Lindsay Lohan Questions Why She Wasn’t Protected as a Child
Lindsay Lohan has recently been reflecting on the complexities of growing up in the intense glare of the Hollywood spotlight. In a candid conversation for the March anniversary issue of Vogue Arabia, the 39-year-old actress looked back at her teenage years with a new perspective, questioning why there weren’t more safeguards in place for her.
She admitted that she now wonders why no one intervened to remove her from such an overwhelming environment or offered her more protection during her rise to fame. The star noted that as a teenager, you simply don’t have the tools to advocate for yourself in an industry that can be so consuming.
Lohan first became a household name at age 12 in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, quickly followed by era-defining hits like Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. She described her time in Los Angeles during that peak as a double-edged sword, noting that while much of it was exciting, the lack of boundaries and constant scrutiny eventually pushed her to seek a life elsewhere.
That search for peace eventually led her to move to Dubai in 2014, a city she describes as being incredibly grounding for her and her family. It was there that she met her husband, Kuwaiti financier Bader Shammas, with whom she shares a young son named Luai.
Lohan credited the move with giving her a big breath of fresh air, allowing her to live a life where she doesn’t have to second-guess her every move. She spoke warmly of her relationship with Shammas, describing him as a calm influence that balances out her more energetic personality.
Beyond her personal growth, Lohan is currently in the midst of a significant professional resurgence. In August 2025, she returned to theaters with the highly successful sequel Freakier Friday, where she reunited with Jamie Lee Curtis to reprise their beloved roles as Anna and Tess Coleman.
The film, which also brought back original cast members like Chad Michael Murray and Mark Harmon, explored a new chapter where Lohan’s character is now a mother herself, navigating family life. Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Lohan is set to make her debut as a television lead in the upcoming Hulu limited series Count My Lies.
Based on the thriller novel by Sophie Stava, the show features Lohan as Violet Lockhart, the wealthy and secretive head of a household that is upended when a nanny, played by Shailene Woodley, enters their lives. The star-studded production also features Game of Thrones alum Kit Harington and is being developed by the creative team behind This Is Us.
In addition to her work on the small screen, Lohan is continuing her successful multi-picture partnership with Netflix. Following the success of her romantic comedies, Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish.
She has shared that she is now much more comfortable being involved in the creative process of her characters, a shift in confidence that has allowed her to enjoy her work more than ever before. When I was younger, I wasn’t so comfortable saying how I felt about a character, she admitted, and I love that part now.
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