Christy Carlson Romano Details Pay Gap with Shia LaBeouf on 'Even Stevens'
In her new memoir, Christy Carlson Romano writes that she earned half of what Shia LaBeouf made on Disney's Even Stevens despite being co-leads with equal screen time. She shared on Instagram that her mother had asked her agent for equal pay in 2000 while the family was in debt. Romano said the book is not about LaBeouf but about growing up too fast in an industry that valued her less.
Christy Carlson Romano played Ren Stevens, the older sister of Shia LaBeouf's Louis, on Disney's Even Stevens. The sitcom aired for three seasons between 2000 and 2003 and also featured Tom Virtue, Donna Pescow, A.J. Trauth, and Nick Spano. In her memoir Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star, released Oct. 6, she describes discovering a 2000 letter from her mother to her agent.
That letter requested equal compensation and acknowledged family debt, with Romano's earnings helping support her household. Romano said LaBeouf deserved his pay and stressed the book is not about him, but about a young performer who matured quickly in an industry that valued her less.
This disclosure may prompt conversations about how child performers, especially girls, are compensated compared with male peers. Fans of Even Stevens and Disney alumni could revisit the show with new awareness of its production context. Parents and young actors may feel encouraged to ask about pay equity and contract terms earlier. The memoir's focus on family financial pressure could also resonate with former child stars and households that relied on a young earner, though its broader industry impact remains uncertain.