Dove Cameron Says She ‘Used to Have Full Panic Attacks’ Over Fan Attention

Dove Cameron is speaking out about the personal struggles she faced during her early rise to fame. The 29-year-old actress and singer recently appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, where she got candid about how sudden stardom and personal tragedy impacted her mental health.

The Challenges of “Overnight” Fame

When Shepard, 50, asked Cameron about the rapid fame she experienced starring in Disney Channel’s Liv and Maddie, she admitted that nothing could have prepared her for it.

“I couldn’t have prepared,” she said honestly. Cameron, who played both Liv and Maddie Rooney from 2013 to 2017, explained that she realized just how introverted she was only after being thrust into the spotlight.

“You truly don’t know until you’re put into that situation,” she reflected. “And then you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m very introverted.'”

Learning how to handle fan attention and public appearances took years. “I didn’t really learn how to navigate fan attention or public attention for many years. I used to have full panic attacks,” she revealed.

Personal Loss Amid Rising Stardom

Cameron’s early career was also marked by deep personal grief. Just before she began working on Liv and Maddie, her father passed away by suicide — an event that understandably shaped her teenage years.

“There was so much going on in my personal life,” she shared. “When you’re 15 and that happens, it changes the course of your life.”

Despite the heartbreak, Cameron’s career skyrocketed quickly. Within a year of her father’s death, Liv and Maddie had become a global hit, reaching hundreds of millions of homes and being translated into numerous languages.

She spoke about the emotional whiplash she experienced during that time: “We were at his funeral, and then like, on Bainbridge Island. And then a couple months later, I was at The Grove with people asking me to sign glossies. I didn’t know how to really reconcile with that.”

Moving Forward

Today, Dove Cameron continues to open up about her experiences, helping fans understand the unseen challenges behind her success. Recently, she was spotted attending the 2024 GQ Men of the Year party, looking confident and strong — a testament to how far she’s come both personally and professionally.

Cameron’s honesty about grief, fame, and mental health reminds us that even those who seem to “have it all” are often battling private struggles — and that healing is a journey, not a destination.