Traditional half-hour sitcoms have dominated decades of television, becoming integrated parts of people's day-to-day lives for generations.
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Iconic shows such as The Cosby Show, Full House and Malcolm in the Middle were devoured by millions of people on a weekly or even nightly basis. Fans watched their favorite fictional families bicker and laugh for years, all while the kids on the show grew up before their eyes.
One of the most popular and highest-rated sitcoms of the early 2000s, Reba, captured millions of hearts over its six-season run. It followed the Montgomery-Hart family and centered on Reba (Reba McEntire), who finds out when the series starts that her longtime husband (played by Christopher Rich) is leaving her for a younger woman (played by Melissa Peterman) AND that her oldest teenage daughter is pregnant.
Reba must try to get through her own messy life while raising three children — Cheyenne (JoAnna García Swisher), Kyra (Scarlett Pomers) and Jacob (Mitch Holleman). Throughout the series, fans watched all three deal with school drama, heartbreaks and discovering who they are.
Pomers, who played the witty, sarcastic and artistic middle child Kyra, took on the role at just age 12. Fans got to see her blossom into a young adult with opinions, responsibilities and dreams throughout the series. But once the series ended, Pomers never took another acting role.
So, what happened to our favorite spunky red-headed child star? And where is she now?
How Old Was Scarlett Pomers on Reba?
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Pomers was practically born ready for the spotlight. She fell in love with hard rock from an early age and began taking singing and guitar lessons as a young girl. And when Pomers was only 3 years old, an agent at a shopping mall told her mother that Pomers should get into the acting business.
The budding star made her acting debut at only age 4 in Michael Jackson's music video Heal the World in 1992. But she didn't stop there. With her charisma and bright red hair, she was on the precipice of stardom.
After landing dozens of commercials, she grabbed her first big-screen appearance on The Baby-Sitters Club (1995). She slowly built up her resume? with appearances in shows including The Jeff Foxworthy Show and The Secret World of Alex Mack. She even acted alongside legendary actress Julia Roberts in the blockbuster film Erin Brockovich (2000).
Pomers secured her first major, ongoing role in 1998 as Naomi Wildman on the science fiction series Star Trek: Voyager. She became a mainstay in that hit show, appearing in 17 episodes over three years and even winning a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Drama Series: Supporting Young Actress.
The end of her role in that series paved the way for her to land the role of middle child Kyra on Reba. With millions of people watching her hilariously tease her older sister on the show, Pomers quickly became recognizably famous. But at such a young age, the spotlight grew too bright and her mental health began to decline.
Why Did Scarlett Pomers Leave the Reba Show?
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Pomers says she was 16 when her eating disorder began. She notes that no one on the Reba set told her to lose weight. But as with most young girls, her self-image spiraled as she got older and became more unsure of herself. Plus, her struggles were amplified in front of millions of people.
Pomers told E! in 2006 she innocently started dieting and working out after gaining a few pounds one holiday season. But things quickly spun out of control. She says she realized she had a problem when she began to hide her eating and exercising habits.
"[My eating disorder] began at a bad time when I was stressed out about things in my life. You know, just normal things that people go through," the young actress said. "It's definitely not a choice. It's not something where you wake up and go, 'You know, I think I'll have an eating disorder today.'"
The teenager, barely over 5 feet tall, dropped to 73 pounds in late 2005 from barely eating and from working out as much as six hours each day. After trying to manage the problem on her own with a therapist and a nutritionist, Powers eventually checked into a treatment facility for anorexia nervosa.
Fans took notice of her absence when the series regular was only featured in two episodes in the 22-episode fifth season. So, she eventually decided to go public with her ongoing illness to squash any false rumors.
"I thought that if people knew what was going on, they could see that I was trying to get better," Pomers said. "And maybe in the process help people feel like they have nothing to hide and if they need help, they should be able to seek it."
Though she returned for the last season of Reba, Pomers decided that Hollywood was not the place for her and retired from acting.
After gaining some control over her anorexia, the former actress became an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association and started her own nonprofit, Arch Angels, to help pay for treatment for those who couldn't afford it.
"I think it's something that's always going to be in your past," Pomers told E!, "but you definitely get to a point where you realize there are more important things in your life and you come to the point where you're at peace with yourself."
What is Scarlett Pomers Doing Today?
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After leaving the acting world, Pomers turned toward the passion that had been calling her name since she was a child: music.
She had already been writing music, spending time in studios and performing in various Los Angeles clubs and venues with her band SCARLETT while still on the Reba cast. In 2005, she was even offered residencies at famed venues The Roxy and The Knitting Factory.
Years after she retired from acting, Pomers released her debut EP, Insane, in the beginning of 2010. After the EP dropped, though, Pomers says she now only performs, writes or plays music for enjoyment.
"I do it mostly for myself and not for money, not for a living," she told StarTrek.com in 2014. "There's no money in it anyway."
Now, in her early 30s, the former child star has branched out into photography and making jewelry through her online store The Mermaid's Lure.
"I do mostly fashion stuff, but I also shoot bands. I shoot their promo pictures and stuff like that, and a little bit of concerts, too," she said to StarTrek.com. "With fashion and other kinds of shoots, I can be a little more creative and have more say on the concepts [and] whatnot."
These days, Pomers mostly keeps to herself. After a long hiatus from social media, the Reba alumna reactivated her Instagram account in 2020 and occasionally posts photos from her days in show business.
Watch her captivate the camera as a teenager on Reba on Hulu.
