his ‘Desperate Housewives’ Star Just Lost Her Child — Inside the Struggles of the Actress Who Played Juanita Solis
This “Desperate Housewives” actress has faced many difficult obstacles along the way, from struggling with substance misuse and eating disorders to dealing with the devastating death of her child. Examine her tale of fortitude and tenacity during the most trying times in her life.
Known to viewers as the feisty Juanita Solis, she became well-known as a child actress on “Desperate Housewives” at the age of six. Behind the scenes, though, her formative years in the spotlight were anything but dazzling.
On TV, she was adored by fans, but her appearance drew harsh criticism. The actress struggled with substance abuse as she grew older, which caused tension in her relationships. The kid star recently suffered yet another devastating loss after battling these personal issues for years.
Notoriety, Investigation, and Drug Abuse
The teenage actress who portrayed Juanita Solis on “Desperate Housewives” gained notoriety for her portrayal of Eva Longoria’s vocal daughter, Gabrielle Solis.
She talked candidly about how challenging her time on the show had been in a 2023 podcast. She was frequently made fun of for being overweight during those years, and her demeanor elicited “shocking” responses.
The actress suffered much from spending hours reading hurtful remarks on YouTube, TMZ, and other websites when she was younger. She eventually resorted to drugs and became caught in a vicious circle of dependency.
I mean, for, like, five or six years, I didn’t go a day without smoking. I never realized how big of a problem it was […], so it was a huge, huge difficulty for me,” she said.
She battled a number of addictions, but she called her marijuana addiction her “biggest obsession.” The actress made numerous justifications while she was caught in a cycle of substance misuse, assuring herself that things could be worse.
But occasionally, her addiction would worsen to the point where she would want to hide from the world and not leave her bed.
The child star’s eating condition, which had afflicted her since childhood, made her fight with addiction even more difficult. This battle was exacerbated by her marijuana use, which prevented her from eating without first smoking.
She described the fact that she would occasionally spend days without eating if she was unable to smoke as “very, very dangerous.” In addition to harming her health, her addiction started to affect her relationships, particularly with her mother, whom she referred to as her best friend.
She was drawn away from everybody around her by the company of substances, which had become her best friend. “When I realized it started to affect my relationship with not only my friends but specifically my relationship with my mom, that’s when I knew I had to make a change,” the former “Desperate Housewives” actress said.
After committing to recovery, she said that life was “lighter and more colorful” than it had ever been after 248 days sober. “Things are easier,” the actress said, describing a vacation to New York where she was free of reliance for the first time.
“I wasn’t panicking because I was hooked up to a drug,” she explained. ‘Oh, what if I can’t use this?’ was not on my mind. “What happens if I lose my crutch?”
Now that those worries were gone, the child star found strength in setting a good example and assisting others going through similar difficulties. She stated, “I have a lot of friends who looked to me and said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go get help, because I saw that you got help, and it changed your life.’”
The actress also took inspiration from Demi Lovato, her elder half-sister, who has publicly discussed her own struggles with addiction and mental health. Lovato was motivated to be open about her experiences by her path, which included an almost fatal overdose in 2018.
“I believe it’s more impactful to watch her in action, even if she definitely provides me a lot of fantastic sister advise. Regarding her well-known brother, the child star stated, “I’ve started to share my personal story and I would have never, ever, ever done that if it weren’t for her.”\
She went on, “Her honesty, her bravery, and being an open book, I think that is what drives me.” A social media user posted a picture of the half-sisters online in June 2019 after catching a glimpse of their close bond.
A Tragic Death While Becoming a Mother
This “Desperate Housewives” child star made a poignant announcement about her pregnancy on Instagram on September 6. She shared pictures of herself with her loved ones, showing off her expanding baby bulge, and enjoying the glow of pregnancy.
The caption said, “Oh Ryan, you have my undying love.” I’m grateful that you fulfilled all of my dreams. ♥️ “Baby Mitchell 10.24” Lovato rejoiced over the news as well. She expressed her excitement about the prospect of becoming an aunt in an interview after a showing of her Hulu documentary, “Child Star.”
“I’m really excited to have new life come into our family,” she revealed. I place a high priority on family. Success is not as important to me as family and friends.
The singer of “Give Your Heart a Break” shared her joy on social media a few days later, saying, “My baby sis is having a baby!!” I’m excited to see your little angel 🥹🖤 and I adore you, @maddelagarza.”
Tragically, though, the child actress’s happiness was quickly overtaken by unspeakable sorrow. She tragically informed her Instagram followers on October 27 that she had undergone an emergency C-section and that her daughter, Xiomara, had died.
Part of her heartbreaking post read, “[…] Ryan and I held our little girl for the first and last time.” This little star and actress from “Desperate Housewives” is Madison De La Garza.
She received a flurry of sympathy and condolences after announcing the death of her baby. One person said, “When one momma cries, all the mommas cry together 😢😢so sorry.”
“May your daughter rest in paradise forever,” a another social media user commented. No words are present. According to a third, “There are just no words, Madison.” One more person said, “I’m crying, I’m so sorry 😔.”
De La Garza’s path has not been straightforward. She has struggled with issues that few people could, such as substance misuse and the recent tragic loss of her child. Despite everything, she remains a resilient person, surrounded by love and unfailing support at this extremely trying period.
