By India McCarty
Former Disney star and boybander Ricky Garcia warns Hollywood hopefuls about the predatory behavior that runs rampant in the entertainment industry.
“I think it’s the number-one focus that people in the industry should be aware of,” he told Fox News. “It seems like it’s all glitz and glamor to people, but the reality is there’s people that are abusing others.”
Garcia, a member of Forever In Your Mind and a star in Disney’s BEST FRIENDS WHENEVER, explained that predators “use power, money, fame — all of it. Like cars and houses and money” to pull in victims.
“I think that is very enticing and people use that against somebody that’s very vulnerable, very fresh in the industry so I would be on the lookout for that,” he said. “I think the warning signs particularly is being isolated or being treated special. I’m just speaking for myself too, that was my experience. I was very isolated and I was picked off and…I was treated very specially.”
Garcia acknowledged that it can be “hard, because you wanna trust people, you wanna love people, but there’s always a hidden agenda, especially for agents and managers, and there has to be a very clear boundary, I think, with family and parents and even guardians. You need to know who is your safe person to talk to. There has to be really big communication.”
Related: Former Child Star Tells Parents to Protect Their Kids in Entertainment Industry
The actor and singer filed a civil lawsuit against former manager Joby Harte that went to trial in 2024. Garcia claimed Harte gave the band alcohol, getting him “black out drunk,” on a writing trip to Catalina Island.
“When I woke up in Catalina, I was completely naked under the covers and Joby came in the room. He was, like, smirking at me, like it was a funny thing. And I come to find out that Joby bathed me. That was the first instance where I had zero recollection of what happened, and he was able to do whatever to me, and I wouldn’t have known,” Garcia shared in recent docuseries BOY BAND CONFIDENTIAL.
The inappropriate behavior and abuse continued, as Garcia “didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t want to make the situation uncomfortable for the both of us, so I just went along with it.”
After his suit went to trial, Harte was found guilty and ordered to pay Garcia $6 million. He has not paid, as he filed for bankruptcy before the trial.
“If I never see it, for the rest of my life, I couldn’t care less, because I’m done letting this affect me,” Garcia said.
Garcia has since partnered with Child USA, an organization committed to ending child abuse.
“They spread awareness on sexual abuse, people who have gone through trauma, especially young children,” he told Flaunt in a 2023 interview. “They’re on top of the game everyday. Percentages and numbers change all the time, they’re trying to give the most up-to-date, accurate answers. They’re spreading some real eye-opening knowledge. I went through my fair share of that, I had to spread awareness about this because I don’t think people talk about it enough. It’s a taboo thing to talk about, so it’s important. More people should be comfortable talking about it.”
Garcia is one of many who have been abused by the Hollywood system and are now working to raise awareness about the dark side of the industry.
Read Next: Drake Bell Exposed Sexual Abuse on Set; Now His Life Is Changed for The Better
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