There are plenty of potential pathways for child stars to take, from cautionary tales to well-adjusted adults.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you,” she said.
“I have always felt a sense of repression in terms of my sexuality and showing my body.
Madisyn Shipman, then and now.Steven Ferdman/Everett; Madisyn Shipman/ Instagram
And I think a lot of that is because I grew up on a Nickelodeon show.
You’ve got to be presented as a little girl constantly.
And whenever that ends…
I had a little bit of an identity crisis because I didn’t know who I was.”
She continued, “Now, I’m reclaiming my power.
I’m reclaiming my sexuality.
I’m doing what makes me happy.
And I have no issues posing in a bikini or a lingerie set.
It’s just me.
I think it’s so empowering to be able to pose like that and feel great in my skin.
Shipman also said she appreciates having control over how much skin she shows.
“That was the biggest thing.
That’s not how my goals align.
That’s the great thing about Playboy.
Shipman is now “able to fully self-fund my music career, which is wonderful,” she said.
“I have my own house.
I’m fully taken care of.
Still, she does regularly decline requests that make her uncomfortable.
“There are definitely some odd requests,” Shipman admitted.
There’s been some weird requests in terms of fetishes and that kind of thing.
Shipman said many of her clients on the Playboy platform are just fans who want to connect with her.
“Most of my requests are pretty tame.
Many folks just want to hear about my day.
Many of them just want to have a conversation.”
“I was always pushing the boundaries back then,” she recalled.
So I think they expected it.
But they fully support me.
They know what I’m doing makes me happy.”
Playboy’s digital content creation platform, formerly called Centerfold, launched in 2021.
“It all goes back to freedom of expression,” she added.
“And I’m showcasing who I truly am.
I’ve escaped this ‘child star curse.’
I’m not living my life for other people.
I just want to make myself happy.
I’m not doing anything that is outside my boundaries or my comfort.
And my fans are fully supportive of me.”
