Soleil Moon Frye‘s next documentary is an extremely personal one about her childhood friend and ex Shifty Shellshock – and she’s determined to complete it to honor him after his tragic death.
“The documentary that I had been working on before this documentary was about a dear friend of mine Seth, who I had known through childhood and was also one of the loves of my life. We were making a documentary together that I’ve now recently completed,” Frye, 48, revealed during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about Paramount+’s The Carters: Hurts to Love You. “I just have to finish the ending because as I was on the journey of making this documentary, he tragically died from his own struggles with addiction.”
Frye’s work as a director has always been about uplifting other people’s stories, especially when they include meaningful topics such as mental health and addiction.
“These stories go beyond documentaries for me because they certainly touch my life. I really want to share that with the world because [Seth] was so loved and people were so inspired by him and his music,” she shared. “He struggled with addiction for so many years and it was exquisite to see that his sisters, his son and his son’s mother came to the premiere the other night [for The Carters: Hurts to Love You] and were there and just for us all to have a deeper understanding.”
Frye told Us that she is grateful she had the chance to capture Shellshock’s voice before his passing, adding, “I’m really, really thankful that he shared that experience with me so that I can carry on his memory. And now with the Carters, we can carry on their memories to those that are here that we can bring healing and light. I feel like I’m a vessel for something so much bigger than myself and I am ready to continue sharing really important pivotal stories.”
Frye and Shellshock met in the eighth grade and remained in each other’s lives as they both reached individual stardom. The actress, who shares four kids with ex-husband Jason Goldberg, is known for her work on screen in Punky Brewster, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and more before expanding to directorial work.
Shellshock, meanwhile, cofounded the rap rock band Crazy Town and became a dad to son Halo with Melissa Clark, son Gage with Tracy Shelor and a child with Jasmine Lennard. Frye and Shellshock started dating in 2021 and remained together until early 2022. They quietly parted ways before Shellshock died in June 2024 of an accidental drug overdose.
“Angel [Carter Conrad] was really by my side. She really stood by me through it. She came with me to the memorial, where like a thousand people showed up. This was such a cathartic healing process for me as well because I was able to grieve and put so much of my own personal experiences. It just felt like we were sharing so much of this,” Frye shared with Us. “I love that I get to provide a safe space. I feel this moral responsibility to create a safe space.”
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Before Frye’s documentary about Shellshock, she collaborated with Angel, 37, on a special about her famous but troubled family. The Carters: Hurts to Love You, which premieres on Tuesday, April 15, highlights Nick Carter, Aaron Carter, Angel, Leslie Carter and Bobbie Jean Carter‘s difficult upbringings. Nick, 45, and Aaron’s rise to stardom — and the toll it took on them and their siblings — is the backdrop for a film Frye hopes will ultimately work to destigmatize mental health and addiction.
“So many of our favorite musicians, icons, actors and athletes have had so many trials and tribulations and there are so many that we’ve lost. You wondered to what point do some of our favorite performers go to before they break. That is something that also is global in the sense that someone can want to really please their family. Someone could be an athlete that is pushed,” Frye told Us. “I just think that in this world we’re facing this global crisis, which is ultimately around mental health and addiction. We have to start sharing our stories. I really hope that through the lens of the Carters, that people will connect to some part of their own lives and experiences.”
Frye wanted to honor “the memory of those that we’ve lost” to addiction and the dark sides of child stardom.
“There’s so much more to do and there’s so many more stories to be shared. I really hope that people watch this, have conversations with their families and speak to their loved ones and just have a deeper empathy for each other,” she added. “I would say there is progress and I want to keep being a part of sharing these stories that I feel are so important because they’re so universal.”
The Carters: Hurts to Love You starts streaming Tuesday, April 15, on Paramount+.
