Madelaine Petsch: PSA: You Can’t Fix Him

Key Takeaways

Madelaine Petsch detailed her childhood trauma, including her father's mood swings and a significant memory at age eight.
She discussed her nine-year therapy journey, identifying how childhood dynamics influenced her adult relationships.
Petsch explained her past 'fixer' role in family and romantic relationships, now focusing on establishing boundaries.
Her perspective on having children has evolved from not wanting them to now desiring motherhood.
She addressed 'Riverdale' cast rumors, clarifying her relationships with co-stars and reflecting on the show's conclusion.

Guest Madelaine Petsch described her worst fashion phase in seventh grade involving double zero ear gauges and colored skinny jeans.
She identified this period as her 'scene kid' phase, including thinning her own hair.
Petsch recounted her first kiss with her brother's enemy, who became her first boyfriend, in the back of her mother's minivan.
The guest later bought seven Cartier rings after 'Riverdale' was picked up for another season.

Petsch described her South African parents struggling to adapt to American culture while raising her and her older brother in Washington State.
She felt different growing up as a redhead, South African, plant-based, and non-Christian.
Her father's extreme mood swings, as a child, led her to believe his actions were her fault.
At age eight, she recalls a pivotal memory where her father told her he didn't love her after a falling out, leaving her alone.

Petsch described being called upon to emotionally disarm her father, functioning as a child 'fixer' in the household.
She processed childhood trauma through compartmentalization and avoidance, a coping mechanism later addressed extensively in therapy.
This mediator role created a difficult dynamic with her brother, leading to a strained relationship in early adulthood that they have since repaired.
She credits immersing herself in the arts, attending an arts high school, and extensive after-school activities as an escape.

Petsch discussed the complexities of financially supporting her family, which triggers old childhood dynamics and internal conflict.
A significant breakthrough in her nine years of therapy was stopping dating men who were 'carbon copies' of her father.
She struggled with self-love due to her father's perceived lack of affection, an insecurity requiring conscious effort to manage.
Her relationship with her father influenced her partner choices, including an ex-partner diagnosed with the same condition as her father.

Petsch explained that her parents staying together, possibly due to a shared business, created an unhealthy perception of love as simply 'staying.'
This led her to adopt a 'fixer' role in her own relationships, mirroring her dynamic with her father.
She contrasts her past tendency to 'scramble to fix' conflict, even when the other person was at fault, with her current approach of 'standing on business.'
She advises friends in unhappy relationships with children to prioritize finding genuine love and modeling healthy relationships.

Petsch currently has a complicated relationship with her father, maintaining firm boundaries and sometimes going months without contact.
She describes her relationship with her mother as that of best friends.
She has shifted her perspective on having children from not wanting them to now knowing she does.
This change was driven by a realization of her own capacity for love and a desire to change her family narrative, contrasting with past societal pressures.

Petsch, now 31, has chosen not to discuss her current relationship status publicly after a decade of struggling with public and private life balance.
She seeks consistency, kindness, love, communication, and career support in a relationship, emphasizing trust due to her acting profession.
She is 'out' on a potential partner fresh from a messy breakup and 'in' on someone shy around her friends but fun with his own.
A past relationship ended due to a significant lie when her boyfriend claimed to be home but was with another woman, despite her not believing he cheated.

Petsch clarified rumors from 'Riverdale,' stating she did not have romantic relationships with castmates.
She shared advice from Cole Sprouse about not mixing business with pleasure.
The female cast members, including Camila Mendes, formed a strong bond and avoided jealousy, attributing it to mutual support during the show's rapid success.
Petsch expressed sadness about 'Riverdale' ending but gratitude for the experiences and friendships gained, finding Cheryl Blossom a challenging and fun role.