Celebs with dysfunctional family backgrounds often end up getting a ton of press for the wrong reasons.
7. PARIS HILTON
Everyone knows who Paris Hilton is—after all, without her, who would Kim Kardashian even be today? Before there was Kim K, it was all about Paris. She ruled the Hollywood party scene, she was on the cover of every tabloid, and she was the queen of reality TV in the early 2000s. She was the original “famous without talent” celebrity. According to People, she was known for her party girl lifestyle, her lack of any real skills, and her many public mishaps, like getting into some legal trouble and having that famous mug shot.
Judging by the fact that her sister, Nicky Hilton, is famous for similar reasons, it’s obvious that their parents did not care too much about what their daughters did with their lives. Paris’s father, Rick Hilton, is a businessman first and foremost, and their mother, Kathy Hilton, served as more of a manager than a mom while they were growing up. According to Vogue, the family often operates as more of a business—after all, both girls are basically their own “brands.” It’s definitely a strange situation, and while Paris didn’t exactly have a downward spiral of bad decisions, she certainly did not have a normal upbringing, either.
6. MICHAEL JACKSON
Let’s just start off by saying that any fan of pop music—or really, just anyone who likes to listen to music—definitely misses Michael Jackson. Despite all of the scandals that plagued him towards the end of his life, his music was loved all over the world. He was known as the King of Pop for a reason, and his early music videos turned the whole format on its head. He was an innovator and one of the most talented artists of all time, but his life was also mired with controversy. However, it seems like he was doomed to struggle in some ways from the beginning—if you do a little digging, it becomes clear that his childhood was very difficult.
Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, was known for being super strict. However, according to In Touch, Joe put his children’s music careers above their health and happiness. He did not care what it took, even if rehearsing wore them down physically and mentally—all he wanted was to make them stars. No wonder The New York Times reported that Michael and his father barely spoke later in life. Michael’s cycle of bad decisions was probably influenced by his father.
5. CHARLIE SHEEN
You might remember when Charlie Sheen went totally off the rails a couple years ago. However, the truth is that his downward spiral had been building for years, and he had been making headline for his bad behaviors for over a decade by the time he basically snapped. According to CBS, he was known for fighting with his ex-wives, not being loyal to women, and for generally being an absent father. In 2011, he was all over the tabloids for giving wild interviews about his family and overusing the catchphrase “Winning!”
It’s clear that he gets his attitude from his father, Martin Sheen.
According to RTE, Martin has found himself in hot water several times for repeatedly expressing some very controversial political opinions—we won’t get into details, but let’s just say that many women were not very happy with his point of view. While Charlie also has a tendency to mouth off about serious topics, he also seems to have inherited his father’s issues with bad habits. According to Telelgraph, Martin also struggled with this during the early years of his career—in his case, he was able to recover, but who knows what Charlie will do?
4. MILEY CYRUS
It seems like Miley Cyrus has finally made it past her rebellious phase—it’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, she was all over the tabloids for dancing wildly on stage with Robin Thicke, and now, she’s back together with Liam Hemsworth and recording sweet, wholesome singles like “Malibu.” She’s really done a complete 180, and it seems like she’s super happy and loving life! We can’t wait to hear more of her new music. But let’s rewind to her wild phase for a bit—was she really just acting out to seem more grown up? Or did her parents’ previous bad decisions have an influence on her?
It really seems to be the latter. According to People, Miley’s mother, Tish, did not exactly have a stable life—she has been married three times, and she and Billy Ray Cyrus have even filed for divorce twice! However, they have chosen to stay together for the time being. Furthermore, according to In Touch, Miley and Billy Ray have had many issues—in fact, Miley went for years without even speaking to him. Although the family seems to be much closer and happier now, it was not always this way.
3. THE BALDWIN BROTHERS
Alec Baldwin may be a major celebrity name, but he has had his fair share of personal issues over the years. He is far from perfect, and there is more to him than meets the eye. Alec has found himself in trouble for several incidents. According to TV Guide, he came into scrutiny for leaving a very rude voicemail for his daughter, who was only 11 years old at the time. But this isn’t the only time he has gotten into trouble. According to AOL, he also got into a fight with a flight attendant after she simply asked him to put his phone away during take off! Not such a great look.
It’s clear that Baldwin has an attitude, but it seems like it might just run in the family. After all, his brother Daniel Baldwin has also had some rough times, which he brought on by himself. According to People, Daniel admitted that he had been struggling with addiction issues for many years, and while under the influence, he did many things that he regrets, including making scenes at hotels, getting into car accidents, stealing, and getting into fights. He actually makes Alec look tame in comparison!
2. MICHAEL DOUGLAS
Kirk Douglas is a beloved actor from Hollywood’s “Golden Era,” and his family has gone on to carry out his legacy and continue acting. His son, Michael Douglas, is also a well-known actor. Michael has appeared in films like Wall Street, Basic Instinct, and even Ant-Man. However, he has also been in the spotlight for some negative reasons. Michael has a history of overusing substances, and according to Starpulse, he said that his history of treating his body so badly was to blame for the throat cancer he eventually developed. Michael did end up recovering, but it’s clear that he made bad decisions in his youth.
Unfortunately, his son Cameron Douglas has made similar mistakes. He also had similar issues and according to People, he has been through legal troubles several times. It seems that he has taken after his father in this area, and it’s a shame that he has gone down this path. In fact, according to the National Ledger, Michael said that he took the blame for the way that Cameron turned out. He knew that he had fallen short in his responsibilities as a father, and that if he had done things differently, Cameron would be living a different life.
1. TATUM O’NEAL
Tatum O’Neal was introduced to the world of Hollywood by her father, the actor Ryan O’Neal. He appeared in films like Love Story, A Bridge Too Far, and Barry Lyndon. He also appeared in the film Paper Moon alongside his daughter. After this film, Tatum became the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award. Although both father and daughter clearly love acting and enjoy working in this industry together, it’s obvious that Ryan has also passed down some bad habits to Tatum.
For example, according to The Washington Post, Ryan said that he was not very mature as a father, and he made bad choices about which women to date after his first marriage. Eventually, he became estranged from his children for several years. According to US Magazine, Tatum has also revealed that she struggled with addiction and also made many bad decisions when it came to relationships, possibly because her father did not set a good example. While Ryan and Tatum have taken steps to mend their relationship, it seems like old wounds can take a long time to heal. The Daily News reported that Tatum has blamed Ryan for many of the problems she faced in her life.