Ex-child star who went from making $60k A WEEK to facing drug addiction and homelessness weighs in on Hayden Panettiere’s death and reveals how Hollywood fails its young actors
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A former child star who overcame homelessness and drug addiction is weighing in on who is ultimately responsible for the well-being of child stars following the death of Hayden Panettiere.
Shaun Weiss was living a life of glitz and glamour as a young child star before it all came crashing down.
He began abusing drugs in his mid-30s and became homeless after three tragic events in close succession.
‘My father died. I was his caretaker and his nurse for the last decade of his life and he was my best friend,’ he said. ‘And my fiance broke up with me and I found out like she was seeing other people, and then my apartment lease ran out.’
But Weiss, who was in all three Mighty Ducks movies, ultimately managed to put his life back together and in January, the now 47-year-old celebrated six years of sobriety.
Now, in light of the actress’ death, Weiss is reflecting on a childhood spent in the spotlight and the concerning habits he started picking up that adults turned a blind eye to.
Former child star Shaun Weiss, who starred in all three Mighty Ducks movies, is weighing in on how Hollywood fails young actors following the death of Hayden Panettiere
Panettiere died on Sunday at 36 after a suspected overdose and had been frank about the troubling situations she found herself in growing up in the public eye. Above, in Hollywood in 2022
In Weiss’ opinion, his family dynamic became warped once he became the primary breadwinner for his family, leading to his parents ‘losing authority’ over him.
‘You can’t really count on Hollywood to police young people,’ he told The Daily Mail in an interview. ‘It’s the parents, really. And what happens, and I know this happened in my situation, the parenting dynamic gets incredibly messed up when the kid is the breadwinner, because you know, like in my own situation, my parents really lost authority with me when I started paying for things.
‘I honestly think it’s the parent’s job to raise a kid in a way in which they’re healthy and balanced, and maybe installing your child into show business isn’t the number one way to do that,’ he said.
Weiss says adults on set also failed to speak up despite being aware he was drinking alcohol underage.
‘When I was younger and when I was on sets and adults… I wouldn’t say people were offering me things, but they knew I was doing things and everyone just sort of looked away,’ he recalled.
Weiss believes parents are ultimately responsible for their children when they start working in Hollywood but the family dynamic can become warped once a child the primary breadwinner. Above, in December 2025
Weiss says adults on set failed to speak up despite being aware that he was drinking alcohol underage. Above, in Boy Meets World in 1998
Not every child star who enters Hollywood has faced the same troubles as Weiss, yet he advises the parents of young aspiring actors to proceed with caution. Above, pictured center in the 1995 movie Heavyweights
Weiss believes the intervention of an adult would have ‘made a difference’ in his life.
Not every child star who enters Hollywood has faced the same troubles as Weiss, yet he advises the parents of young aspiring actors to proceed with caution.
He recommends enrolling young children in programs that will teach them acting – but questions the motivation for pursuing professional work.
‘I would say learning a craft as young as possible is always the best idea. So there’s plenty of ways to get your kid involved in acting. There’s stage plays. There’s acting class. There’s all kinds of things,’ he said.
‘But you know, trying to get them paid professionally for it before they’re 18, it always reeks of something… are the parents hoping that the kids will pay the bills?
He went on: ‘What is the deficiency that’s making a parent put their kid into a business, especially one like Hollywood, where it’s known for people getting taken advantage of and people getting abused and chewed up and spit out.’
Weiss, now 47, has been candid in his journey to sobriety, speaking publicly about his past addiction to drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine. He celebrated six years of sobriety in January. Pictured in 2022
Speaking of Panettiere, Weiss recalled watching her on Heroes: ‘I remember… how hot she was in Hollywood… and I remember seeing her for the first time and getting it and being like, “Wow, she’s so talented, she’s so pretty.”‘ He added: ‘What a tragedy’
Weiss has been candid in his journey to sobriety, speaking publicly about his past addiction to drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine.
Former child star Panettiere also grappled with opioid and alcohol addiction. In her memoir, she alleged she was given a ‘happy pill’ by a staffer to liven her up for interviews when she was just 16.
Speaking of Panettiere, Weiss recalled watching her on her hit show Heroes.
‘I remember… how hot she was in Hollywood. She was definitely the hot girl, and I remember seeing her for the first time and getting it and being like, “Wow, she’s so talented, she’s so pretty,”‘ he said. ‘What a tragedy. And I I feel so bad for her parents.’