Bullied and ignored
As a child, Jessica was teased for her appearance — her red hair, freckles, and unique features. “At school, I was told I was ugly every day,” she recalled, and children refused to be her friend. She mostly kept quiet about her childhood, especially after her sister tragically died by suicide in 2003, followed by her biological father’s death in 2013.
A dream begins
At age seven, after seeing a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, she realized what she wanted to become: an actress. She enrolled in a performing arts school, even working there just so she could afford classes.
With the support of mentors and her grandmother — who took her to her first theater performance and encouraged her arts passion — she pursued acting with determination. Access to birth control and support from Planned Parenthood also allowed her to build her future responsibly, rather than becoming a teen mother like many people around her.