Celebrities Who Were Ruined by Their Parents
The list is centered around celebrities who, regardless if their career was successful or not, were put into massive peer pressure and estrangement by their parents, and did contribute to their fall from the general entertainment industry.This list is about the impact of a celebrity's parents and and how it ruined said celebrity's work and/or reputation.
Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael... read more The main reason why he had such a troubled life. Undoubtedly the most misunderstood music artist of all time. People just pretend to know what he has been through.
Michael Jackson had a poor relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson. Joseph was so driven by success that his children were uncomfortable throughout their teen years, with Michael being no exception. The King of Pop stated that he had "no childhood" because his father pushed him into the music industry at a very early age. Like his siblings, Michael was abused by his father and was not allowed to pursue any interests outside of the Jackson Family business.
The strained relationship between Michael and his father was one reason the singer later converted his house into a private amusement park. Even up until his death, Michael still had an uneasy relationship with his father.
Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television series as well as in the film Jaws: The Revenge. She provided voices for animated characters in The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to... read more From getting hormone implants to grow taller to breaking down and ripping out her eyelashes, Judith's life was literally hell. Her life was tragically cut short by her deranged father.
Her abusive father killed her, then killed her mother, and finally shot himself! Even though he was sorry for his behavior, he still did it again!
What happened to her gives a whole new definition to the word "ruined." "Messed up" is an understatement.
Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor, author, painter, podcaster, musician and president of Bunnyears. He became famous as a child actor for his role as Kevin McCallister in the family comedy Home Alone, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical... read more The face of Home Alone had his father, Kit Culkin, as his film manager, which resulted in a particularly ugly experience for Macaulay. Kit was the sole reason Macaulay was in The Good Son, as he threatened to withdraw Macaulay's role from Home Alone 2 unless he took the part. Kit's domineering nature left Macaulay exasperated and drained from appearing in various failed films, ultimately leading to his retirement from acting at age 14.
Since then, Macaulay's relationship with his father has been estranged, and they are not on speaking terms. On a further note, Home Alone director Chris Columbus was also frustrated with working alongside Kit. This led Columbus to ensure that there were no child actors with stage parents involved in the pre-production of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. The American Film Institute named her 8th greatest female star of classic American cinema. She's also the mother of actress and singer Liza Minnelli. Judy Garland is known both for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz and for her tragic life. Her mother didn't help matters. In addition to being a stage mom, she was abusive, isolating Judy and locking her up if she didn't perform well enough. She even asked studio officials to do the same if Judy ever slipped up.
Not sure about the family abuse, but I do feel very sad that drugs and alcohol were her only escape.
Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and... read more He intervened in a fight between his parents on April 1, 1984, at their family home in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles. Marvin then became involved in a physical altercation with his father, who shot him twice - once in the chest, and once in the heart and shoulder. The first shot proved fatal. He died just one day before his 45th birthday.
He was shot and killed by his own father. You can't get more "ruined" than that.
His own father killed him. That's something to think about.
Corey Scott Feldman is an American actor and singer. He became well known during the 1980s, with roles as a youth in films such as The Fox and the Hound, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, Gremlins and The 'Burbs. Corey was forced into acting by his parents at age 3. He was restricted to only reciting and memorizing his lines for films, and although he had a close relationship with his parents, they explicitly stated that they never loved him. What made the situation worse was that Corey was the only family member earning money.
He was forced into acting at 3. He took drugs and alcohol at 13/14 and he was sexually abused at 14/15. I can't believe it. He deserved so much better.
Lance was the son of Bill Butterfield, an aspiring athlete in Dallas. Lance followed in his father's footsteps and became a seasoned and popular athlete in his own right. Unfortunately, Bill was so driven to give his son the athlete treatment that it resulted in a terrible relationship. Bill would insult and beat Lance whenever he failed to meet expectations.
This all culminated when Lance entered a relationship that Bill found infuriating and wanted to end. Finally fed up, Lance shot and killed his father in December 1995. The trial did not favor the prosecution, as the court couldn't find anyone who didn't vilify Bill, reflecting how unlikable he was to the general public. Eventually, Lance confessed to manslaughter and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.
On a side note, Lance's defendants included his sister and even Bill's own father, with the latter stating that Lance shouldn't be prosecuted.
Britney was a child beauty pageant contestant. Unfortunately, her mother, Kerry, insisted she receive Botox at the age of 8! The worst part is that even after this was discovered, Kerry tried to claim that other mothers were also trying to have Botox administered to their daughters. Talk about being incredibly materialistic.
Lindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress. In addition to acting, she is also a model, singer, songwriter, director, and producer.
She has appeared in several notable films including The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls Lindsay deserves to be much higher on this list. Had it not been for her atrocious parents, she'd probably be in Emma Stone's place right now. Jennette McCurdy should be added to this list as well.
Carley was pushed too hard into entering beauty pageants by her mother, to the point that she developed a split personality called "Darla." The abuse Carley's mother inflicted on her led to Carley developing dissociative identity disorder. The worst part: Carley was only 5 years old.
Ariel's mother, Chrisoula Workman, was so abusive that she lost custody of her. Ariel was raised by her older sister and fellow actress, Shanelle Gray.
Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy is an American former actress, screenwriter, producer, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her role as Sam Puckett on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly and its spin-off series, Sam & Cat. I tried to watch iCarly the other night, thinking it would be a fun nostalgia trip. But knowing what Jennette went through on the show just makes it depressing. Also, Dan Schneider should sleep with one eye open.
I saw an interview where she talked about her book and her childhood. Honestly, I'm glad her mom died too.
Britney Jean Spears, born on December 2, 1981, is an American former singer and actress. She was born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana. As a child, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows, such as "The Mickey Mouse Club," before signing with Jive... read more Her father forced her into a conservatorship that started back in 2008. Luckily, it eventually ended. Her family was using her for money and controlling her.
Mónica was pushed into modeling by her mother at the age of 7, despite her father's disagreement. Although she became well-known, she eventually developed bipolar disorder, which led to her suicide at the age of 21.
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce... read more If I recall correctly, the song "Cleaning Out My Closet" was directed toward his mother.
Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy (January 23, 1998 - June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, and often referred to as X, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and criminal.
Aaron Charles Carter (December 7, 1987 - November 5, 2022) was an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early 2000s with his four studio albums. Aaron came from a celebrity family, with his brother Nick being a member of the Backstreet Boys. Aaron was also a singer, with his parents acting as his managers. Unfortunately, their attempts to capitalize on Aaron's success backfired, leaving him with massive debt by the time he was 18. Aaron eventually cut ties with his parents after discovering the mismanagement. In 2013, Aaron filed for bankruptcy, due in part to his parents and his history of drug use.
On a similar note, Aaron's sister Leslie was also pushed into becoming a singer by their parents, though to no success.
William Bruce Rose Jr., better known as 'Axl Rose', is an American singer born on February 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Indiana. He Is the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He is a celebrated but controversial figure in the world of rock. His biological father molested him, and his stepfather used to beat him up all the time. I feel for the guy.
His biological father molested him when he was still a little kid. His stepfather constantly abused him, which is what made him who he is. I feel bad for him.
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in Diff'rent Strokes.
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States. Born and raised in Queens, New York City, Donald J. Trump received an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968... read more
Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus), known professionally as Miley Cyrus, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born on November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee, to Tish Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus. Her voice type is Mezzo-Soprano and spans 4 octaves... read more
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, producer, television writer, poet, and professional wrestling promoter best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Yeah, the song "Disarm" was directed at his parents.
Alana Trances Thompson (born August 28, 2005), better known as Honey Boo Boo is an American reality television personality and social media sensation who is best known as being the star of of TLC's "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo."