Christina Crawford’s Autobiography (1978)

In the twenty-first century, the era of Online gossip and television shows, a celebrity tell-all may be found almost anywhere. This was not always the case, though. Christina Crawford's 1978 exposé of her mother, actress Joan Crawford, ushered in an age of sensational celebrity scoops.

Joan adopted Christina as a child in 1939, but the connection started to deteriorate as Christina matured. Joan apparently started asserting her power upon Christina and was resentful of her daughter's maturation. Christina's adolescent years were trying for the couple, but the last blow came when she chose to follow her acting career. Joan took her position in the ensemble of the opera "The Secret Storm" in 1968 until she was forced to leave for surgery. Christina never pardoned her mother, and the two grew alienated as a result. Joan passed away in 1977; Christina Crawford's autobiography "Mommie Dearest" was released over a year and half later.

Christina Crawford's autobiography is unlike any other works of its type, and its assertions that Joan was indeed a self-absorbed, heartless, and violent mother soon garnered media attention. The film version of the novel, featuring Faye Dunaway, was infamous for its campiness but contributed to the public's changing attitude of Joan. Despite the book’s enormous success, some who knew Joan directly disputed its authenticity. Myrna Loy and Van Johnson, as well as Christina's siblings Cathy and Cindy, publicly defended Joan. What was certain was that "Mommy Dearest" set the stage for an age of celebrity autobiographies.