Which actress won legal emancipation from her mother?

The actress who won legal emancipation from her mother was Jena Malone.

Malone filed for emancipation in Los Angeles County in 1999, when she was 15. She argued that her mother had mishandled money earned from her acting career, including funds held in a trust account. The court granted Malone legal emancipation in January 2000, giving her control over her finances and career decisions while she was still a teenager.

Malone had already built a substantial résumé as a child performer. Her early work included the films An American Girl and Contact, and she later became widely known for roles in Stepmom, Donnie Darko, Pride & Prejudice, Into the Wild, and The Hunger Games series. Her emancipation story is sometimes confused with similar legal disputes involving other former child stars, but Malone is the actress associated with this specific case.

Legal emancipation does not simply mean an actor becomes an adult; it is a court-recognized change in a minor's legal independence. Malone's case drew attention because it combined family conflict, child-actor earnings, and questions about who controls a young performer's career.