Her drug-addicted mother abandoned her as a baby, forcing her to pick berries to survive. Alone, she supported her four siblings. After years of relying on food stamps, she managed to break through and become one of the biggest TV stars we’ve ever had. Her name and journey

”On the way home [from the store], I had to ride very carefully so that the full plastic bags hanging from my handlebars wouldn’t swing and break the eggs,” she shared in her memoir.

In later interviews, she shared how embarrassing it was to go to the store and pull out the book of food stamps.

”I remember standing in line at the grocery store with the food stamps and it was mortifying for me, because the girl – she was like the popular girl in school – [and] her parents were the rich family [and] they owned the dairy,” the star recalled while speaking with Daily Mail in 2024.

Raking leaves and picking berries

But despite all the struggles and challenges, the young girl tried to make the best of her situation. And perhaps it was during these tough times that her creativity, work ethic, and entrepreneurial spirit were born — the very qualities that would later propel her to have her own TV show, become a producer, and author multiple books.

As a young teenager, she earned extra money however she could — raking leaves, picking berries, and even selling handmade potholders for $1 a pair.

Sadly, the real struggle came when she could no longer protect her siblings from their mother’s destructive behavior. One evening, after calling 911 when her mother swallowed a bottle of pills, things escalated. According to her memoir, her mother beat her so badly that her ”eyes were swollen” and her body was ”covered in welts.”

Her stepfather, who had moved back in, also crossed inappropriate lines, leaving behind wounds that were both physical and emotional.