Elena Cardone

And then one day, my best friend across the street, she perished in a fire that unfortunately I was there.

And then one day, my best friend across the street, she perished in a fire that unfortunately I was there.

I witnessed the whole thing.

I witnessed the whole thing.

It was devastating to me.

It was devastating to me.

And because I was so young and didn't know how to kind of cope with that, I went down this dark road of...

And because I was so young and didn't know how to kind of cope with that, I went down this dark road of...

self-medicating to try to just numb it and deal with it.

self-medicating to try to just numb it and deal with it.

So I feel like I wasted a lot of years trying to, rather than confronting.

So I feel like I wasted a lot of years trying to, rather than confronting.

But out of that, what got me out of New Orleans

But out of that, what got me out of New Orleans

was an acting career.

was an acting career.

I saw, okay, I can maybe succeed in an acting and modeling career.

I saw, okay, I can maybe succeed in an acting and modeling career.

So I moved to Los Angeles at 17 years old.

So I moved to Los Angeles at 17 years old.