'Could Have Been Much Worse': Child Stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Adjusted to Fame 'Pretty Well'
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen grew up in the limelight after being cast on the hit sitcom Full House as infants.
Despite the struggles that come with being child stars, the twins — who are now 38 years old — have managed to blossom into adulthood from entertainers to fashion designers.
"Being in the spotlight as little kids really seems to have impacted how Mary-Kate and Ashley live their adult lives," a friend of the Olsen twins spilled to an outlet.
A second source, who once worked as a nightlife promoter, added, "For being child stars, they have come out of [all] this pretty well. It could’ve been so much worse."
Following their Full House fame, Mary Kate and Ashley became tiny girl bosses as they starred in a number of children's shows and movies before turning their careers toward fashion.
"There was no precedent for what we did," their former publicist Michael Pagnotta explained. "They were in charge. When they decided to bail on all the entertainment stuff and move into fashion, I think that’s why they felt they had some credibility."
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However, he revealed their popularity eventually became "a lot for them."
"It was a matter of their mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being that dictated that, you know, we need to pick a new direction," he continued.
The former nightlife promoter also noted that it wasn't entirely surprising the twins made the decision to end their entertainment careers and step away from the spotlight due to their personalities.
"They were always a bit different," they revealed. "Mary-Kate had a little bit more spunk. Paris [Hilton], Lindsay [Lohan] and Nicole [Richie] were dancing on tables, but Mary-Kate and Ashley [would] sit by themselves at a table in the corner. Even when they were on the scene, they were very private."
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Despite running in "high-end circles" in the past, a second pal shared the sisters currently live very "low-key lives."
"They’ve given up smoking and stopped going out for a while," the friend added. "Ashley also had a baby, so her priorities are different; nobody sees them as much as they used to."
The sources spoke with Us Weekly about the Olsen twins.