You may know her as the voice of Sally Brown in Peanuts, but by the time she was just 11 years old, Hilary Momberger-Powers had already appeared in dozens of commercials. Behind that familiar voice, though, was a child quietly struggling — with the voices in her own head and the ones she couldn’t escape at home, where she endured emotional abuse from a mother battling alcohol addiction.
That early trauma set Hilary on a dangerous path marked by substance use, abuse and homelessness at a young age. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she courageously shares her story, what helped her heal and find recovery, and the advice she offers to others who may be walking a similar road.
Learn more about and purchase Hilary’s book here.
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like the following:
- A mother-daughter journey from Hollywood to heroin to healing
- Growing Up with Grief: Emily’s Siblings Open Up
- A TV Anchor Shares Her Loss to Overdose and Efforts to End Stigma

MEET THE GUEST
Hilary Momberger-Powers
Hilary Momberger-Powers began her career as the voice of Sally in the Charlie Brown Peanuts cartoons and later worked around the world as a script supervisor. Off camera, she spent four decades healing from trauma and addiction, transforming her pain into purpose. Today, through her keynote “No Longer Leading With Your Wounds,” she inspires others to reconnect with their hearts and move toward lasting healing.




