Any child of the 80s who grew up in the United States remembers child stars Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. They quickly became known as “the two Coreys” and were fast friends even though they were in competition with one another for a variety of roles. Girls (and some guys too) would debate for hours over which Corey was cuter, which Corey was dating the latest teen starlet and whether the casting decision for each role they took was correct or if the “other Corey” would have been better. Now, it has been revealed that not only were these two stars the products of terrible environments, but that the situation of pedophiles preying upon child stars has long been an epidemic in Hollywood.
All fans of Corey Haim and Corey Feldman would have been stunned to know that both of these young men were the victims of ongoing child abuse at the hands of many adults around them, including horrific acts of sexual violence by pedophiles; acts which were gruesome, sordid, and which very probably caused the drug problems they both faced as well as the untimely death of Corey Haim three years ago from a drug overdose.
In his new book,
Coreyography, Corey Feldman details in terrifying detail the sexual abuse perpetrated on Corey Haim by adult males in the entertainment industry. Feldman says Haim had been tricked into engaging in anal sex by a man on a movie set. The man told Haim that sex between men and boys was normal in Hollywood, saying that “all the guys in the entertainment world do it.” After this experience, Haim proposed the idea to Feldman that they should be engaging in that with each other as well. Feldman turned him down, explaining that was not “just what guys do” and that children should not be having those kinds of interactions with adults. In the ensuing years, Haim would try to engage Feldman in sex but their friendship never went beyond the platonic. All the while, the public would have never guessed that the situation of child stars and pedophiles was becoming an epidemic, not just for Haim and Feldman but for other kids in the Hollywood scene as well.
Besides having to deal with adults giving them drugs and soliciting sex from them, the mistreatment also came from within their own families. Feldman’s own mother was one of the worst abusers, often beating and inflicting physical pain on Feldman, and telling him she was going to kill him on numerous occasions. Feldman’s father introduced him to a man named Ron, who was supposed to assist Feldman with his career. Instead, Ron got Feldman hooked on a variety of dangerous drugs. Feldman’s father also encouraged Feldman’s drug use.
Haim was also hooked on drugs, perhaps as a way to cope with the horrible anguish of what had happened to him. After his career hit the skids, he spiraled downward, and despite several attempts to get clean, he died in 2010 from a drug overdose.
The idea of pedophiles purposely preying on child stars is terrifying; and it seems as though the parents of these kids are often so involved in their own wishes for money and fame that they don’t do a good job protecting their children from this epidemic. It has gotten so bad, Feldman says, that he warns against any parent letting their child go into show business at all. “My only advice, honestly,” he says, “is to get these kids out of Hollywood and let them lead normal lives.” Indeed, it seems that stardom is not worth the price that Hollywood kids end up paying, and child stars seem most vulnerable. The heartbreaking book
Coreyography
is available on bookstore shelves now.
By:
Rebecca Savastio
