Meet the Disney Child Star Who Exposed Hollywood and Took Back Their Power (ft. Alyson Stoner)

From Disney Channel star to outspoken mental health advocate, Alyson Stoner has lived a life in the spotlight—and paid the price. In this episode of The Burnouts, Alyson joins Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to open up about the truth behind child stardom, the eating disorder that forced them to step away from Hollywood, and the box of documents that changed everything they thought they knew about their childhood. They share what it was really like growing up famous, the toxic systems that exploit young talent, and the powerful tools they use today to protect their mental health. Plus: how they’re redefining success, finding purpose beyond fame, and why they named their memoir Semi Well-Adjusted. 📖 Alyson’s memoir Semi Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is out now. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Growing up on Disney Channel & Missy Elliott 02:15 – The moment Alyson stepped away from Hollywood 05:00 – The “toddler to train wreck” pipeline of child performers 06:45 – Losing childhood in the age of social media 08:00 – Playing firsts on camera without living them in real life 09:20 – How toxic Hollywood work environments really are 10:45 – Why “exposure” doesn’t pay the bills 12:00 – The hidden costs of going viral 13:40 – Tools Alyson uses to shake off stress 16:00 – Mind-body practices for anxiety & burnout 18:30 – Why different states of mind need different mindfulness tools 20:00 – Stillness vs. somatic tools for busy minds 22:00 – Reading their Camp Rock diary years later 24:00 – Why now was the time to write Semi Well-Adjusted 25:10 – The box of documents that changed their life story 27:00 – What “Semi Well-Adjusted” really means 28:15 – Choosing causes and building advocacy work 30:00 – Purpose as a constellation, not a North Star 32:00 – Advice for navigating anxiety and depression 34:45 – How to process rejection without losing yourself 37:00 – Focusing on what you can control 🔗 FOLLOW US Phoebe Gates Sophia Kianni Alyson Stoner 🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTS Instagram TikTok LinkedIn 💙 Support What We’re Building Phoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts—they’re the founders of Phia, a new fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download the app , try it out, and help us grow this community from the ground up ❤️‍🔥 Get a Free 90 Day Trial of Movement Genius: 1. Go to Movement Genius 2. Choose Monthly Membership 3. Use code THEBURNOUTS 🕯️✨ USE CODE "BURNOUTS15" FOR 15% OFF THE PHLUR X THE BURNOUTS CANDLE ✨🕯️ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.