Judith Barsi had already begun to develop the kind of acting career that many people only dream of by the time she was ten years old. The young woman had a long list of credits, which included voice roles in two well-known films, The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven.
Unfortunately, there were many problems at Judith’s house. In fact, Judith’s father had abused the young child and her mother, an abuse that ultimately led to their de*aths.
Maria and József Barsi, who immigrated to the US from Hungary in the 1950s, had Judith in 1978. According to The Mirror, Maria started preparing Judith for child stardom at a young age by teaching the little girl proper body language and conduct.
When she was only 5 years old, Judith was spotted at an ice skating rink. She later appeared in more than 70 commercials. When she reached a yearly income of $100,000 in 1985, her family relocated to a three-bedroom house in Hollywood’s West Hills.
Then, in December 1986, Maria reported her husband to the police. She claimed he had choked her and threatened to ki*ll her, among other allegations of abuse. Since there were no visible signs of physical harm, Maria decided not to press the matter.
The little girl’s behavior changed in the final year of her life, according to Judith’s agent Ruth Hansen. According to reports, Judith’s father started abusing her as she was leaving for the Bahamas to film Jaws: The Revenge. According to Hansen, József warned Judith that he would k*ill her if she returned from filming the movie and urged the young girl to “remember what I told you before you left.”
Two months later, when Judith came back, things had only gotten worse. The Los Angeles Times was informed by a neighbor of the family that Judith’s father “told me 500 times he was going to k*ill his wife.” He would try to be calmed down, the neighbor continued. I would ask him, “What will happen to your child if you k*ill her? “
According to Judith’s agent, the young child had trouble speaking by 1988. Her team sent her to a psychologist to be evaluated because she would cry when she was sent for auditions. When Judith’s mother met with social services, she disclosed that she intended to elope with her husband and relocate with Judith.
Before Maria could solidify her plan, she and Judith were shot to de*ath by József. Judith’s final role was as Ducky in The Land Before Time, which came out after her de*ath.
