Judy Garland was destroyed by her parents and the filming of 'Oz': She was drugged and abused by drunken 'munchkin', she entered a tragic spiral

When the famous American actress, singer, and dancer, Judy Garland, came to audition for the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939), she was still a minor, only 15-16 years old. However, by the time filming began, Garland had begun to grow rapidly, so studio bosses were concerned about her weight. According to Traveler Master, they put her on a strict diet and even gave her tobacco to suppress hunger.

And, to increase productivity, the young actress was given amphetamines to help her stay awake during a busy filming schedule. In addition, she would receive doses of barbiturates, ie sedatives, to reverse the effects of amphetamines and allow her to fall asleep.

It wasn’t just the production team that made life difficult for Garland during filming. Her ex-husband, Sidney Luft, has often spoken in a bad light about the behavior of actors hired for the roles of ‘munchkins’ on the set of The Wizards of Oz. He claimed that they were often drunk or hungover on the set and that in such a state they often harassed young Garland.

Her parents didn't want her

Garland's growing up was not easy, and one tragic event triggered a "domino effect" that led to her drug addiction and eventually to her death, writes CheatSheet. The problems started even before she was even born. Namely, her parents never wanted her, and when the mother found out she was pregnant, the father sought advice on terminating the pregnancy from a friend who practiced medicine. They were told that abortion would be a big risk, so the couple decided to keep the baby anyway.

Garland’s parents’ marital problems became a big part of her childhood. Garland made her theatrical debut at just two years old and as a child became focused on the quest for success in the music and theater industries. Garland, meanwhile, was rumored to have had an affair with young teenage boys, prompting the family to move away from the Grand Rapids of Michigan and start a new life in California.

The father supported his daughter until she lost him in 1935 when he died unexpectedly after suffering from meningitis. Things got worse then. Although Garland’s mother and father were not on good terms, her father supported her emotionally more than her mother.

Lack of support

Garland's relationship with her mother became increasingly tense. Although she signed a contract with MGM to pursue a career, the lack of support led Garland on a path of addiction. According to some reports, her mother gave her pills when she was only 10 years old, and she became addicted in her late teens.

As her career continued to progress, so did her addiction. During the filming of The Wizard of Oz, Garland was on a variety of diets and took energy and sleep pills trying to stay lean and keep up with her hectic schedule. That, combined with an unstable upbringing, eventually became too much for a megastar.

Death by overdose

Garland married five times before she died at age 47, 1969. Her fifth husband, Mickey Deans, noticed something was wrong when he realized Garland's bathroom door was locked and she did not answer his calls. After breaking down the door, Deans found Garland's dead body.

There were rumors that Garland had tried to take her own life several times before her death. Drug addiction ultimately cost her her life. The cause of death was an overdose of barbiturates. Garland's mother never cared about her future. Without a father, Garland had little guidance, which eventually led to her addiction and later death.

By: Olivia J. - Gossip Whispers