Molly Ringwald Opens Up About Being Exploited in the Brat Pack Era: A Harrowing Experience

Molly Ringwald Says Predators Took Advantage of Her in Brat Pack Era It Can Be Harrowing

Molly Ringwald Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Molly Ringwald, now 56, recently discussed her experience with Hollywood "predators" during her teenage years in the 1980s. She shared her thoughts on feeling disconnected from the Hollywood community due to her young age. Ringwald mentioned on the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast on Monday, May 27th that she was not interested in going out to clubs during that time. She feels more social now compared to her teenage years, as she believes she was just too young back then.

Her first major movie was Sixteen Candles, which she filmed at the young age of 15. Before she even turned 18, she starred in The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. Ringwald remembered feeling exploited during this time, noting, “It’s hard to be a young actress in Hollywood without encountering predators.”

While she was thankful to not have experienced assault by Harvey Weinstein, Ringwald also wrote an essay for The New Yorker shedding light on the fact that he was not the only perpetrator in the industry.

The teen icon shared that the experience was tough. She mentioned having a 20-year-old daughter who is pursuing the same profession despite her efforts to persuade her otherwise. It's a challenging situation for her.

Molly Ringwald Says Predators Took Advantage of Her in Brat Pack Era It Can Be Harrowing

Molly Ringwald played Claire Standish in the movie 'The Breakfast Club.' She is known for this role.

Ringwald is married to Panio Gianopoulos and they have twin daughters named Mathilda, Adele, and Roman. All of them are 14 years old.

Ringwald reflected on the #MeToo movement in a 2018 New Yorker essay. She noted that actresses in the ‘80s often had to portray characters much older than their actual age due to the exploitative nature of the films.

She pointed out that popular teen comedies like Animal House and Porky’s were primarily written by men for a male audience. Female characters in these films were often portrayed as either nymphomaniacs or battleaxes.

In the same year, the actress shared with NPR that director John Hughes, with whom she often worked on movies like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, didn't plan on making sexualized films.

She added that while times have changed and what was considered acceptable back then is not acceptable now, it was the norm at that time.

Ringwald has expressed mixed feelings about her past films, mentioning that she appreciates certain aspects of them but also disagrees with many elements. She acknowledges the influence of John Hughes but stands by her criticisms.

Since her days in the Brat Pack, Ringwald has expanded her career by performing on Broadway and appearing in various TV shows. She has been part of acclaimed series like Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Additionally, she has taken on roles as a mom of teenagers in popular shows such as Secret Life of the American Teenager, Riverdale, and The Kissing Booth.

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