Is being a child star worth it? Let Alyson Stoner work it out.
More than 20 years after appearing as that young dancer in Missy Elliott‘s “Work It” music video and launching an acting career, the performer—who has been open about their struggles with anxiety stemming from working in a high-stress environment—said they’re now “able to hold multiple truths at once” about their complex relationship with Hollywood.
Looking back at the “overnight success” they experienced during the early aughts, Alyson told E! News’ Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview that they’ve come to realize “this cascade of opportunities actually ended up leading to a lot of different health issues.”
“We had no idea the short- and long-term consequences of being that visible, that young,” the 32-year-old explained. “After that experience, I started dealing with things like kidnapping plots and managing stalkers, and all of these different health issues from workaholism and burnout.”
For the Cheaper By the Dozen alum, all those issues weren’t “unpacked until decades later” in therapy.
“What’s become most important is to recognize that we cannot solely be measured by our productivity and our output,” they noted. “We actually have to make sure that we understand we’re whole humans.”
That’s why Alyson went through a range of emotions detailing their childhood in their new memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, out now. While the writer still “feels warm” recounting their time working with Missy, they said putting pen to paper about their experience on the set of the 2008’s Camp Rock was far more difficult.
“It was challenging,” Alyson shared. “I do not wish this process of mining your psyche and heart then connecting it into 90,000 words for the whole world to read. I don’t necessarily recommend that process to everyone, but I do wish for the liberation that’s come with it.”
They continued, “I’m learning to practice acceptance that I cannot control the consequences of my honesty. What I can do is recognize that the truth is not always polite, but it still can be delivered with compassion and integrity.”
So, does that mean their former costars Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Demi Lovato won’t like what they wrote about the Disney Channel movie? Not necessarily.
“I think the Jonases will enjoy the sections that I’ve included them in the book,” Alyson said, adding that they had “touched base” with Demi while writing the book. “Thankfully, Demi has also been very vocal about her experiences, so I was able to build on that and share what it was like from my vantage point as all of these different events unfolded.”
They added, “We’ve been through a lot individually and together.”
Semi Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything comes out Aug. 12.
To see where the Camp Rock cast landed these days, keep reading…
Joe Jonas
He was Shane Gray for crying out loud!
The Jonas Brothers’ lead singer took on the leading man role in Camp Rock, playing the aforementioned moody rocker (which he loves to remind fans of by recreating scenes).
After the group disbanded in 2013, most expected Joe to launch a solo career—especially after being the first to release an individual album pre-split. Instead, he found success with his band DNCE and their major hit “Cake By the Ocean.”
Plus there was that whole Jonas Brothers rebirth.
Joe had romances with Taylor Swift and Gigi Hadid before he began dating Game of Thrones‘ Sophie Turner in 2016. They announced their engagement in October 2017.
Following the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, Joe and Sophie held a surprise ceremony at a Las Vegas wedding chapel, swapping ring pops instead of wedding bands. They later held a second ceremony in France.
The couple went on to welcome two daughters: Willa, born in July 2020, and Delphine, who arrived two years later. They announced their split in 2023.
“It was incredibly sad,” she detailed to Harper’s Bazaar in 2024. “We had a beautiful relationship, and it was hard.”
Demi Lovato
After starring as camp newcomer Mitchie Torres, Demi would go on to front her own Disney Channel series, Sonny With a Chance, for two years.
Demi’s music career took off after saying goodbye to the network, releasing hit singles such as “Confident,” “Sorry, Not Sorry” and “Cool for the Summer”—and seven studio albums. She also served as a judge on The X Factor, and guest-starred on Glee and Will & Grace.
The pop star got engaged to actor Max Ehrich in July 2020, but the pair split two months later. Demi debuted her relationship with musician Jutes in August 2022. They wed in May 2025.
Over the past decade, Demi has been vocal about her mental health journey, and she addressed her near-fatal 2018 drug overdose in the 2021 docuseries Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil.
Nick Jonas
While the youngest member of the band took on a supporting role as drummer Nate Gray in the two films, Nick would be the only brother to go on to have an acting career, starring in the gritty MMA drama Kingdom and Fox’s Scream Queens. He also starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, one of 2017’s highest-grossing movies, and returned for the 2019 sequel. Plus, Nick served as a coach on NBC’s The Voice in 2020.
Nick also continued have success in the music world, releasing two solo albums and making the top 10 hit as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 with his single “Jealous.”
When The Jonas Brothers announced they were reuniting in 2019, going on to release the hit single “Sucker,” Nick took ownership for the group’s breakup five years prior in their revealing 2019 documentary Chasing Happiness.
In December 2018, he married Baywatch star Priyanka Chopra in a series of ceremonies during a three-day, destination-wedding extravaganza in India. The couple welcomed daughter Malti Marie in January 2022.
Kevin Jonas
“Yeah man, this is where Connect 3…connected.”
The eldest Jonas played Jason Gray, one-third of the movie’s hit band and a Camp Rock enthusiast. The brothers would go on to star in their own Disney Channel series Jonas for two seasons, while also continuing to release music as The Jonas Brothers.
When the band announced their hiatus in 2010, Kevin went on to build his family with Danielle Jonas, the pair welcoming daughters Alena Rose Jonas in 2014 and Valentina Angelina Jonas in 2016. The couple also starred in the E! series Married to Jonas, and Kevin dove into the business world, founding real estate development and construction firm JonasWerner. He also served as CEO of The Blu Market Company and made a brief-but-memorable appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey when he showed up as a contractor.
Alyson Stoner
After their breakout in Step Up and Cheaper by the Dozen and a recurring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Alyson took on the part of aspiring producer and dancer Caitlyn Gellar.
Aside from returning for two Step Up sequels, Alyson has voiced characters in the Kingdom Heart video game franchise and continues to play Isabella on Disney’s hit animated series Phineas & Ferb.
Alyson penned an essay for Teen Vogue in 2018, opening up about falling in love with their female dance instructor. Stoner also released a single, “When It’s Right,” inspired by the relationship.
They told E! News that coming out was “a little bit scary” but the risk was worth it: “What matters most is that it’s a really exciting, fresh time for me to feel more myself than ever.”
In 2019, Alyson debuted a shaved head in their “Stripped Bare” music video, and later opened up about their previous mental health struggles and overcoming an eating disorder.
As they told People. “I can’t tell you how many beliefs and opinions and insecurities fell to the floor with every tuft of hair, and I’m leaving them there.”
Later that same year, they made headlines for stealing the show at the MTV Video Music Awards when they teamed up with Missy Elliott for an epic performance of “Work It,” 17 years after they starred in the music video for the hit song.
In August 2025, Alyson released their memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything.
Meaghan Martin
After playing Camp Rock diva Tess Tyler, Meaghan would go on to star in Mean Girl 2 and front the short-lived TV series 10 Things I Hate About You, taking over the role of Bianca Stratford.
In addition to guesting on Jessie, Melissa & Joey and House, Meaghan recurred on MTV’s Awkward, and made her London stage debut in The Actor’s Nightmare in 2019.
Meaghan married British actor Oli Higginson in September 2016.
Roshon Fegan
After playing dancer and rapper Sander Loyer in two Camp Rock films, Roshon went on to star in the hit Disney Channel series Shake It Up opposite Zendaya and Bella Thorne for three years.
In 2012, he competed on Dancing With the Stars, and he has also made appearances on hit shows such as Insecure, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Greenleaf.
Fegan started his own record label, Iconomous, and releases music under the name ROSHON.
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle
In addition to camper Ella Pador, Anna Maria was also known for her role as Ashley Dewitt on the network’s hit series Hannah Montana. After Final Jam, the actress went on to guest star on Baby Daddy and the CW’s Charmed reboot, and she starred in the 2011 Broadway revival of Godspell.
In 2019, the former Disney star married Scott Kline Jr., with Orange Is the New Black‘s Uzo Aduba serving as her maid of honor. The couple welcomed daughter Amelia Grace in June 2021.
Jordan Francis
The Canadian rapper and actor played breakdancer Barron James in both Camp Rock movies. He is now working as a songwriter, producer and choreographer.
Jordan remained friends with Demi, posting a sweet Instagram tribute in December 2019.
“I’ve known you over a decade and no matter what you’ve always been a real one to me and my family,” he wrote. “I always got your back.”
Aaryn Doyle
Aaryn, who co-starred as singer and dancer Lola Scott in the first film, was one of the only cast members not to return for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.
Since starring in the DCOM, the Canadian star still works as an actress and singer, as well as hosts her own YouTube channel.
Jasmine Richards
The Canadian singer co-starred as Margaret “Peggy” Dupree in both Camp Rock movies, which followed her run on the TV series Naturally, Sadie. After her time at camp came to an end, Jasmine went on to appear in Bomb Girls.
She married Mike Caci in September 2018 and the couple welcomed their son Luke in September 2021. Jasmine is a content creator and social media manager.
Daniel Fathers
The English actor and screenwriter, who played Brown Cesario, the owner of the camp, has gone on to appear in hit TV shows such as 90210, OrphanBlack, Reign, Atlanta and House of the Dragon. He starred opposite Harry Potter alum Rupert Grint in the TV adaptation of Snatch and joined the cast as a series regular in season two.
Daniel also appeared in Netflix’s 2017 movie A Christmas Prince and 2025’s The Last Supper.
Julie Brown
Julie’s Dee La Duke helped mentor the campers as the musical director in both films.
She held a recurring role on The Middle for several years, appeared on series such as Coffee House Chronicles and the 2023 TV movie Craft Me a Romance and worked as a writer on the sitcom Melissa & Joey.
