Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Toddlers and Tiaras talent agent to release tell-all memoir revealing the 'fame games and abuse' of Eden Wood's stage mom

Toddlers and Tiaras talent agent to release tell-all memoir revealing the 'fame games and abuse' of Eden Wood's stage mom

By Sadie Whitelocks

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A talent agent who managed Toddlers & Tiaras star Eden Wood is set to release a tell-all memoir slamming the youngster's parents for cashing in on her fame.

Los Angeles-based Heather Ryan worked closely with Eden, now aged eight, and her mother Mickie, during their stint the hit TLC show.

And in her yet-to-be-released tome, previewed by Radar Online, Ms Ryan reveals how she often disagreed with the way Mrs Wood went about raising her only child.

Playing the fame game: Eden Wood's former manager has written a tell-all memoir focused on the Toddlers & Tiaras pageant star and her stage mother Mickie

Playing the fame game: Eden Wood's former manager has written a tell-all memoir focused on the Toddlers & Tiaras pageant star and her stage mother Mickie

Ms Ryan's publicist Andrew Sullivan, who ironically has also handled the Woods' PR in the past, described the book as an in-depth look at 'the abuse and fame game that Eden’s mother, Mickie Wood has played for the past five years.'

In one chapter titled Music Videos and Fake Philanthropy, Ms Ryan, a mother herself, recalls a video shoot she carried out on Eden's sixth birthday at the Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.

It involved the pageant star making a donation of toys to the sick children, but Ms Ryan explains that it was a difficult situation because Eden was used to being spoiled at home.

'Mickie was afraid that Eden would have a psychotic meltdown on camera because the child was not used to doing the ''charitable thing'' by giving away toys on her own birthday... she was chain smoking like a fiend,' she writes.

Interesting insight: Heather Ryan (left) worked closely with pageant star Eden, now aged eight, and her mother Mickie, during their stint the hit TLC show

Interesting insight: Heather Ryan (left) worked closely with pageant star Eden, now aged eight, and her mother Mickie, during their stint the hit TLC show

'I gathered several donations from generous friends and went shopping for additional items listed on the Blank Children’s Hospital website to make a pretty display of toys for ''Eden to Donate''.

'Mickie purchased a bunch of toys for Eden at the Wal-Mart when she arrived in Iowa, so that Eden wouldn’t see other children, regardless of their life threatening illnesses, receive toys when she did not.

'I thought it was very shallow and took a teachable moment from Eden’s life and cheapened it - but I guess that’s what Mickie considered as her ''contribution to the projects.'' Eden was a true professional and never batted an eye at the fake philanthropy that I forced upon her.'

'Eden's mother Mickie was absolutely worthless in all things production and creative - not to mention budget'

In another section she details a music video shoot they did for Eden’s single, Cutie Patootie, in which there was no budget and extras had to be recruited for free.

'When Eden returned to Iowa during her birthday weekend, February 18, 2010, I also set up a shoot schedule for her to film her very first music video.

'Again, I wanted Eden to be the ground breaker for which every other pageant girl aspired. No other girl had a doll, a book, a single, and now a music video,' Ms Ryan wrote.

'Mickie was absolutely worthless in all things production and creative - not to mention budget.

'We had absolutely no budget at all for a music video, so I was tasked with, and devised a plan, to create a mall concert scene where people actually showed up - for no pay - and cheered as if they were big fans… Pulling off these tasks were not that easy an undertaking.'

Mrs Wood from Taylor, Arkansas, announced in July 2011 that her daughter was retiring from the child pageant world after more than four years, to pursue a Hollywood career.

Pressure: Eden was thrust into the spotlight at a young age

Pressure: Eden was thrust into the spotlight at a young age

'Why not see if we can’t have a Hollywood contract, a reality show, a spot on a Disney program. It’s the American dream. It’s her destiny,' she told ABC at the time.

'I think she’s following in the footsteps of some pretty big people who have done pageants, like Oprah Winfrey.' (Oprah was voted Miss Black Tennessee when she was 18 years old).

'As long as she enjoys what we’re doing, Mama’s going to keep doing it. If it leads to the Miley Cyrus status or Selena Gomez, so be it. If it doesn’t, that’s fine, too.'

Last year she launched her own spin-off show Eden's World.

Ms Ryan's self-published book, which also has 'a very heavy focus' Eden's father, Louis, is set to debut the first week in April.

Ms Ryan, became a talent agent for beauty pageant stars after she entered her oldest daughter in pageants and realize there was money to be made in the industry.

At one point she had 34 girls on her books.

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