All in the Family

Abstract

It’s not easy being the child of a celebrity. Without the protective shield of anonymity that most children enjoy, you might be exposed to danger, scrutiny, and ridicule that could compromise the carefree quality of those childhood years. As you grow up, there’s public speculation, fraught with expectations. Will you follow in your parent’s footsteps? Will you be as good? Will you be better? Will you try to advantage yourself by using your inherited celebrity status as a substitute for genuine talent or requisite preparation? In response to these pressures, some celebrity progenies elect to avoid the entertainment spotlight altogether. Others resolve to make it on their own, disavowing any family association that may invoke dreaded comparisons. Most wind up embracing their lineage at some point in their lives. This acceptance may come at an early age, as with Willow Smith, daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.¹ Or it may come, as it did for John Lennon’s son Julian, after years of struggle.²