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Christy Carlson Romano's Elle op-ed, published in the wake of Hayden Panettiere's death at 36, frames Hollywood's treatment of young performers as a systemic failure comparable to the damage done to athletes before concussion protocols existed.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office confirmed no signs of trauma contributed to Panettiere's death but said cause and manner remain pending further studies.
Romano, who starred on the Disney Channel's "Even Stevens" from 2000 to 2003, named executives, networks, and stage parents as the parties who have repeatedly shifted responsibility while profiting from child talent.
The op-ed argues that early fame functions like CTE: not as a formal diagnosis, she wrote, but as a way of thinking about repeated psychological impact without language, protocols, or protection.
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