Mommie Dearest: The Worst Celebrity Parents in History

By Justine Goodman Posted Mar 30th 2011 03:00PM

Last week, the blogs were aflutter with the news that Katy Perry's evangelical mother is trying to sell a book about her daughter, and it got us thinking about other parents who have displayed questionable judgment when it comes to their famous offspring. Read on for a roundup of Hollywood's most notoriously unfit parents, from the Lohans to Joe Jackson.

Dina and Michael Lohan

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With role models like these two, it's no wonder things turned out the way they did for Lindsay "Lindsay" Lohan. Michael is the only Lohan with a longer rap sheet than his daughter's, with charges ranging from insider trading to driving under the influence and attempted assault. And he manages to do it all while still talking to the press ad nauseam about Lindsay, even though she wants him out of her life so badly she is reportedly contemplating dropping her last name. Meanwhile, Dina seems desperate to be a pseudo-celebrity in her own right, and conceived that god-awful reality show 'Living Lohan' as a way to capitalize on her daughter's fame. Parents of the year, we think not.

Joe Simpson

Hollywoods Most Embarrassing Parents

Anyone who willingly adopts the moniker "Papa Joe" is an automatic creep. Case in point: Jessica Simpson's dad-slash-manager. Before he became his daughter's manager and a reality television "star," Joe Simpson was a Southern minister and psychologist -- looks like they'll give a Ph.D. to just about anyone in Texas -- with the good fortune to produce two pretty, moderately talented daughters. Now, Joe is best known for having made an inappropriate remark about his daughter's boobs. Straight from Papa Joe's lips: "Jessica never tries to be sexy. She just is sexy. If you put her in a T-shirt or you put her in a bustier, she's sexy in both. She's got double D's! You can't cover those suckers up!" So, um, that happened.

Ryan O'Neal

The only thing worse than talking about your daughter's boobs is letting your drug dealer touch them, and that's what actress Tatum O'Neal alleges in her 2005 autobiography, 'A Paper Life.' Tatum, who has a well-documented drug problem, blames a lot of her troubles on a tumultuous upbringing that allegedly included persistent molestation at the hands of her father's drug dealer, neglect, beatings, underage drinking and drug use. Ryan has denied those allegations, but he was arrested in 2007 for assaulting Tatum's brother, Griffin. He was also arrested the following year when a healthy supply of methamphetamines were discovered in his home during a probation check on his other son, Redmond.

Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson blames Katherine

For proof that Joe Jackson is a terrible father, you need only ask at any one of his 500 children. OK, nine children. But still. From the disturbing (alleged) body dysmorphic disorder that plagued Michael, who admitted that he would often become ill or vomit upon seeing his father, to the countless allegations of physical and psychological abuse perpetrated against his talented clan, Joe Jackson has to be one of the worst parental figures in history.

Joan Crawford

The original 'Mildred Pierce' actress is as famous for her Academy Award-winning career as her poor parenting skills, which were documented in her daughter Christina's 1978 tell-all memoir 'Mommie Dearest.' The book gives a horrifying account of the emotional and physical abuse suffered by Crawford's four children (all adopted) at the hand of their alcoholic mother, including one incident in which Crawford tried to strangle Christina. The book went on to become a feature film in 1981 starring Faye Dunaway as Joan, who was portrayed as an ax-wielding lunatic. Thirty years later, references to 'Mommie Dearest' are still commonplace in the pop culture vernacular.

Tags: celebrity parents

Comments

(121)

Thursday 31 March

By yadayada

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Got that right...What kind of mother (Sharon) physically attacks other people like she has a number of times and gets away with....And what kind of mother throws a whole baked ham over the fence at her neighbors like she did just because she didn't like the music someone was playing next door.

Wednesday 30 March

By Heyes

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Dont forget that whacked out Sarah Palin!!! What a freak!!

Friday 01 April

By Tori

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I think you're thinking more like...say...Barack Obama? He has issues. The whole pro-abortion is so stupid. He has kids; you'd think he'd be against that.

By Jamie

This is meant for "Tori"

Apparently you are not only one of those freaks that can't help but bring politics into everything,you are also delusional. The President and Mrs. Obama have been praised as parents by people on both side of the aisle! Just because you don't agree with his policies is no reason to lie on him and call him a bad father. Grow up!

Saturday 02 April

By GOD

How do any of you know what kind of parents the obamama's are...what ever you see is superficial and doesn't necessarily reflect their what kind of parents they really are...hell, they could tie them to the bed at night...make them eat out of dog bowls...no one knows...WELL, I do!

By Traci

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The whole Joan Crawford/Mommie Dearest thing has been disputed in many books as to be over exaggerated. Christina and Christopher were awful children, while the other two, Cynthia and (forgot) were not nearly as bad. Even the twins disputed it. Bette Davis doesn't have a good reputation as a mother either.

By common sense

Where's the likes of Bill Clinton or Courtney Love of pretty much any hollywood or political family? Where's John Edwards or any of the kennedy clans or how about the drug dealing rappers who have no morals no values no spines & no sense of responsibilty & who stand for nothing but greedy

By palmspringdiva

Word was, back in the day, that Bing Crosby was the coldest, meanest father ever; especially to his oldest son's by first wife Dixie....most of the sons if not all, are deceased. Sad. As to Joan Rivers...."love ya, Joan" but please, I am sure Melissa is a nice girl but talented she is NOT, and too much fake...teeth, plastic surgery, etc. Let her be a mother and work on her linen line.

By delacourte

Graydon,

You are wrong about McKenzie Phillips! She said on TV that her father gave her drugs and let Mick Jagger have sex with her. John Phillips was at least as bad as these others.

By Peckerwood

Did you read Papa John's autobiography? Oh my lord. I reaf Macenzi's book too. It all makes sense. Especially if you read Papa Pig Phillips bio that came out in the late 1980's.
:(

By Mr Boogee

Lidsay Lohans father makes Joan Crawford look like Mother Theresa!

By Gregg Juarez

what about cher & the osbournes

By Keira

What about Britney Spears parents? They've still got her... Or even Macaulay Culkin's parents?

Someone obviously put this list together in five minutes.

By tess

How about Martin Sheen...Charlie Sheen's father...Maybe Lindsay and Charlie should get together...they are very similar in attitude and addictions...

By erf

How about Charlie Sheen himself?

By valerie

i think all actors parents are horrible because they live their lives though their children and they don't let the child be a child and enjoy their lives as child the parent want to take the spot light away from the little star. and sometimes take their money they worked for. which to me is a sin. i also think they should have advisors to take control of their money and give them an allowance so they could have spending money until they grow up or they turn 18 then they can get the rest of their money. and teach them how to spend it wisely and not foolishly. because money does not last you know. spend it wisely guys.

By Marie

Excuse me? *All* the parents of actors are bad? I almost went into acting as a child and my mother is perfectly fine - and would be with money *or* without. In fact, I'm trying to fit casting calls in the area around work. Some parents will take advantage of their kids; my father, however s#!++y, refused to ever take a dime out of my pocket and never hit me or hit *on* me, and my mother has always been brilliant. No matter the s*** in her own life, Ma has been good to me, so you don't get to generalize like that. There are plenty of parents without famous kids that are still c*** and would be with or without fame and money, and fame and money don't necessarily make them worse or better than they might have been. There are parents who steal from their kids even when those kids *aren't* rich too.

Sunday 10 April

By A Voice

WHat we see behind closed doors is not what we see out in the open. What we hear from one person
is something different from another. We don't know until it's revealed. But you know what? Linsey Lohan deservers a chance at life, Brittany Spears deserves a chance. WE ALL need chanced. There are some weird people and we don't know who they all are. But think about this. All those famous people we hear gossip about? They are PEOPLE just like you and me. And it gives us no right to judge people. I mean what would happen if you screamed at your kid for not cleaning. Their roo. NOw if you were famous you would be a "child abbuser" Now im not saying those other parents were not like that , they were, from what the "facts indicate".

By blkawoman

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I read the Kirk Douglas bio and I believe him about Joan. She was raised by a mother that had been abandoned by her husband and didn't want children.She had no clue how to be a parent,just like the Lohans,Joe Jackson,etc.

By flyingfortresb17

The whole Lohan family needs to be put in jail forever or at least a minimum of 1 year or hard labor in the fields.

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