Evan Rachel Wood defends troubled pop star Justin Bieber
Evan Rachel Wood has urged the public to go easy on troubled pop star Justin Bieber, insisting youngsters who grow up in the spotlight should not be criticised for making mistakes.
The Wrestler star began acting when she was a child and found fame with her role in gritty teen drama Thirteen before making a successful transition to more adult roles.
Wood admits she struggled with life as a famous teenager and feels
sorry for fellow former child star Bieber, whose bad behaviour has
made him a regular in the headlines over the last few months.
She tells Thedailybeast.com, "I can't imagine what it's like to be
him. When you're a teenager in an adult career, people expect you
to be perfect and expect you to never make mistakes or to be a
reckless teenager. And then when you are, they give you such a
really hard time for it. You have to remind them that you're still
a kid."
Wood goes on to reveal she was deeply hurt by the criticism she
received over her relationship with former fiance Marilyn Manson
after she began dating the 36-year-old rocker when she was just
19.
She adds, "I was never a Bieber or a (Miley) Cyrus, but I think the
judgment was there, sure. People were pretty mean. At the time I
hadn't yet been exposed to that kind of cruelty from strangers. If
people were wondering why I was acting so-called crazy or like a
teenager, it's because I was. People go through phases. People make
mistakes. People go through life and don't get it right every
time."
Wood and Manson ended their brief engagement in 2010. She is now
married to actor Jamie Bell, the father of her infant son.