An Inside Look At His Life And Career

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Finding fame at a young age can be challenging, as Carlos PenaVega learned firsthand following his big break on "Big Time Rush." The show aired on Nickelodeon from 2009 to 2013 and made PenaVega a television star. Unfortunately, while it earned him money and status, it didn't truly fulfill him. As he shared in his and wife Alexa PenaVega's joint 2022 memoir, "What If Love Is the Point? Living for Jesus in a Self-Consumed World," he had a fancy house, expensive cars, plenty of money, and loads of fans and yet, that wasn't enough. "I was empty and I didn't know what it was that I was missing," he recalled. The Nickelodeon star ended up making some choices he would look back on with regret. "I tried to fill that void with girlfriends, toys, houses, whatever was new on Amazon and eventually weed," he shared. And when Big Time Rush went on tour in 2011, he got into alcohol. "I'd never been a big drinker but that summer I drank a lot," he wrote.

Making matters worse was his breakup from Samantha Droke in 2012. At the time, the actor told fans, per Just Jared Jr, "I'm still sad about it, but it's all good." However, it wasn't all good. In fact, the split hit him hard and marked a major turning point. "When Sam and I broke up, and I spiraled downward, I had a reality check," he wrote, sharing how he finally realized his vices were never going to be the key to his happiness.

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