Ashley Argota accused her mother of being “financially abusive” with the paychecks she received as a child star on Nickelodeon.
“In addition to my mom being a narcissist, she was also emotionally, physically and mentally [abusive]. All of the things you can think of, plus [she was] financially abusive,” Argota, 32, claimed in a Sunday, July 6, TikTok. “Like I said in my last video, I was not in charge of my finances — even though I was old enough to be in charge of my finances.”
Argota, who has not publicly shared her mother’s name, recalled how her funds were allegedly wasted, adding, “So she basically would do things like get on the phone with financial institutions, and she would just hand me the phone and say, ‘Hey, they just need authorization for you to talk to me.’ Because she was my mom and I trusted her with my money, I would do it. Then I don’t know [what] she did.”
The actress got her start with roles in Nickelodeon productions such as True Jackson, VP and Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures. It wasn’t until later that she realized her money from those jobs was gone — for which she blamed herself.
Over the years, former Nickelodeon stars have opened up about their journey as child actors at the network — and not everyone had the same experience. Jennette McCurdy shocked her fans when she revealed that she wasn’t thrilled about her time on iCarly. “I did the shows that I was on from like 13 to […]
“Part of me — of course — is like, ‘That is on me. I should have known better about my finances.’ But also, she was my mom and I trusted her with that,” Argota noted. “She would also do things like with my dad — who was working full time as a truck driver at the time. She would wait for that paycheck to be deposited into the joint account that they shared and she would give him $100 for the week to live off. It was basically an allowance off of his own paycheck, and then she would just take the rest of the money.”
Argota continued: “In case you are not aware, $100 is not enough for a truck driver who’s driving cross country for hours and hours and hours and weeks at a time to live off of. That’s just not a possibility.”
In her video, Argota accused her mother of gambling money away and buying “really unnecessary things” for their family.
“Like a house that we didn’t need while I was at school,” she claimed. “I haven’t talked to my mom in a really long time. That’s OK, and that’s by design. That’s my choice. It’s safer, it’s better and it’s healthier for me. I know I’m not alone in this. It happens to a lot of people.”
Over the years, stars including Jennette McCurdy and Macaulay Culkin have discussed hitting rock bottom with their parents. Jennette broke down the abuse she faced because of her mother, Debra McCurdy, in her memoir, I Am Glad My Mom Died. “Of course, there are moments where I fantasize that my mom would’ve apologized or that […]
Argota also noted that while there are “protections in place” for child stars, her mother still found a workaround, adding, “She still managed to spend all the money from that. … It was really crazy trying to get out of that relationship, but I made it out. And I feel like being a mom now, I have a chance to give [my son] the childhood that I never had.”
After welcoming her and husband Mick Torres’ first baby in June 2024, Argota reflected on her attempts to break the cycle of generational trauma.
“For as long as i can remember, my mom told me that my nose was too big and made me pinch it constantly to make it smaller. I think of this every time I do my makeup or see a picture of myself,” she wrote via Instagram in July 2024. “Well, I have a kid now and he has my nose and I LOVE his cute lil baby nose. motherhood is healing. 💖.”