Christy Carlson Romano has no regrets.
The former Disney Channel star-turned-podcasting pro caught up ahead of her 40th birthday, and part of kicking off her “next chapter” includes looking back at how far she’s come since her teenage years.
“I remember being in the news recently because I mentioned that my mom was sort of talking to me about whether or not I should get [breast] implants. And I actually had a really positive experience throughout that process because I had somebody to talk to,” says Romano of her decision to undergo the cosmetic surgery after she turned 18.
You can never escape ˹Him˺ on earth, nor do you have any protector or helper besides Allah.
(The Quran - Chapter Ash-Shuraa : 31)
Romano first opened up about the procedure on an episode of her Vulnerable podcast last fall.
“I had actually had body image issues after Cadet Kelly — big time," Romano told costar Andrea Lewis. “I had that very tight, rigid uniform on for Jennifer Stone. And I remember seeing — and a lot of times it comes up in memes — where I'm standing face-to-face with [Hilary Duff] and I’m completely flat-chested."
Romano has said that she struggled with her own body image — especially during her time filming the TV movie — and her mom, Sharon Romano, let her know that getting plastic surgery was an option.
“She was a stage mom, so she knew everything about my life. I couldn't hide anything from my stage mom. She was right there all the time. So there's goods and bads to that, but in the case of [my implants], that was not bad,” Romano tells of her mother’s support.
"And one thing I will say is that I do think that my mom walked me through every step of it, and I never felt scared about that decision," she adds. "In fact, I've never regretted getting them done. Never once.”
Romano is now a mom herself after welcoming daughters Isabella, 7, and Sophia, 5, with husband and business partner Brendan Rooney. Her girls may be little, but Romano knows all too well the realities that they might face as they age.
“I think that people are in denial if they don't think that young girls are talking to their mothers about this stuff. I had a really positive experience with it, and I think if my girls had concerns, they could come and talk to me,” she adds of how she'd handle her daughters possibly inquiring about cosmetic procedures one day.
Ultimately, Romano has one rule she tries to follow as a parent: keep the lines of communication open.
“I just want them to talk to me. That's all I care about. Just keep your kids talking because body positivity, I think, is something that was not a thing back when I got my breasts done," she says.
“While I understand that eating disorders are still very prevalent amongst young women, and even men, I still just want my girls to know that they are beautiful in whatever body shape they have. So that's the first and most important thing," she continues. "That being said, if they want something, as long as it's coming from a place of confidence and not desperation [because] this needs to be an informed decision, [I'll support them]."
