Cristina Perez - Five Minute Recess

Dina Lohan and daughter Ali of 'Living Lohan.'

Did anyone catch “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated?” I did and, on the advice of my attorney, I plead the Fifth. As you may know, Denise had to seek judicial intervention in order to allow her kids to appear in her show. Although the children are not the center of attention of the show nor can they be considered child stars, is their inclusion and any attention they receive best for them?

Speaking of child stars … Tatum, what were you thinking? Recently, Tatum O’Neal was arrested for buying crack cocaine. That’s a long way away from “Paper Moon” (where she won an Oscar at 10 years old) and “The Bad News Bears” (a classic) and even “Dancing With the Stars.” While I commend her for being an open book about her addiction, I hope that many other young actors in her position learn from her ill-fated history. Unfortunately, there appears to be a long string of former and current child stars who have run into troubled times in adulthood.

This raises several questions about these stars: Why do they seem to go from the top of the world to its bottom? Can this be blamed on celebrity? Are their problems related, in any way, to their childhood of growing up in a pseudo-adult world? Was there a lack of parental guidance during these early career successes? Many of these kids had little to no real childhood. Many were always on the move, educated on a set and likely had little contact with other kids. Is this a real childhood?

Let’s face it, there are hundreds of thousands of parents who push their children into Hollywood, all looking for the big payoff. But in this unpredictable and cutthroat business, is all of it worth the risk? Kids can become big stars or, sadly, quickly become an unknown. What toll does it take on a kid who hits the top and then falls from grace? We’ve seen it, and in many cases it is not a pretty sight. Don’t get me wrong, there are many child stars who go on to great success without incident in their lives. Parents should be realistic and protect their kids as opposed to, for example, trying to get their own show based upon their kid’s celebrity.

For example, look at the new reality TV show “Living Lohan.” Despite knowing what daughter Lindsay has gone through, has Dina Lohan added fuel to the fire by starring her in her own reality show? She is, after all, Lindsay’s manager. She still has minor children to raise who, oddly, appear in the show. Wasn’t the risk and the celebrity of one too great? Does Dina need to be a celebrity, too? Now we cover her as such, including detailing her custody battle in court. The only saving grace in this matter is that each parent has claimed they will not discuss the legal details of the case.

See you in court!