Did Bridgit Mendler End Her 9-Year Music Hiatus? The Truth

Ready or not? Bridgit Mendler hasrevealed whether she actually dropped new music.

And the answer may be disappointing for fans, as the 33-year-old clarified that a new six-song EP released from her artist profile on Spotify and Apple Music was not actually her doing.

I saw that Annasophia Robb, who plays Laurie in ‘Once Upon a Time in Wonderland’, cleared things up on X just recently! Someone thought she was behind a Spotify release, but she posted on June 10th saying it definitely wasn’t her. It’s good to know she addressed it directly!

Although, she did tease in a follow-up that she’s leaving the door open for her music career, saying, “when it is, trust me, you’ll know ;)”

The EP, called Once Again…, was released on June 5th, but Spotify has since taken it down from its streaming service.

A representative for the artist confirmed to TopMob News on June 11th that the release is no longer available on their page. They emphasized that protecting the privacy of artists is extremely important and that they are continually working to improve their methods for identifying and stopping unauthorized releases.

TopMob News has reached out to Apple Music for comment but has not heard back.

Although the release wasn’t authorized, Mendler appreciated the support from fans, posting to X on June 11, “thank you for your support it really means so much <3 i’m sorry we had to take the music down, we’ll find a way to do it the right way.”

After releasing her song “Diving” in 2017, the former Good Luck Charlie star stepped away from Hollywood to concentrate on her education. She completed her law degree at Harvard Law School in 2024, though she paused her doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Although she’s been focused on running her space technology company, Norwood Space, fans are eagerly awaiting new music from the artist known for her hit song, “Ready or Not.”

Indeed, one passionate fan wrote under Mendler’s X post, “SO IT WILLLLLL HAPPEN AT SOME POINT???”

Fans flooded social media with pleas for Bridgit to return, with one writing, “Come back, Bridgit!” Another commented, expressing hope for new music, praising her incredible voice.

And though it will likely be a while until the “Hurricane” artist returns to the entertainment industry, she does keep in touch with some friends from her teen years on the Disney Channel, including Lemonade Mouth costars Hayley Kiyoko and Naomi Scott.

The three friends were happy to see each other again in August 2025, and Kiyoko shared a photo of their get-together on Instagram.

The singer of “Girls Like Girls,” who is 35 years old, shared a heartwarming old photo with the caption, “We’ll always be more than just a band.”

Mendler isn’t the only celebrity who’s chosen a more ordinary life after being in the spotlight. Here’s a look at other famous faces who’ve gone back to regular jobs…

The Catfish host obtained his salesperson license in New York and announced in September 2025 he had begun to work as a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Warburg to follow in the footsteps of his dad, a longtime broker at the company.

While Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum Kate Gosselin lamented the fact that so much of her savings went toward paying lawyers in her battle with ex-husband Jon Gosselin, the evidence would suggest she’s enjoyed her return to nursing.

In an August 2025 TikTok, Kate, a registered nurse working in pediatric home health, explained her experience with a current patient family. She shared that the patients are already familiar with her – they know her name and a little about her – so they’re comfortable and know who she is before she even enters their home. She believes they likely recognize her now.

What she knows, though, is that helping others is quite fulfilling.

Kate shared that the job has been truly fulfilling and enjoyable. She explained that it allows families with a child needing significant medical care to have time for their other children and personal needs.

Drew Barrymore has always been a dedicated worker. While she now hosts her own talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, she learned the value of hard work at a young age. After becoming emancipated from her mother, Jaid Barrymore, at just 14 years old, Drew had to quickly find ways to support herself.

Noting her friend worked at a coffee shop in the Valley, the actress shared in her 2015 memoir Wildflower that she had to find something closer to their rental because she didn’t have a driver’s license.

“It was the start of the 1990s, and coffeehouses were where everyone hung out,” she detailed of working at L.A. hot spot the Living Room. “People poured out on to the street every night.” Unfortunately, she continued, “I wasn’t great at my job. I wasn’t really great at anything. I had only done two things: acted and had wild life experiences.”

She served up the tea on one tense experience in her book.

My boss, who’d hired me specifically because I was a former child actor trying something new, was understanding of my mistakes, but also clearly frustrated. I remember he came in while I was washing dishes and snapped at me, ‘Don’t use the scrubby side of the brush! You’re scratching the pastry cases, making them cloudy, and you can’t see the contents anymore!’

Yep, Love Island USA alum Leah Kateb has an office job. In July 2025, she became the Chief Creative Officer for the fragrance company Skylar, describing herself as a “re-founder” of the brand.

Lifeguard on duty!

When Stranger Things‘ Noah Schnapp isn’t battling supernatural beings in the Upside Down, he spends his time saving others in another way. In a 2022 interview with Flaunt magazine, the actor revealed he had a part time job as a lifeguard at his local pool during the summer.

He described it as mostly a hobby. Having a regular life and friends outside of Stranger Things has helped him stay balanced and down-to-earth.

In the late ’90s and early ’00s, Erik von Detten captured the hearts of teens everywhere thanks to his roles in Escape to Witch Mountain, Brink! and The Princess Diaries. But after last acting credit in 2010 (a voiceover in Toy Story 3), von Detten’s career trajectory took a turn, landing him in the financial industry.

Around the same time my acting work began to decrease in my early 20s, I started a new job at a finance company when I was 25. I’ve been there ever since, and I’ve since moved into a management role. It’s been a great fit for me,” von Detten explained in a 2021 interview with TopMob.

Several years after starring in the 2007 movie adaptation of Hairspray, Golden Globe nominee Nikki Blonsky made headlines when it was reported she was working as a makeup artist at a beauty salon on Long Island.

“Its true Im workin@ Superstar Salon as a makeup artist & more Im proud 2 b workin & helpin pay bills,” Blonsky wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in 2011. “BUT ill NEVER loose sight of my dreams.”

After starring as California Highway Patrol officer Ponch on TV series CHiPs, which ran from 1977 to 1983, Erik Estrada went on to become a reserve police officer for the Muncie Police Department in Indiana. The actor later moved to Virginia, where he worked as an investigator for the I.C.A.C. (Internet Crimes Against Children) before once again working as a reserve police officer in St. Anthony, Idaho in 2016.

Ethan Craft serving as your real estate agent? That’s what dreams are made of!

Clayton Snyder, who was popular on the Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire, decided not to continue acting after the series finished. He preferred to concentrate on playing water polo and eventually competed for Pepperdine University in California.

“Frankly, when the show wrapped up, I was kind of thankful,” Snyder admitted to TopMob News in 2022. “I was like, ‘Okay, phew, going into high school, new chapter, that’s done. We’re going to see what this is going to be like.'”

Snyder now works in real estate in Los Angeles, though his past as a child star does occasionally come up.

He explained he hopes clients choose him because of his expertise, and enjoys it when they recognize him from something else, but emphasizes that’s not what matters most. He’s had clients realize who he is mid-search and express their excitement, but he’s glad they initially chose him for his skills, not his public profile. It feels good to know they value his work first.

Did you know that during The Jonas Brothers’ eight-year break, the oldest brother, Kevin Jonas, actually ran his own construction business in New Jersey? He also became a co-CEO of The Blu Market, a company that focuses on influencer marketing.

Charlie Korsmo, the actor many remember from films like Hook and Can’t Hardly Wait, traded Hollywood for a career in law. He’s now a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, teaching corporate law and finance.

In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Korsmo to the Board of Trustees for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Yep, Charlie gave up the chocolate factory.

Peter Ostrum is best known for playing Charlie Bucket in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Surprisingly, this was his only acting role. After earning a veterinary degree from Cornell University in 1984, he became a practicing veterinarian.

Jennifer Stone, known for her role as Harper Finkle on Wizards of Waverly Place, switched from acting to nursing in 2019. She then bravely joined healthcare workers helping patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

“A very good friend of mine (@maiarawalsh ) pointed out to me that today is #worldhealthday . It is also the day I went from a volunteer, then a student nurse, and now an RN resident,” Stone shared on Instagram in 2020. “I just hope to live up to all of the amazing healthcare providers on the front lines now as I get ready to join them.”

Former child star Ross Bagley, known for his roles as Buckwheat in The Little Rascals and Nicky Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, now works as a real estate agent in Los Angeles.

So long, Truffle Shuffle, hello, habeus corpus.

Jeff Cohen, best known for playing Chunk in the beloved film The Goonies, left acting and went on to become a lawyer. He now works as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles.

After playing the character Duncan Kane on the TV show Veronica Mars for one season, Teddy Dunn pursued a career in law. He became an Assistant United States Attorney, working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.

Known for her breakout turn (and pool exit) in The Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as well as her roles in Gremlins and Drop Dead Fred, Phoebe Cates left the acting world behind in the ’90s after welcoming two children with her husband, actor Kevin Kline.

Cates went on to open Blue Tree, a gift boutique on New York City’s Madison Avenue, in 2005.

After playing Nevel on the Nickelodeon show iCarly, Reed Alexander pursued a career in journalism, writing for publications like Business Insider and the Wall Street Journal.

2026-06-11 21:50

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