Jennette McCurdy discusses "creepy" past age gap relationship on podcast

Jennette McCurdy discusses past age gap relationship and its impact during recent podcast appearance

Jennette McCurdy has spoken publicly about a past relationship with an older man, describing it as unhealthy and shaped by an unequal power dynamic. The former iCarly actor shared the account during a January 7 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper.

McCurdy said the relationship began when she was around 18 and involved a man in his 30s. She recalled feeling pressured to conform to his tastes and expectations.

“I was most likely 18,” McCurdy said. “He would show me movies that he thought I would like… He would play me music that I did not like, but I pretended to like.”

According to McCurdy, the age difference affected the balance of control in the relationship. She said the man was also involved in another long-term relationship and living with a different woman at the time.

McCurdy stated that she was pressured into sexual activity and felt increasingly uncomfortable as the relationship continued.

The actor and author explained that the relationship took place while her mother, Debra McCurdy, was seriously ill and hospitalised before her death in 2013. Reflecting on the situation, McCurdy described it as “creepy” for an adult man to pursue a teenager while framing her as “mature”.

“It was just exhausting,” she said, recalling an incident in which he arrived at her apartment intoxicated. She added that she felt conflicted about managing the relationship while dealing with her mother’s declining health, noting that her mother would not have approved.

McCurdy’s experience has influenced her creative work. She is set to publish her debut novel, Half His Age, on January 20, 2026, through Ballantine at Penguin Random House.

The fictionalised story follows a 17-year-old involved in a relationship with her teacher and explores themes of desire, control and identity.

In a press release, McCurdy said writing the novel was “the most creatively fulfilling experience” of her life, allowing her to examine complex emotional and social dynamics through fiction.