Mean Baby by Selma Blair

I'm kind of a newbie when it comes to "Dancing with the Stars," having only ever watched two seasons. But I plan to tune in this upcoming season so I can see the brave Selma make a run for the Mirror Ball. Recently, I read her memoir "Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up," and I am now a big fan of hers. I don't know any other actor or person who grew up being called a "mean baby," but Selma was thanks to the scowl she wore as an infant. And after a bumpy start being raised with her sisters in a suburb of Detroit, her path into adulthood and acting was anything but easy, too. In fact, it is astonishing that she was able to carve out a career for herself at all, given multiple rapes, an eating disorder, alcohol abuse that began in the 3rd grade, and complicated relationships with both of her parents. But Blair seemed to have an inner strength and a belief in herself when no one else did. She started playing small parts in films and rose to be known for cult classics like "Cruel Intensions," "Legally Blonde," and "Hellboy." But then, almost at the same time she was becoming known as an actress, she was handpicked by designer Karl Lagerfeld to be his muse. The fashion world embraced her quickly as a cover model. Her rise to fame, sadly like so many others her age, was complicated by deep rooted addiction and darkness. And then, after ignoring pain and warning signs, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2018. Her mother had taught her to ignore pain, rather than to investigate it, so she was not diagnosed until she was in her 40s. After failed relationships with Ahmet Zappa (Frank's son), and fashion designer Jason Bleick (the father of her son), she is continuing to act, write and now will soon take her spin on the dance floor. This celebrity memoir is intense and courageous and well worth the trip inside the life of Blair. To buy this book on Amazon click here.