Full House star Jodie Sweetin has spoken candidly about how drug addiction left her raising her two children in a one-bedroom apartment with less than $200 in her bank account.
The 44-year-old actress, best known for playing Stephanie Tanner on the iconic ABC sitcom from 1987 to 1995, was facing serious financial hardship before the series returned as the Netflix reboot Fuller House in 2016.
The situation was particularly difficult because Sweetin was already a mother to two daughters, Zoie, now 18, and Beatrix, now 16. She shares Zoie with ex-husband Cody Herpin and Beatrix with ex-husband Morty Coyle.
Sweetin revisited that challenging period during a recent appearance on actress Natanya Ross’s podcast, We’re Still Here, Babe.
She explained that much of the money she earned from Full House went toward treatment before she became sober in 2011.
“It’s not like I was ever a materialistic person, but you learn humility when you’re at Target and you have to turn around and put some s—t back because you don’t have enough money on your debit card,” Sweetin said.
Full House star Jodie Sweetin has opened up about how drug addiction left her living in a one-bedroom apartment with her two children and less than $200 in the bank (pictured in Beverly Hills last month)
The 44-year-old actress, known for playing Stephanie Tanner on the ABC sitcom from 1987 to 1995, was experiencing financial hardship before the show was rebooted as Fuller House on Netflix in 2016 (pictured, the Full House cast)
While in treatment, she began working as a director of operations to earn additional income.
“I was happy. I think part of the reason I was able to return to the business and genuinely enjoy it was that I had gone completely in the other direction. I was simply working a normal job,” she said.
Sweetin also described being broke while raising her daughters in a one-and-a-half-bedroom apartment. She earned $2,200 and was fortunate that her parents helped cover the remaining half of the rent.
“I was just trying to get by. I drove an old used car,” Sweetin recalled.
“I didn’t have an ego about it. I didn’t care that I was working a normal job. I think other people were asking, ‘What are you doing here?’ And I was like, ‘I’m paying my bills. Kids don’t pay for themselves.’”
She said those difficult years taught her how to find happiness regardless of her circumstances.
“I just threw myself into being present, as fully present as I could be, and embraced that old ‘bloom where you’re planted’ kind of mindset,” she said.
Her circumstances began to change when Fuller House premiered on Netflix in 2016, although it took time for her finances to stabilize.
Sweetin was also raising two daughters, Zoie, now 18, and Beatrix, now 16, whom she shares with ex-husbands Cody Herpin and Morty Coyle, respectively (pictured with her daughters in Buena Park, California, in December 2018)
FIND OUT MORE: Report suggests the deceased man who was brought into the bank in a wheelchair may have been poisoned. – NewsFinale
She discussed that difficult period during a recent appearance on actress Natanya Ross’s We’re Still Here, Babe podcast (pictured in Los Angeles in May)
Sweetin’s life changed after Fuller House began streaming on Netflix in 2016, though it took time for her to recover financially (pictured from left to right: Candace Cameron Bure, Sweetin and Andrea Barber)
“I had to borrow money during the first week I was working on Fuller House, and I skidded into my first paycheck with about $190 in my bank account. Nobody I worked with knew that. Not that I cared,” she said.
Sweetin now appears to have gained valuable perspective from that difficult chapter of her life.
“I’ve been very fortunate to experience a lot of wonderful things, but I’ve also known what it’s like to have no money. Your ego can’t be involved,” she said.
Fuller House ran for five seasons on Netflix from 2016 to 2020.
This was not the first time Sweetin has discussed her struggle with drug addiction. She previously appeared on Teen Mom star Kailyn Lowry’s Barely Famous podcast in July 2025.
During that interview, she acknowledged abusing cocaine, crystal meth and ecstasy.
Sweetin said she was not dealing with addiction while starring on Full House, but that the subject became a major focus of public attention during her 20s.
“Because people know who you are, it never really stops being in the public eye,” she said.
Although millions of people struggle with addiction, she noted that her experience attracted additional attention because she was a well-known actress.
Sweetin appears to have gained a new perspective from that difficult period in her life (pictured in Los Angeles last month)
Sweetin has been married to clinical social worker Mescal Wasilewski since 2022 (pictured in Beverly Hills in September 2024)
“I always say I would have struggled with addiction regardless of whether I had been on television,” she added.
“To be fair, being on television gave me access to treatment and help in ways I might not have had if I hadn’t worked as a child. But it’s very difficult when you have to make all your mistakes publicly.”
Sweetin has been married to clinical social worker Mescal Wasilewski since 2022.
She has continued to work steadily in the entertainment industry. Earlier this year, Sweetin competed on the HGTV series Totally 90s House, where she was partnered with Beverly Hills, 90210 star Brian Austin Green and Seventh Heaven actress Beverley Mitchell.
FIND OUT MORE: Wife of Alexander Brother Breaks Down in Tears on Street Following Guilty Verdict