42-year-old actor and model Minka Kelly is all set to release her memoir titled Tell Me Everything on May 2, 2023. Starting her career with the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights (2006–2009), Minka Kelly has acted in many TV shows and movies over the years, including The Roommate, 500 Days of Summer, Parenthood, Charlie's Angels, Euphoria, and more.
Although she has been in the limelight for many years, there is still a lot that people don't know about Minka Kelly. Raised by a single mom, the actor did not have it easy when she was growing up.
While talking about her new book on Twitter, Minka shared that she always knew that she would pen her story down one day. She also confessed that she would never be able to share everything about herself without hurting her mother, meaning the book would only materialize once her mother had passed on. Her mother died of cancer in 2008.
In the book, Minka Kelly opens up about growing up with a mother who was constantly battling addiction and domestic violence. She also shares about finding ways to support herself as a teenager, getting out of toxic relationships, and what finally led her to the world of modeling and acting.
Fans are hoping to get a deeper look into Minda Kelly's life and journey through her upcoming book.
3 revelations in Tell Me Everything that will shock fans of Minka Kelly
1) Sleeping in a storage shed
Minka Kelly's mother, Maureen, worked as an exotic dancer. They didn't have enough money to make ends meet. There was a time when Minka and her mother had to stay in the storage shed of an apartment complex because they could not pay rent for their unit.
In the book, Minka talks about painful memories from the past when she saw firsthand how difficult it was for her single mother to provide the basic necessities. Her mother would often take a young Minka to work, a strip club by the name Crazy Girls located in Los Angeles.
2) Minda performed in peep shows
When she was a teenager, her mother would leave for weeks and sometimes months. She was often put under the care of family, friends, or acquaintances. Young but determined, Minka Kelly felt that she had to do something to provide for herself so that she didn't need to depend on anyone else.
At 17, she earned money by performing in peep shows at an adult video store in Albuquerque. Even though she was still underage, she knew that she would have to do whatever it takes to be able to support herself.
3) Toxic relationships
In the book, Minka Kelly also opens up about past relationships that were unhealthy and distressing. Her first boyfriend coerced her into many things that made her uncomfortable. At the time, she even had to undergo an abortion. Although it took time, she was finally able to leave the relationship behind and start anew.
Even after she started acting, she didn't have much luck in love. Minka revealed that she has a scarred history with Taylor Kitsch, who co-starred in Friday Night Lights. They had a toxic, on-again, off-again relationship that seemed to affect her life on set and her relationship with other co-stars.
Minka had to pay the price for dismissing the red flags, which included a warning from director Peter Berg not to get romantically attached. She mentioned that the toxic relationship with Taylor taught her that having on-set romances was never a good idea.
More on why Minka Kelly decided to write the book
Minka shared on Twitter that while writing the book, she asked herself whether her story was important enough to be told.
"One day I asked myself why I should tell my story. Everyone has struggled in some way. What makes my story more important than anyone else's?"
Minka shared that her therapist helped her see why she should tell her story:
"If you remove the 'more' from your question, you will have your answer," he said. My story is no more important than anyone else's, but it is important nonetheless."
Minka hopes that her book Tell Me Everything will offer peace to readers who may have complicated relationships with their mothers.