Christy Carlson Romano is revisiting the complicated relationship she had with Shia LaBeouf while the two were growing up on the set of Disney Channel’s Even Stevens.
Romano, 42, discusses the experience as part of her new memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star, released October 6. Looking back as an adult, she describes a relationship that could be competitive and difficult while acknowledging that both young actors were dealing with very different pressures away from the cameras.
Romano sees the relationship differently as an adult
Romano and LaBeouf played siblings Ren and Louis Stevens on the Disney Channel comedy, which ran from 2000 to 2003. Their characters’ rivalry helped drive the show, but Romano has said their off-screen relationship was not especially close.
In recent interviews, she has described their dynamic as dysfunctional and sometimes competitive. She has also emphasized that LaBeouf was dealing with a complicated home life and that, as a teenager herself, she did not have the emotional tools or perspective to fully understand what he was going through.
Rather than placing all the blame on one person, Romano now frames the experience as the product of two ambitious young performers navigating fame, family pressures and a demanding professional environment.
Her memoir examines the cost of child stardom
The LaBeouf chapter is part of a much broader story. Romano’s memoir examines her rise through Broadway and Disney, including Kim Possible and Cadet Kelly, alongside the instability that followed early success.
She has written and spoken about substance use, financial problems, unhealthy relationships and the pressure to maintain a polished public image. She also describes the competitive atmosphere that could develop around young performers who were being asked to function as both children and professional entertainers.
Romano has said she remains grateful for the opportunities Disney gave her while also believing that young performers need stronger emotional support and protection.
Romano says she would not rewrite her past
Despite the difficult memories, Romano’s current perspective is not simply one of regret. She has built a new life in Texas with her husband and daughters, embraced sobriety and developed a successful online presence that allows her to discuss the realities of entertainment more openly.
She and LaBeouf are not currently in contact, but Romano has suggested that their relationship unfolded as it was meant to. The distance of more than two decades has allowed her to see the experience with more empathy than she could as a teenager.
That perspective appears central to the memoir: the goal is less about settling old scores than understanding how early fame shaped the adults those child stars eventually became. For fans who grew up watching Even Stevens, Romano’s reflections add a more complicated layer to a series remembered for its bright, chaotic comedy.