In 2022, Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, was published to widespread acclaim and millions of copies sold. McCurdy’s memoir is a tragic story about child stardom and her abusive-narcissist stage-mom. Since the memoir was such a huge bestseller, McCurdy was approached about developing her story for the small screen. Jason Reitman was attached to direct a series or limited series, but he dropped out because he wanted to make McCurdy’s story more comedic rather than, you know, a devastating story of child abuse. For the past year, Jennifer Aniston has been attached to play McCurdy’s mother in the series. Well, now Aniston has dropped out, citing scheduling conflicts.
Jennifer Aniston is out of Jennette McCurdy’s television adaptation of her hit memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died” … TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the show is still being worked on and scripts are being written. However, we’re told at some point Jennifer backed out due to scheduling conflicts.
The show has had a rocky development … last year it almost fell apart.
The show was announced in June 2025 … with Jennifer attached as an executive producer and starring as the fictional version of Jennette’s mom.
A couple of months later, Puck reported director Jason Reitman dropped out of the project due to creative differences with Jennette. The outlet reported Jennette was opposed to Jason trying to make the show more comedic than the memoir.
Jason dropping out caused issues for the project. At the time, it was reported a new director needed to be found quickly … due to Jennifer’s busy schedule … which never happened. Now, Jennifer’s out too.
Can I be honest? I always thought Aniston’s casting was a bit too smart. Like, it would have been a moment for Aniston to shed her nice-girl typecasting and play a deeply unsympathetic monster. The role also would have hit close to home for Aniston, because her own mother was a narcissistic stage-mom who crossed her boundaries for years. Which is why I think the “scheduling conflicts” excuse is probably not the whole story. I wonder who will replace Aniston? It’s a pretty juicy role for an actress in their 40s or 50s.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 07: Jennifer Aniston arrives at Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’ Season 4 Official Emmy FYC (For Your Consideration) Event held at the DGA Theater Complex at The Directors Guild of America on June 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1108851154, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Jennifer Aniston , Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 07: Jennifer Aniston arrives at Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’ Season 4 Official Emmy FYC (For Your Consideration) Event held at the DGA Theater Complex at The Directors Guild of America on June 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1108851180, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Jennifer Aniston , Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 07: Jennifer Aniston arrives at Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’ Season 4 Official Emmy FYC (For Your Consideration) Event held at the DGA Theater Complex at The Directors Guild of America on June 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1108851434, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Jennifer Aniston , Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
I agree with both your assertions, Kaiser: it’s too close to home and she doesn’t want to “stretch” herself in playing a highly unsympathetic character. The “nice girl” image has worked well for her for decades. I understand why she wouldn’t want to mess it up.
I think if she didn’t want to play an unsympathetic character she wouldn’t have signed on to begin with. Her role in Derailed wasn’t a nice girl. Cake wasn’t. etc. So while the nice girl persona works for her, she has broken out of it before.
It sounds like this is messy behind the scenes and I think that’s why she pulled out.
The book was a hard read and I can imagine it being a hard one to adapt, especially if you need a young actress who isn’t going to be triggered by some of the events in the book.
Agreed.
She did a good job in Cake & The Good Girl.
I think the dancing chair of directors’ is probably the bigger issue that led to this decision.
Omg, some dude on Instagram made a reel saying that Jason Reitman dropped out because “Jeanette was such a bitch.” He wanted to turn her tragedy into comedy is what really happened? Maybe it is all men.
Jennifer A already played a narcissistic mother in Dumpling, with Dolly Parton.
I’m sad to hear this development. 😟😟
Was really looking forward to it.
Especially how Aniston would parlay her own tortured relationship with her mother, Nancy, onto the screen.
Dumplin’ was also a comedy drama. So when this film was originally (under Reitman) going to have a comedic slant, she may have felt more comfortable with it
To be honest, I haven’t watched many Aniston movies bc her acting doesn’t do it for me, to be polite. Good for her that she did play unpleasant characters in movies.
Good for Jennette McCurdy for staying strong about her vision. And for someone with a narcissist with a mother, that would be a tough part to play.
I’d never even heard of McCurdy when I read the book – because everyone was raving about it. I could barely put it down. It’s absolutely gripping and I’m looking forward to the series. But the mom is described as short and anorexic. I feel like her diminutive size is a big part of the character, so I’m not sure how Anniston would’ve pulled it off. (She’s perfect on TMS, tho.)
I’m sorry for McCurdy that the production is struggling. This show needs to be made.
They should get Jennifer Jason Leigh for this. She would KILL.