Nicole Weider
By Ashley Andrews, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –NICOLE'S STORY
Most if not all girls are born with the "I'm a star" gene. They sing and dance in front of the mirror; they host pretend fashion shows with their friends and stuffed animals; they pout their lips and snap a picture for almost every occasion; and they practice their "America's Next Top Model" strut down the hallways of their homes when no one else is around. For most of these girls, modeling is just pretend - something fun to think about. But for Nicole Weider, it was her reality.
"I have been modeling and acting since I was five years old," she described. "I had been with the same agency in Portland, Oregon for about 8 years, and had appeared in numerous publications, ads, magazines, television commercials. I had my own checking account by the age of twelve, and saw billboards with my face on them as I was being driven to junior high dances. But I was a 'big fish in a small pond.' I was ready for the big time and wanted to make it in Hollywood."
By the age of sixteen, she took a dive into Hollywood and "plunged headfirst into the task of becoming an 'it' girl." She signed with a small agency and began modeling to pay the bills, all while making her way "the cutthroat industry that is the devil's playground." During the day she went to school, but at night, Nicole was living it up. "I partied with well-known actors, had an all-access pass to the hottest clubs, and mingled with the see-and-be-seen celebrities. My friends and I read Cosmo magazine like it was the Bible. It had all the answers...or so I thought. Meanwhile, I witnessed many people compromise their dignity to be accepted amongst the superficial Hollywood standards. From up close, I saw the 'famous' people ruining their lives with drugs and excessive partying. I even knew some who sadly died as a result of their extreme lifestyles."
But, despite all the glitz and glam, Nicole was uneasy. As she shared, "...the lights had a dark side that terrified me. Although I was running around with the cool kids and living the life of a starlet, I was still a small town girl in my heart. Not only that, but something never felt quite right when it came time to actually audition. Each time a camera was focused on me, I didn't feel prepared enough, pretty enough, or completely ready to be scrutinized by the people who make it all happen."
By twenty-three, Nicole fell into a deep depression. "I felt helpless," she explained, "and foolish that had I allowed myself to get into this position. With no college degree and no alternate plan for my life, I knew I had made a huge mistake. I didn't know where to go...I turned to every self-help book available: The Law of Attraction, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, all the Anthony Robbins books - but nothing helped me."
Then she took a chance and tried praying. "Every single night I would look up into the stars and pray for a miracle," she described. "I completely gave my life to God. I asked for guidance to lift me out of the horrible situation I was in. I saw what "making it" did to others in this industry and knew I didn't want that for my life. It was at that point that I realized my great truth: Everything I went through - all I experienced in that dark city - was for a bigger purpose. I now see the kind of hold that Hollywood's harmful message had on me since the time I was a young girl. This influence led me to make decisions in my late teens that I now regret. I now see that the body truly is a temple and young girls and women for instance shouldn't have sex so easily. Girls often look to sex to feel loved but in the hands of the wrong guy it can destroy self-esteem."
For girls, Hollywood often equals happiness, satisfaction, love - or at least, that is how it appears. But as Nicole learned, that is not the case. "It was Hollywood that made me want to be an actress. I was so infatuated with the fame game - it all looked so glamorous - but in the end it was quite the opposite. I'm not saying everyone in Hollywood is bad. In fact, the Hollywood experience helped me to look at what I really wanted for myself. My mistakes were part of my journey and my value system has completely changed as a result of it. I found Christianity and it turned my life around."
Nowadays, Nicole spends her time helping other young girls find their passion and be comfortable in their own skin. "My bigger purpose is this: I want to help other young women avoid some of the same mistakes I've made...Using my experience as a platform, I'd like to be a voice that's out there to help others - especially young women - be their best selves. By questioning cultural norms, exposing the truth of media exploitation and finding and sharing inspiration from scripture and my own life, I can show those who seek it what it means to be a person of value and confidence."
Seeing all that is happening in the world today, Nicole realizes that Christianity has a lot to overcome. "Christianity," she explained, "needs to be redefined for young girls. There is a certain stereotype of how a Christian girl should look, dress and act. I want to show young women that you can be a good Christian and still embrace many parts of the popular culture."
Today, Nicole puts her trust in God, and not designers or casting directors. "I now believe that the fear that prevented me from achieving Hollywood stardom was actually God's way of protecting me from an industry that chews up and destroys young women like me...God listened to my prayers. His power helped deliver me through the depression I was in, financially and spiritually. Every single thing I am now blessed with - material and emotional - is because God knew that once I received these great blessings, I would give myself over to Him and in turn show others the power of God to make anything happen. I just hope through my story - and through God's will - that I can inspire others to lead a more meaningful life."
TAKING ACTION
Nicole believed it was time that a Hollywood voice took the best interests of young women to heart, and so she began her own campaign "Project Inspired." Through this, Nicole offers relationship tips, style advice, inspirational quotes, and an honest account of what it is really like in Hollywood. She encourages young women to, "Be a person of value and confidence - be your own best self - through leading a true Christian life." Along with this campaign, Nicole also launched "Project Anti-Cosmo," a mission to confront the overly-explicit images and advice printed in Cosmopolitan. As she put it, "Cosmopolitan is emblematic of what's wrong with our culture today. The content of the magazine is predominantly (and often explicitly) about sex. The articles you'll typically find in its pages advise "hookups" without a hint of emotional connection. Yet, unlike "R" rated movies, there's no "age limit" for anyone to access it, so young teen girls are reading, absorbing, and acting on its destructive message...(it's in every supermarket, at the nail salon, in waiting rooms, and on your mom's nightstand) it has become one of the media's worst influences on teenage girls. Cosmopolitan needs to change its content or be made harder to access."