'Matilda' Actress Mara Wilson Admits It Was a 'Living Nightmare' Being 'Photoshopped into Pornography' When She Was a Child Star
Former Matilda star Mara Wilson spoke out about being exploited as a child actor and raised concerns about generative AI.
Jan. 19 2026, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
Mara Wilson confessed one of the darkest parts of growing up in the public eye wasn't on set, it was what happened online, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire star, now 38, said before she was even in high school, her images were used as child sex abuse material online — an experience she has described as a "living nightmare."
'Hands of the Public'
Mara Wilson spoke out about the trauma she experienced growing up in the public eye as a child star.
Wilson shared the account in a personal essay published January 17 in The Guardian, in which she connected her own experiences with rising concerns over generative AI and digital image manipulation.
"From ages five to 13, I was a child actor. And while, as of late, we've heard many horror stories about the abusive things that happened to child actors behind the scenes, I always felt safe while filming," she began.
However, Wilson said the danger that she was put in was "at the hands of the public."
"'Hollywood throws you into the pool,' I always tell people, 'but it's the public that holds your head underwater," she shared.
"Before I was even in high school, my image had been used for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). I'd been featured on fetish websites and Photoshopped into pornography," the actress added.
"Grown men sent me creepy letters. I wasn't a beautiful girl – my awkward age lasted from about age 10 to about 25 – and I acted almost exclusively in family-friendly movies. But I was a public figure, so I was accessible. That's what child sexual predators look for: access. And nothing made me more accessible than the internet," she went on.
'Living Nightmare'
The former Matilda actress reflected on how early fame exposed her to online exploitation.
The images, Wilson said, didn't have to be real to feel violating.
"It didn't matter that those images 'weren't me' or that the fetish sites were 'technically' legal. It was a painful, violating experience; a living nightmare I hoped no other child would have to go through," she said.
AI Has Made Exploitation 'Infinity Easier'
Wilson shared her story while warning about the dangers of generative AI and digital manipulation.
Now a writer and mental health advocate, Wilson warns that the problem has only grown with new technology.
"Once I was an adult, I worried about the other kids who had followed after me. Were similar things happening to the Disney stars, the Stranger Things cast, the preteens making TikTok dances, and smiling in family vlogger YouTube channels? I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer," she wondered.
In her essay, Wilson also sounded the alarm on generative AI, writing that she feared the technology would worsen the kind of exploitation she experienced as a child.
As AI tools became more advanced and realistic in recent years — referring to "deepfakes" — Wilson said she worried they would be weaponized in the same way her image once was.
"Generative AI has reinvented Stranger Danger. And this time, the fear is justified. It is now infinitely easier for any child whose face has been posted on the internet to be sexually exploited. Millions of children could be forced to live my same nightmare," she declared.
Holding Technology Companies and Lawmakers Accountable
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Wilson urged greater protections for children as technology makes image misuse easier.
Wilson urged readers to demand more from technology companies and lawmakers, saying, "We need to be the ones demanding companies that allow the creation of CSAM be held accountable. We need to be demanding legislation and technological safeguards."
She continued: "We also need to examine our own actions: nobody wants to think that if they share photos of their child, those images could end up in CSAM. But it is a risk, one that parents need to protect their young children from, and warn their older children about."
