Christy Carlson Romano Admits She and Onscreen Brother Shia LaBeouf Never Had a Close Bond in Real Life

Although she had a special onscreen bond with her Even Stevens castmate, Shia LaBeouf, Christy Carlson Romano admits she could never “fully be there” for the troubled actor.

During a recent interview with E! News, Carlson Romano revealed that she and the fellow Disney Channel alum don’t have a close relationship in real life.

“It was dysfunctional at best,” she said about her connection to LaBeouf. “It was a little competitive at times. He was a very ambitious child. He really needed to become famous because his home life was really complicated.”

Carlson Romano also noted that while LaBeouf needed to be the star on Even Stevens, it was still her show.

“They made me much more of a costar character,” she recalled. “And it just made sense with his schooling. They needed to be able to use me during times that he would be in school.”

The former child star added that LaBeouf struggled to understand that they were both leads on the show.

“Initially it was going to be his show,” she continued. “That’s what fueled his ambition, his competitive streak, and it’s unfortunate because I did come to understand that he had this complicated relationship with his dad.”

Even though they were not close, the actress said she still wanted to be there for LaBeouf. But ultimately, she knew she couldn’t fully be there for him because of the “work-life imbalance” they had.

Even Stevens ran for three seasons from 2000 to 2003. LaBeouf went on to find success on the big screen through the Transformers franchise. However, the actor continues to struggle in his personal life, with multiple run-ins with the law and legal woes.

Despite the lack of connection and the years of losing touch, Carlson Romano said she prays for LaBeouf often.

“Whenever something comes out in the news that’s positive, I’m rooting for him,” she added. “And whenever something negative comes out in the news, my heart breaks. Society has a way of writing child actors off.”

Carlson Romano shared more details about the “work-life imbalance” in her new memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck.

“Shia doesn’t tell me much about his parents,” she wrote in the book. “He just jokes to everyone about them, and to me they sound like hippies. They didn’t push him into acting, and Shia was the one who wanted a career. He looked in a phone book and found his manager when he was eight or something.”

Carlson Romano also wrote that LaBeouf seemed “desperate for fame,” which she found sad, and wondered whether his home life was tough. “I think it’s kind of a miracle he’s even functioning,” she added.