Early Life
Born in 1971, Christina grew up in a turbulent household. Her father, Bobby Applegate, worked as a television producer, while her mother was a singer and actress. The couple separated shortly after Christina’s birth, leaving her to be raised mainly by her mother. Her relationship with her father was distant for much of her life.
Reflecting on it later, she said she didn’t get to spend the kind of time with him that either of them might have wanted.
She grew up in Laurel Canyon, a famously artistic area of Los Angeles known for its bohemian and countercultural atmosphere. While the neighborhood was full of creative energy, her home life was often unstable. Christina has spoken about experiencing abuse during childhood, witnessing her mother struggle with addiction, and dealing with mistreatment from her mother’s partner. One of the most traumatic events she revealed in her memoir involved abuse by a babysitter when she was only five years old.
She has described the years between ages three and seven as particularly difficult. At the time, she noted that situations like hers were sadly common in households dealing with poverty, addiction, and unstable relationships.
Early Career
Because of her mother’s connections in the entertainment world, Christina appeared on camera almost from infancy. At just one year old she had a small role on Days of Our Lives, and when she was only three months old she appeared in a commercial for Playtex baby bottles.
By the age of ten she made her film debut in the horror movie Jaws of Satan. A few years later, in 1983, she portrayed a young Grace Kelly in a television biographical drama and soon landed her first recurring television role in Washington in 1985.
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