- Christy Carlson Romano uploaded a YouTube video to speak about managing
finances as a child star. - Romano, 37, said she 'made and lost millions of dollars' and regrets not properly investing.
- On August 24, she shared a video that discussed her relationship with former co-star
Shia LaBeouf .
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The former child star uploaded a new video to her YouTube account titled "How I Lost All My Money" to give her 301,000 subscribers a cautionary tale.
"This is how I blew all my Disney money. I started making money with Disney when I was 16," Romano, 37, said. "I will take you on a journey to my path of financial fluency and how I made and lost millions of dollars."
Romano was a prominent Disney star who acted alongside Shia Labeouf in the comedy series "Even Stevens" and later voiced the titular character in the animated series, "Kim Possible."
"I really regret not investing my money wisely - I didn't get a house. I didn't take any money and store it away…" she said. Romano said some of her earnings went towards college and student loan debt.
"That was smart - expect that I left school about a year and a half in, and then I had all this money at my disposal," Romano said. "I was never told how much money I was making, money didn't have a purpose for me. I didn't really know what it was; I just knew that I had it, and I didn't care about it - that's a problem."
Romano continued that at 21, she separated from her family for around one year because she didn't like how her money was managed.
As a result, Romano eventually understood how much money she had but still didn't know how to manage the expenses. During this time, Romano said she was surrounded by people who made her feel like she wasn't good enough.
"I was using buying things and money as a weapon," Romano said. "I felt like if I could just buy certain things, I would feel better or if I just lived a certain lifestyle.
She said she spent money on "big-ticket items" like Ralph Lauren clothes, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and a psychic who Romano said managed to get a lot of money from her.
Romano added that she had book and record deals that garnered about $1 million one year, but she spent it all in the same year.
"My biggest thing about child actors, you aren't told that the work is going to slow down," Romano said. "In fact, I was told the opposite, specifically by my mom, some of my team, even my money manager at the time."
Now, Romano is more vigilant with her finances and denied that her net worth is $3 million.
"I am not a millionaire in any way, shape or form. I'm just a mom monetizing my channel, doing sponsored content, having fun, working when I can," Romano said.
On August 24, Romano uploaded a separate YouTube video titled "Why I Don't Talk To Shia LaBeouf." She said that she and LaBeouf, 35, had a "sibling rivalry" that caused "a little bit of animosity" between the co-stars.
While LaBeouf went on to star in blockbuster films like "Transformers," Romano was cast in lesser-known films, which she said it made her feel "a bit salty."
Fortunately, Romano said any ill feelings have subsided.
"I guarantee if I saw him walking on the street, there would be a bond there that is undeniable," Romano said.