Lindsay Lohan Reveals Painful Past and Questions Why She Wasn’t Protected
Lindsay Lohan has been looking back on what it was like to grow up under the intense spotlight of Hollywood. In a candid interview for the March anniversary issue of Vogue Arabia, the 39-year-old actress spoke openly about her teenage years and questioned why more protections weren’t in place for young stars like her.
“I wonder why no one stepped in to remove me from such an overwhelming environment or offered me more protection,” Lohan said. She explained that as a teenager, she didn’t have the tools to advocate for herself in an industry that can be all-consuming.
Lohan became a household name at just 12 years old with the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. She quickly followed that with hits like Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, which cemented her status as one of Hollywood’s biggest young stars.
She described her early years in Los Angeles as exciting but also stressful. The constant scrutiny and lack of boundaries eventually pushed her to look for a more balanced life elsewhere.
In 2014, Lohan moved to Dubai, which she calls grounding for both her and her family. It was there she met her husband, Kuwaiti financier Bader Shammas, and they now share a young son named Luai.
Lohan credited the move with giving her freedom to live without constantly second-guessing herself. She spoke warmly about Shammas, saying he is “a calm influence that balances out my more energetic personality.”
Professionally, Lohan is enjoying a resurgence. In August 2025, she returned to theaters with Freakier Friday, the sequel to Freaky Friday, reuniting with Jamie Lee Curtis and other original cast members like Chad Michael Murray and Mark Harmon.
The film explores a new chapter where Lohan’s character, Anna, is now a mother navigating family life. Looking ahead, Lohan is set to star in the upcoming Hulu limited series Count My Lies.
Based on Sophie Stava’s thriller novel, the show features Lohan as Violet Lockhart, the wealthy and secretive head of a household thrown into chaos when a new nanny, played by Shailene Woodley, enters their lives.
The series also stars Kit Harington and is being developed by the creative team behind This Is Us. Lohan is also continuing her partnership with Netflix following the success of romantic comedies like Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish.
She said she is now more confident in being involved with the creative process for her characters, a change that has made acting more enjoyable. “When I was younger, I wasn’t so comfortable saying how I felt about a character, and I love that part now,” she admitted.
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