Lindsay Lohan asks ‘why didn’t anyone protect me more?’ as she reflects on life as a child star
27 February 2026, 12:03 | Updated: 2 March 2026, 14:32
Parent Trap actress opens up about fame, family and finding peace after a turbulent Hollywood childhood in the spotlight.
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Lindsay Lohan has opened up about the darker side of growing up in the spotlight, questioning why she wasn't more protected more as a child star.
The 39-year-old actress appears on the March 2026 cover of Vogue Arabia and has come a long way from her turbulent years in Hollywood and the showbiz world.
Now based in Dubai with her husband, financier Bader Shammas, and their son Luai, the Mean Girls star spoke candidly about her past and how she’s learned to reclaim her voice in the industry.
“Now I look back and wonder, ‘Why didn’t anyone just go and take me out of there, protect me more?’ You don’t know how to do that yourself when you’re a teenager,” she said, reflecting on her early fame and lack of guidance.
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Lindsay shot to global recognition at just 12 years old after starring in The Parent Trap, later becoming a household name through Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Mean Girls.
But while her on-screen success grew, her personal life was often overshadowed by intense media scrutiny and highly publicised struggles.
Looking back on those years, she described fame as both exhilarating and damaging. “Some parts were fun,” she said, “but it was a double-edged sword.”
She admitted that period took a toll on her: “It was all so overwhelming and consuming.”
Lindsay also revealed that, in hindsight, she wishes she had taken her parents’ advice: “I should have listened to my mom and dad and moved back to New York. But I was young and wanted to be in LA. And I didn’t know.”
Lindsay said as she’s matured, she’s developed a new sense of control and confidence. “With age comes a different kind of confidence,” she explained.
“When I was younger, I wasn’t so comfortable saying how I felt about a character and being involved with the process of it. And I love that part now.”
The actress, who moved to Dubai in 2014, said the city has given her the grounding and privacy she couldn’t find elsewhere.
“That’s a big breath of fresh air, having to not overthink everything you do every second,” she said.
“Being in Dubai is very grounding. I get to just spend time with my family. The city gives me a sense of being with what’s most important.”
She also shared rare insights into her relationship with Shammas, describing their dynamic as one built on calm and balance.
Since stepping back from Hollywood, Lohan has centred her life around family while choosing her work more selectively.
In recent years, she’s appeared in and produced films such as Freakier Friday, Falling for Christmas, Irish Wish and Our Little Secret, and will next star in the Hulu series Count My Lies.
Reflecting on how far she’s come, Lohan added: “Now it feels good to steer my own ship.”
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