Brockovich has revealed that while she was basking in her new-found fame and publicising her cause, her youngest daughter Elizabeth, now 19, became addicted to cocaine and prescription drugs.
Julia Roberts won the Oscar for playing her, but for Erin Brockovich, the film based on her life and name was more of a curse than a blessing.
The film portrayed Brockovich's real-life fight against water contamination in the tiny town of Hinkley, California.
Brockovich has revealed that while she was basking in her new-found fame and publicising her cause, her youngest daughter Elizabeth, now 19, became addicted to cocaine and prescription drugs.
In fact, Brockovich has had to put up with abuse from strangers over her image and her private life.
She has also battled personality problems since the film turned her life upside down.
"Since the movie came out, it's been very hard. It was my curse,” The Sun quoted her as saying.
Brockovich had sold her story to Hollywood studio bosses for a reported £65,000.
"The film was a lot about the case, but there was so much of my personal life in there, too. I really didn't know that a lot of my life was going to be in there — me, the children, my romance at the time with George the biker guy.
"I was going to premieres, doing publicity, appearing in magazines, on TV.
"None of those things were in my life or my world before the film. I wasn't looking for them or anticipating them — it was an enormous change.
"It's been harder on me than people realise. I found it difficult to cope with the attention, difficult that people were judging me and making comments,” she said.
Brockovich's daughter Elizabeth started taking drugs at the age of 12 and was hooked on cocaine and prescription pills by the time she was 14.
While Brockovich is happy that the film raised awareness of environmental issues, nothing could have prepared her for the cruel personal attacks.
"The main negative from the movie was people's judgements and criticisms," the fighter, speaking from her home near Los Angeles, said. "I would get comments like 'shut your mouth' or 'cover your boobs'."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}