Cole Sprouse has accused his estranged mother of “perverse narcissism” after previously claiming that she forced him into the acting industry to satisfy her own need for validation.
Sprouse and his twin brother Dylan became household names after landing leading roles on the Disney series The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody when they were 12 years old.
But the actor, now 30, claims his mother Melanie pushed them into the industry in order to cash in on their talent after divorcing their “wonderful” father Matthew before they were a year old.
speaking to Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett, said: ‘My mother was, and still is, the tortured type of artist. She struggled, in many different ways, with her place in the world.
“I think she found a tremendous sense of self-identity through motherhood, and tried to make it a profitable business at the same time, which for identical twins who go into acting is a financial loophole: there are employment laws that can be incredibly profitable, so that’s what he did.
Hit: Cole Sprouse accused his estranged mother of ‘perverse narcissism’ after previously claiming that she forced him into the acting industry to satisfy her need for validation
Old times: Cole and his twin brother Dylan with their mother Melanie in 2000, when they were eight years old
Side by side: Dylan and Cole, now 30, have established themselves as successful actors
He added: ‘It made perfect financial sense for her to push us into action. I think she satisfied some kind of narcissism that she probably had to be recognized as some kind of artistic success.
“She was a wonderful painter, so she always wanted some kind of recognition and artistic validation. But as time went on, I think the entertainment industry just broke her.
The Sprouse twins also had joint roles in Adam Sandler’s comedy Big Daddy, That 70s Show and the iconic Friends while establishing themselves as popular child stars.
However, Cole has since distanced himself from his mother as she publicly discussed their fractured relationship during a series of recent interviews.
During his latest, the actor claims court officials were forced to step in and award sole custody to his father after Melanie was deemed unfit to raise the children.
Let’s talk: Sprouse opened up about his relationship with mom Melanie during an appearance on Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO
Disclosure: Actor claims court officials were forced to step in and award sole custody to his father after Melanie was deemed unfit to raise the children (pictured in 2000)
Opening: “I think she found a tremendous sense of self-identity through motherhood and tried to make it a profitable business at the same time,” she said of her decision to cast them as actors.
He said: ‘This industry encourages the worst qualities in you as a person… the selfishness, the greed. Many of these things we have come to know as deadly sins. It’s one of those things that encourages a kind of selfishness that is directly opposed to the fundamental idea of motherhood.
“And as I got older, in my case, the court had to step in and send me and my brother to my dad, who is an amazing guy.
“But that selfishness is something that the legal system also looked at, and said she was unfit, and I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve looked back on a lot of circumstances around that environment and I see a person dealing with mental illness. “. , drug abuse, but mainly narcissism.
A perverse narcissism. The inability to perceive anything from your own perspective, and that just doesn’t work with being a mother, with being a family in general.
Sprouse previously opened up about her upbringing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, during which she claimed her mother squandered her childhood earnings.
He told the Spotify show: “When my father was taken into forced custody, we had pretty much lost everything, from the (early) parts of our career.”
Referring to his mother’s unstable state, he noted: “I think it was the consequence of an alchemy of addiction and mental instability, and it’s probably the biggest wound of my life.”
Formerly: Sprouse and his twin brother Dylan became household names after landing leading roles on the Disney series The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody when they were 12 years old.
Artistic: ‘She was a wonderful painter, so she always wanted some kind of recognition and artistic validation. But as time went on, I think the entertainment industry just broke her,” Sprouse said of her mother (pictured in 2000).
Looking back: “I’ve looked back on a lot of circumstances around that environment and I see a person dealing with mental illness, drug abuse, but mostly narcissism,” he added.