In a recent appearance on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, actress Christy Carlson Romano opened up about her time working alongside Shia LaBeouf on the hit Disney Channel series Even Stevens. While the two appeared to have a friendly rapport on screen, Romano revealed that behind the scenes, LaBeouf was frequently critical of fellow network star Hilary Duff.
Romano noted that LaBeouf was "definitely beefing" with the Lizzie McGuire star, though she believes Duff was likely unaware of the tension. "Hilary had no clue about that," Romano explained. "I’m sure she was doing her own thing, but he would always be kind of like trash-talking Lizzie McGuire."
Reflecting on the competitive nature of the Disney Channel environment at the time, Romano suggested that Shia LaBeouf felt immense pressure to maintain his status as the network's top talent. "He wanted to be the number one show on the network," she said. "He had to be the number one show because I think his life depended on that show doing well. He had a rough upbringing, and I think he needed that show to do well for him."
Regarding their current relationship, Christy Carlson Romano confirmed that she and LaBeouf have not maintained contact since their show concluded in 2003. Despite the distance, she maintains a sense of goodwill toward him. "When good stuff happens to him, I root for him. If bad stuff happens, I pray for him. But at the same time, I don’t need to know him," she added.
Romano recently discussed these experiences and the realities of being a child star in her memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star. In the book, she highlights the financial disparities of the era, noting that while she earned $6,000 per episode of Even Stevens, LaBeouf earned $12,000. She emphasized that her memoir is not intended to be a critique of her former co-stars, but rather a reflection on her own journey growing up in the entertainment industry.