petra's life was always outside of the ordinary, her life shrouded in scandal even before she was born. her parents were never supposed to be together, in part because they were coworkers and though it was entirely too common an occurance it was frowned upon, but more importantly, because richard mahoney was already married. of course there had been problems in his marriage for years, and the executive producer and the actress were technically separated, though the general public weren't aware of that particular detail. because of this, it fell to poor jeanette james to take the blame, to become the pretty face actress associated with ending a marriage and breaking up a family when she and richard were photographed together on vacation. when she was noticably pregnant months later at a film premiere, it was almost too much for the general public to handle.
in the years that followed petra's arrival, her parents toed the line between being in the public eye with their daughter and trying to keep her shielded from the spotlight. rumors of the affair continued to circulate, now with the added commentary on the new family that had formed. everything from their continued unmarried status to their parental skills were called to question, and quite simply, they didn't think their young daughter should have to deal with it.
but all the best planning can be for naught, and despite keeping her away for as long as they could, in the end the spotlight is exactly what petra craved, a desire she made incredibly clear to her parents as she entered high school. for years she had asked to audition for roles or take the modeling jobs that were often offered based on her looks and last name, always to be told no. but growing up independent and spirited, not to forget stubborn, her parents honestly were not a bit surprised when she sat them down and told them that if they weren't going to help her she would simply start showing up places herself. knowing she would find a way to accomplish this herself, her parents finally gave in, agreeing to help petra launch her own career in acting. if she was going to do it, they were going to make sure she did it right, and had the right people on her team.
to be frank, it didn't hurt that petra was a pretty face and a familiar last name. her acting skills weren't exactly the type to write the academy about, and yet doors opened for her more quickly than even her parents had imagined possible, first a tv appearance (thanks to a few favors called in by her father) followed by teen movies and before she knew it, petra was a lead in a much hyped new television show on the cw, followed by paparazzi and desired by designers to wear their latest fashions, the most common description of her in magazines being "it-girl."
but eventually, the excitement for the show waned and the cast went their separate ways, though petra remained a popular draw in fashion and gossip magazines. she's continued to work, even if the roles are more often than not, the hot blonde type. while some speculate that she's only ever gotten this far thanks to her parents and probably more than a few casting couch sessions, petra turns her shoulder and insists she's the one laughing all the way to the bank.
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