becoming an adult very quickly, much faster than was expected of most 18-year-old boys who’d just started senior year. But that was to become even worse with the newest event happening in the life of LeBron James and Savannah Brinson.
Expecting
The pressure on LeBron was getting even stronger when he received the news that Savannah was expecting a baby. Everything happened at once; he was now a senior in high school, became the youngest ever top pick draft for the NBA, and now this.
With life getting a lot more complicated and intense, his first season in the NBA was about becoming very busy. But being the professional athlete that he is, he withstood the pressure and supported his high school sweetheart.
Keep it Together
By the time it was prom for the 18-year-old Savannah, she was already five months into her pregnancy. She designed the dress to hide the bump, but she said afterward that she looked terrible. Luckily, that’s just her opinion.
The design was quite fashionable at that time, so nobody noticed that she was hiding something from them. They both got through this and became better people and a baby richer, even though she was quite nervous.
She Was Scared
She was scared to tell her parents that she was expecting a baby and what it would do to LeBron’s new NBA career. LeBron put her mind to rest with the assurance that they’d get through this together, no matter what.
LeBron told her that this wouldn’t slow them down and that they’d keep doing what they were doing. This put her mind at ease, so she told her parents about it and everything worked out just fine.
Their First Child
Then, on October 6th, 2004, they became a family of three. They called the baby boy LeBron James Jr. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, as he’s just as talented as his father and participated in various sports.
But having the name of a famous father can have its own difficulties, as he experienced in his young life. There was a lot of pressure on Jr. to walk in the footsteps of an overachiever like LeBron James.
Bronny
LeBron James Jr. is affectionately known as “Bronny” to his parents and everyone else close to the family. He also needed that pet name so people could know they weren’t talking about his famous father.
Bronny is a talented sportsman in his own right and has focused all his attention and talent on basketball. At high school age, he’s already drawing a lot of attention and will bring honor to his family name.
Then, There Was Bryce
Three years after their firstborn, LeBron and Savannah had another child, a baby brother for Bronny, Bryce Maximus James. Following in his father and brother’s footsteps, he started playing basketball at a very young age.
This son of Lebron was named after the main gladiator Maximus in his favorite movie, The Gladiator. Even though LeBron still needed to attend a practice session, he stood by Savannah all the time she was in labor.
Following Big Shoes
He can easily join the NBA in a few short years and even at the same age as his father at 18. This will be a great lineage of excellent sportsmen from the LeBron James family.
At the age of 15, Bryce was already a little taller than his older brother, Bronny, and played his father’s favorite game. It will be a great day for LeBron James if he can play with both of his sons in the NBA.
Life Goes On
After the birth of his second son, LeBron James decided to move from his hometown team, Cleveland Cavaliers, to Miami. His many fans at home weren’t happy when they heard that their favorite player was going to join a rival team.
This happened in 2010 when LeBron became a free agent and joined the Miami Heat team. He was welcomed by the officials, and the team’s fans, with open arms.
Some Didn’t Take it Well
Many Cleveland Cavalier fans made their voice heard when it was announced that LeBron was making a move. This was made public on the TV special, The Decision, and was accepted with mixed emotions.
He signed a six-year deal with Miami Heat and brought a lot of talent and experience. In his own words: “To have the best opportunity to win now and to win into the future.”
Making it Permanent
LeBron and Savannah had been an item for many years now, and with two children already, they needed to make their arrangement permanent. So, LeBron popped the question in 2011, and they were engaged for two years.
On September 14th, 2014, they celebrated their years together and got married. Their wedding took place in San Diego and lasted for three days to make it extra special while everyone enjoyed it.
They’re a Daughter Richer
Just over a month after they got married, their daughter was born on October 22nd, 2014. This was a happy day for the father, LeBron James, who admitted a great change in his life.
According to LeBron, it changed him in many ways, especially the responsibility he felt for the women in his life. He also said that being Zhuri Nova’s father made him a better, stronger, and more dedicated man.
Zhuri Nova James
At a young age, she already knew how to use the family name to become a little star on her own. With a YouTube channel of her own, All Things Zhuri, she has more than 200,000 followers.
Regular videos about her own daily life and parents are posted for the subscribers to view. Her family, friends, and loving parents are featured in these videos.
Returning Home
To the delight of his many fans back home, Lebron announced in 2014 that he was returning to his home team. This was indeed a happy day for his fans and those who supported the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It was also great for both LeBron and Savannah to return home to where they first met. Now, they could settle there and let their children grow up in the same place they fell in love.
Keeping His Promise
When Lebron James returned to his home team, he made them a promise that he’d give them another win. This promise to grant the city another championship was what he planned to do.
In 2016, the man made his promise come true, and the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA finals. This was all to the delight of his home team fans and the LeBron James fans.
Savannah Keeping a Low Profile
All the while, his wife, Savannah, kept a low profile and stayed home with the kids, playing mom and housewife. Every now and then, she’d appear in public with her husband on occasions, but she didn’t like the limelight.
It’s not that she didn’t have the personality and looks to become a star herself. According to her, it wasn’t her scene, so she wasn’t available for many interviews.
Learned From Her Parents
Just like her parents, Savannah decided to give back to the community and started a mentorship program for teenage girls. This local mentorship was for girls in her hometown and community called, Akron: Woman of Our Future.
The whole family got involved in her charity undertakings, and even her husband, LeBron, became involved. She also started the LeBron James Family Foundation to do good deeds in the world.
A Helping Hand
This foundation helps youth in the community with problems and keeps them in school. Helping youth overcome difficulties and giving them a better education will give them a better and more secure future.
The foundation led by this couple also started the I Promise School, a public elementary school in Akron, Ohio. This will help to lay a sturdy foundation for those children with troubled backgrounds to have more stability.
More to Give
Savannah threw her heart into these foundations and started another one called the I PROMise Makeover. This is an organization that provides prom dresses for underprivileged teens in the community.
This made an impact on the community in which they grew up and met each other. A lot of money has been donated by the LeBron James Family Foundation towards scholarships at Akron university.
Happy Family
The James household is one happy family and is just what LeBron and Savannah wanted for their home and children. Because LeBron grew up without a father, he wanted to be there for his children so they could have what he did not.
This is a great achievement for someone who didn’t have dual-parent role models when growing up. Now, both LeBron and Savannah James are happy to be called Mom and Dad.
The Woman Who Raised Him
Even though Gloria struggled to give her son the best she could, she achieved a lot with little to spare. It’s clear that LeBron has a great appreciation for the woman who raised him into the man he’s become.
Nowadays, he’s able to provide for his wife and family and give his mother everything she didn’t have. This is a great way of saying ‘thank you, mom!’
Home of Hospitality
Just like her parents, Savannah made the James home a place of hospitality and enjoys having friends and family over. The same values she was taught by her parents are now part of their huge home in Los Angeles.
Every visitor to their home is made to feel welcome and stay for dinner or just have coffee. It’s great to see that these people didn’t forget their roots.
Just the Same People
Even though they’re very popular and have millions of fans, the James couple didn’t change. They’re still the down-to-earth people they were when they just started out with much less at their disposal.
It’s important to LeBron and Savannah that their children stay humble, which is why they provide that example. As LeBron has said, his family keeps him grounded.
Keep it Going
Since that day in 2002 when they first met, LeBron and Savannah have been together and kept it that way. They went from high school sweethearts to the mom and dad of three children and they became famous.
They’ve made it far and will keep going for the sake of their family and true love. It’s nice to know that they’re committed to each other, their children, and their fans.
Someone Should Have Saved Joan Crawford’s Adopted Daughter From Her Parenting Methods
Couldn’t Have Children
Joan was very eager to become a mother, but that didn’t happen during her first marriage to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. This lasted from 1929 to 1933, when she decided to end it and got a divorce. She married Franchot Tone in 1935 and wanted children, but, again, that wasn’t to be.
After the second marriage ended in 1939, she knew that having children naturally wasn’t meant to be. It was at this point that she decided adoption was the best option and adopted a 10-day-old baby girl.
The First Adopted Child
When Joan Crawford discovered that she couldn’t have children during her second marriage, she decided to adopt a child. This was when she adopted Christina, the first of five adopted children through the years. She adopted the baby girl from an unmarried teen mother from Los Angeles, California.
According to Christina, her biological father was a married man in the navy, and her mother was still a teenager. Joan Crawford adopted this baby through a baby broker in Nevada because social services denied her adoption in California.
Determined to Have a Child
Although Joan Crawford was at first denied the adoption of a child, she didn’t let that stop her from starting a family. That was when she pursued adoption through another state where she had more success.
Her determination made it possible for her to adopt Christina just after her second marriage. It took Joan a while to decide what to name the new baby, but after some uncertainty, she settled on Christina. This is how she found a child of her own at long last.
The Next Child
This event took place around a year and a half after adopting her baby girl while married to her third husband. At this stage, she decided to expand the family and find another child to adopt. They settled on a boy, but something they never expected happened.
The biological mother of the boy decided that she wanted her baby back and was awarded guardianship. Joan and her new husband, actor Phillip Terry, were stunned by this development.
A Replacement
After this unfortunate incident, the couple decided to adopt another child and settled on a boy. This new baby boy was named after his adopted father, Phillip. This baby boy was meant to replace Christopher, the boy they needed to return to his biological mother.
Unfortunately, her marriage to Phillip didn’t last that long; she ended up getting a divorce. Both children stayed with Joan after their separation, so she had two children to devote her life to. After the divorce, Joan Crawford changed the boy’s name to Christopher.
Adoption of the Twins
After divorcing Phillip Terry in 1946, Joan decided to try again for adoption, this time, using an adoption agency. So, in 1947, as a single parent, she opted for another baby and found a pair of twin sisters. She quickly adopted the twin baby girls and called them Cindy and Cathy.
Even though the agency was known for using illegal practices to provide children to celebrities, she went ahead and adopted the twins. This is what she always wanted: a large family to care for.
Joan Was Quite Strict
According to Christina’s memoir, published in 1978, Joan was quite strict with her children. Joan didn’t hesitate to discipline them when they did something not in accordance with her rules. Christina also said that she would use anything that was lying around to punish them.
She also remembered that her mother would use wooden coat hangers to spank them if they misbehaved. This type of parenting technique wouldn’t sit well in today’s modern world of tolerance and restraint.
Image of an Idyllic Home
Because she was a public figure, Joan had to keep up the image of a perfect mother, and that’s what everyone saw. But there was more going on than what everyone assumed they knew.
While everyone saw an idyllic home with happy children, according to Christina, something else was going on. She said Joan was very strict and would punish them harshly for minor misbehavior.
Joan Was No Stranger to Spanking
In front of other people, she would play the part of a loving and caring mother, but when they were alone, it was different. Joan would easily use even a hair brush to discipline her children when they were naughty. On one occasion, she broke the handle of a brush.
These punishments were always done when they were alone, and no one could see what was happening. According to Christina, Joan would use any object to carry out the disciplining of her children.
She Locked Them Up
Joan would lock her children up in a storage closet if they misbehaved or did something she didn’t like. According to Christina, this was one of her methods of disciplining her children when they were naughty.
Christina claimed that Joan would lock them up in a small room in their luxury Beverly Hills home. This was done as punishment for even minor misconduct.
Joan Cut Christina’s Favorite Dress
On another occasion, Joan cut Christina’s favorite yellow dress into pieces with scissors. That was because she accidentally tore the wallpaper while tracing the pattern with her finger while falling asleep. Joan was enraged when she found out what Christina had done.
This certainly didn’t sit well with Joan, so she used this method to punish the girl for tearing the wallpaper. Christina claimed that her mother knew that was her favorite dress.
She Was Scared of Her Mother
The incident with the wallpaper is one of many that showed how scared Christina was of her mother’s parenting methods. After tearing the wallpaper, she tried to put it back onto the wall and even used spit to stick it to the wall.
This meant she would rather hide things from her mother than face her wrath. The worst part was that, after cutting the dress, Joan made Christina wear the tattered dress for a whole week, even after it got dirty.
Call Me Mommy Dearest
Christina also states in her memoirs that Joan forced her children to call her “Mommy Dearest” instead of just Mommy. Even though it’s common for children to give their parents endearing names, this was a bit too much.
She would become furious if Christina didn’t call her by that name. In this case, this wasn’t out of love or respect. It was enforced on the children to refer to her by the term.
She Was Stricter With Christina
According to Christina, Joan was also much stricter with her than she was with the younger children. This was especially the case when she broke one of her mother’s many rules. She would be harshly punished by her mother, Christina recalls in her book.
She remembers that Joan was especially strict with her and would easily discipline her more than the other children. Even if it’s not easy for a single mom to raise five children, she might have been a bit too strict.
Different Types of Punishment
Joan would use different types of punishments to discipline the children when they broke the rules. On one occasion, Christine broke one of the rules, and Joan prevented her from attending a friend’s birthday party.
She had to sit quietly for the whole duration of the party and not move. This was actually witnessed by a friend of Joan, June Allison, who thought that the punishment was a bit harsh. She recalled that Joan was very strict with Christina.
Tie the Children Up
On another occasion, a friend would find Christopher tied to the bed when he came to visit them. It seems like this type of thing happened quite often in the Crawford home. According to them, Christopher was tied to a sleep-safe device.
The boy who visited them was the son of another famous person, Helen Hayes, who refused to let her child visit them again. According to Christina, she was also tied to the bed for the night occasionally for bad behavior.
Woke Them Up at Night
Apparently, Joan would wake the children up at night when they were sleeping and make them clean up something they messed up. These night raids were done on a regular basis and were one of the parenting methods applied by Joan.
Christina recalled one occasion when she was eight years old and was taken out of bed by Joan at night. This was done so they could clean up where they made a mess during the day.
They Stayed Up All Night
These nightly raids would mean that the children would be up for the majority of the night while they cleaned their mess. This was a favored method of teaching the children not to make a mess during the day, or else they would regret it that night.
This could happen to any of the Crawford children, who would be woken up to clean. As Christine recalled, they all were subjected to this method, even the youngest of the children.
A Parade for the Kids
Joan would, on occasion, introduce the children to her boyfriends and girlfriends when she brought them home. She would bring her lovers home at night and introduce them to the children before going upstairs with them.
On other occasions, she expected Christina to mix their adult beverages. The children were instructed to call these visitors her mother brought home their uncles. She didn’t try to hide her activities with these visitors from the children.
Take Their Presents Back
One of the most awful things Joan would do, according to Christina, was to give the children Christmas presents in front of photographers. Then she would take those gifts away. According to Christina’s memoirs, Joan wasn’t one for spoiling her children, even for the holidays.
The gifts were taken away and re-wrapped so they could give them to their friends on their birthdays. Each child was only allowed to keep one present on these occasions.
The Green-Eyed Monster
On occasion, Joan would accuse Christina of making a move on her husband, Alfred Steele, and trying to seduce him. This was a sure sign that Joan Crawford had some jealousy issues, which she projected onto her oldest daughter.
The Green-Eyed Monster
It’s also known that Joan was jealous of her professional rival, Bette Davis. Unfortunately, Joan allowed this serious jealousy problem she had to come between her and Christina, souring their relationship. She didn’t see her daughter very favorably at all.
Mother and Daughter Outfits
One thing Joan enjoyed doing was having both mother and daughter dress in look-alike outfits for photo sessions. She liked to do this with Christina from a young age, and the cameras were rolling. This was her favorite thing to do over the Christmas season.
Christina recalls that this wasn’t really meant for her to have fun but rather for Joan to project the image she wanted to maintain. While it looked beautiful and fun, she didn’t particularly like these sessions.
Joan Called the Police
It might seem that Christina was a difficult child, but to call the authorities on her was really a scare tactic. According to Christina, a juvenile officer came to their home and gave her a stern warning.
This included the threat that she would be taken away to the juvenile hall. This left Christina quite shaken and made her feel that she would never be welcome; it made her feel hopeless. Was this a good parenting method?
Obsessive Name Changing
Right from the first adoption of her children, Joan changed their names a few times before she was satisfied. It started with her first adoptive daughter, who was first named Joan, and then she changed her name and settled on Christina.
The second child, which was the second boy, was named after his father, Phillip, but she changed his name to Christopher after the divorce. This name change happened when he was around three years old; no wonder he had some issues growing up!
Joan Withheld Food
As punishment, Joan didn’t allow Christina any food for a time because she complained about dinner at some point. Christina complained that the steak she was served was a bit raw to her taste and refused to eat her food.
Because of that incident, Christina was denied food for more than a day before she was allowed to eat again. She also said that this was part of Joan’s nature to control them, and it certainly showed in her parenting methods.
Christina Felt Unloved
When Christina reached her teenage years, she felt that her mother didn’t really love her or even care for her. This, Christina claimed, was because of the physical mistreatment she received from her mother when growing up. Being slammed and grabbed by her mother didn’t help build a good relationship.
While Christina claimed that her mother became violent when they were alone, many didn’t believe that accusation about Joan. But Christina says that’s only because she let people see what she wanted them to, nothing more.
What’s That About Wire Hangers?
Joan apparently had a hatred for wire hangers and forbade her children from using them when hanging their clothes. She was, on one occasion, furious when she found a single wire hanger in Christina’s closet.
She dragged Christina out of bed in the middle of the night and spanked her with the hanger. For unknown reasons, wire hangers had quite an effect on Joan, and she would lose her temper when they were found in her home.
Off to Boarding School
At the age of 10, Christina was sent to boarding school, and this put some distance between her mother and her childhood. It was here that she found that Joan’s parenting methods were far from normal and somewhat odd. But this didn’t help her to build a life of independence.
Christina understood that the rules she grew up with weren’t the norm and that other children didn’t go through the same punishment. This may have been the reason why she had some issues later on in her life.
A Sad Time
When Christina was 15, and in boarding school, her mental health wasn’t what it should be, even for a teenager. According to Christina’s memoirs, she claimed that Joan’s treatment caused her to feel negative about herself and her future.
During this time, Joan totally ignored her daughter. At this point, Christina tried to take too much medication, and Joan didn’t even contact her during this episode. Joan left her alone to cope with her problems, which made them even worse.
Grabbing Her by the Throat
Joan had grabbed Christina by her throat in a fit of rage, her hands around her neck, trying to harm her. This specific incident happened when Christina was a teenager, and it was a very bad physical fight that impacted the child.
She remembered that her mother had a look of animal rage in her eyes and that she fell to the floor when she lost her footing. This was also the last time they were involved in a physical fight.
Extreme Punishment
Even her son had to go through some extreme punishment, like the time when he played with a box of matches. Joan had him hold his hand in the fireplace to teach him not to play with matches again. This happened when he was only seven years old.
This punishment caused him to have blisters on his hand, and he recalls that it was the first time he ran away from home and away from Joan. This incident proves that Christina wasn’t exaggerating about being mistreated by her mother.
A Damaged Relationship
All these things and many more mentioned in the book Christina published caused Christina never to trust her mother again. This may have been the reason why they didn’t speak with each other for many years and why Joan disowned her eldest daughter and son.
The extreme and uncontroversial parenting methods of Joan Crawford caused irreparable damage to her adopted children. This was also the reason why Christina tried to end her life, and Christopher ran away from home many times. What a sad story.
This NBA superstar has many basketball achievements behind his name and is known for many great things. A lot of people consider him to be one of the greatest players of all time, and he’s named in the same breath as prestigious players like Michael Jordan. He’s also the youngest player ever to be drafted into the NBA at the tender age of only 18. This was only the beginning of great things, so let’s take a look at the interesting life of a living legend and his sweetheart, Savannah.