Battling rock-star brothers, legendary Hollywood sisters whose simmering feud spanned decades,
a pair of princes, and even a beloved movie star who opposed her Oscar-nominated brother
in his nasty custody dispute all make up these memorable celebrity kinfolk feuds. Let's dive
right into the star sibling savagery.
It's no secret that Alec Baldwin leans to the left on the political spectrum. In fact,
he won an Emmy for his hilarious impression of Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live,”
which was by no means complimentary to the president.
However, the former “30 Rock” star's politics are in opposition to those of brother Stephen
Baldwin, a fundamentalist born-again Christian and enthusiastic Trump supporter. This has
caused a rift. In 2017, Stephen told “The Hollywood Reporter,”
"I haven't spoken to [Alec] since the election [...] That's the truth. That is by his choice."
In fact, Stephen made a somewhat dubious prediction that the Republican tax cuts introduced in
late 2017 would bring his brother over to his side. He declared,
"I'm calling it now: With the amount of money Alec is going to make with this new tax cut,
I bet he votes for Trump for re-election. [...] Just saying!"
Meanwhile, another of the four Baldwin brothers slammed Stephen for his political views. Billy
Baldwin tweeted at Stephen, saying,
"If our father were alive today [...] he'd smack you in the side of the head for supporting
Donald Trump."
As fans of Bravo's “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” can attest, the relationship
between sisters Kim and Kyle Richards has seen more ups and downs than a seesaw at a
preschool playground. Part of this has to do with Kim's longtime struggle with alcohol,
which “Real Housewives” viewers first saw when Kyle confronted her in the back of
a limo in an infamous 2011 scene.
"Kim, you act like an insane person, okay? I'm so sick of your crap, everybody is, everybody's
sick of what you put us through."
Kim was still having issues in 2015, when she was arrested and cited for public intoxication,
trespassing, resisting an officer, and battery on a police officer. In 2019, “Hollywood
Life” reported that Kyle reached out in an attempt to end their estrangement.
“Sometimes I feel safer just keeping at arm's length.”
According to “Us Weekly," this was after a downward spiral that led to Kim visiting
the UCLA emergency room. That conversation didn't go well. Apparently, the talk turned
into a heated argument. One source said,
"[Kim] felt Kyle's words came out harsh and that Kyle was overstepping her boundaries
and [was] out of line. [Kyle was] trying to help and let Kim know that she's here for
her."
When Oasis burst on the music scene in the early 1990s, the British rockers charted a
string of hits like "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back in Anger," and "Champagne Supernova".
The band's rise was as meteoric as its demise was messy, brought about by the ongoing animosity
between founders Liam and Noel Gallagher. While both brothers were responsible for the
band's success, thanks to their individual creative contributions, their dysfunctional
relationship far transcended mere sibling rivalry.
“Rolling Stone” charted a timeline of the brothers' ongoing battles, with highlights
including: Noel walking offstage in the middle of a show and quitting the band's debut North
American tour, though he came back on soon after; the legendary "Wibbling Rivalry" bootleg
recording of an interview in which the brothers trash each other mercilessly; Noel quitting
again in 2000, and then for good in 2009.
Since then, both Gallaghers have publicly slagged each other. Liam pretty much summed
up his feelings about his brother — which are no doubt mutual — when he told LA Weekly,
"I'd rather eat my own s--- then be in a band with him again. He's a miserable little f---,
if you know what I mean."
When it comes to rock-star sibling rivalry, the undisputed all-time champions have to
be Ray and Dave Davies of “The Kinks,” who've been riffing and roughhousing since
the 1960s — and certainly didn't keep it to themselves. The band members' onstage brawls
ultimately led to a four-year ban in America. Dave Davies told “New Musical Express”
about Ray back in 1966,
"About a year ago we hated the sight of each other. We would fly into a temper at the slightest
provocation. I suppose, in a way, it was only natural when we spent so much time together."
In another quote cited by “Ultimate Classic Rock,” Ray acknowledged that he was not
blameless. He said,
"Dave has his problems with me sometimes, but that's inevitable. [...] I'm not an easy
person to work with."
By 2014, Dave was singing a different tune, telling the “Independent,”
"[His] love has always been relentlessly directed towards [Ray]."
The following year, however, that sentiment wasn't quite so apparent. Dave told the “Daily
Mail” of a childhood incident that was symbolic of the brothers' whole relationship. During
an impromptu boxing match, Dave knocked Ray into a piano, leaving him, quote, "seemingly
unconscious." When Dave leaned in to check on him, Ray bolted upright and punched Dave
hard in the face. Dave recalled to the tab,
"I felt the pleasure that I'd knocked him over, then concern that I'd hurt him. But
all he really wanted was to get back at me."
Before “Pretty Woman” made Julia Roberts America's sweetheart, it was her older brother,
Eric Roberts, who was the movie star in the family. In the 1980s, he was on the rise in
Hollywood thanks to acclaimed performances in “Star 80,” “The Pope of Greenwich
Village,” and “Runaway Train,” for which he earned a sole Oscar nomination. When his
little sister's stardom ultimately eclipsed his, Eric was neck-deep in a cocaine addiction,
a path that ultimately led him to TV's “Celebrity Rehab.”
When he and girlfriend Kelly Cunningham split in 1993, Julia reportedly helped fund Kelly's
legal costs in the custody battle over the ex-couple's daughter, who would go on to be
“American Horror Story’s” future star, Emma Roberts.
Eric and Julia spent years estranged from each other, but they reunited in 2004 shortly
after the birth of Julia's twins. He gushed to “People” at the time saying,
"I don't think she's ever been happier in my presence."
Fourteen years later, Eric looked back at their estrangement, which eventually broke
when they became, quote, "e-mail buddies," according to Vanity Fair. He admitted to the
outlet that his drug use was a major factor, saying,
"I wouldn't characterize it as a falling-out. [...] I was exhausting to be around: complainy,
blamey, unable to enjoy enjoyment. Everyone in my world needed a break sometimes, and
that must have included Julia."
When Christoher Ciccone wrote a tell-all book about sister Madonna Louise Ciccone, also
known as Madonna, it created a rift that lasted for the better part of a decade. Madonna reportedly
felt betrayed by the book, which provided a detailed account of her wedding to Guy Richie
— an event she went to great lengths to keep private.
In an excerpt published by the “Daily Mail,” he writes of her, quote, "bullying behavior."
It includes a scorched-earth fax he sent her where he complained that he had to listen
to her, quote, “egotistical rantings” and “mediocre talent.” He even went further
to say that she had a lack of taste that would, quote, “stun the ages.”
Speaking to CBS News, Christopher said,
"Some may consider it betrayal of some kind, I consider it my memoirs. I can't tell my
story without telling hers. Our lives are completely intertwined."
In 2017, Christopher told “The Sun” that he and his sister were starting to bridge
the divide. He shared,
"We've gotten past that, we talk. [But] I do know Madonna likes to hold grudges."
Fortunately, in 2019, the hatchet was officially buried. Christopher told “R Online,”
"We are at peace now and just spoke last week [...] Madonna has been great!"
Nick Carter is best known as a member of 1990s boy band “Backstreet Boys,” while younger
brother Aaron Carter had a successful pop career of his own. Since then, both have experienced
various issues. Nick has been candid about his struggles with addiction, while Aaron
also battled substance abuse, and in 2019 revealed he'd been diagnosed with various
mental disorders, including schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder.
Discord between Aaron and Nick can be traced back years, which Aaron recalled in 2019 by
tweeting footage of an ugly interaction from their MTV reality show “House of Carters,”
alongside the claim that Nick, quote, "bullied and tortured" him his whole life. The exact
same day as Aaron's tweet, Nick went public by tweeting that he and their sister Angel
were seeking a restraining order against Aaron. As he explained,
"Aaron's increasingly alarming behavior and his recent confession that he harbors thoughts
and intentions of killing my unborn child [left us] no choice but to take every measure
possible to protect [ourselves]."
Aaron responded with another tweet, claiming he and Nick hadn't seen each other in four
years. In a follow-up, he coldly declared,
"Take care. @nickcarter we're done for life."
Two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, who died in July 2020 at age 104, was as famous
for her movies as she was for her contentious relationship with her sister, fellow movie
star Joan Fontaine. According to “Biography,” the sisters' animosity sparked in childhood
and continued throughout their lives. Speaking with “People” about her 1978 memoir “No
Bed of Roses,” Fontaine said,
"I regret that I remember not one act of kindness from Olivia all through my childhood [...] you
can divorce your sister as well as your husbands. I don't see her at all and I don't intend
to."
A few years after Fontaine's 2013 death, de Havilland told the “Associated Press”
that she bore no responsibility for the bad blood with her sister, despite the fact that
she confessed to having taken to calling Fontaine, quote, "Dragon Lady." She said,
"On my part, it was always loving, but sometimes estranged and, in the later years, severed.”
Then, she made her point even clearer when he went on to explain her understanding of
a feud. She shared,
“A feud implies continuing hostile conduct between two parties. I cannot think of a single
instance wherein I initiated hostile behavior [...] but I can think of many occasions where
my reaction to deliberately inconsiderate behavior was defensive.”
Prince William and younger brother Prince Harry seemingly had a close relationship for
their entire lives. Yet royal watchers began to see cracks form after Harry's wedding to
Meghan Markle.
In late 2018, the “Daily Mail” reported that a source told royal reporter Katie Nicholl,
"Harry felt William wasn't rolling out the red carpet for Meghan and told him so [resulting
in] a bit of a fall out."
Apparently, this issue required Prince Charles to step in. Harry was also reportedly insulted
by William's alleged suggestion that his romance with Markle was moving a bit quickly. The
book “Battle of Brothers: William & Harry — The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult”
reveals more, claiming that when Harry pushed back, William asked their uncle, Charles Spencer,
to express similar concerns, which made matters even more dramatic. Even still, Harry wasn't
upset with his uncle, claimed the book, but with William for, quote, "dragging" Spencer
into it. Harry added,
"[That] anger and mistrust [...] that distance has lasted to the present day."
While that's a lot of speculation from anonymous sourcing, consider this actual quote from
Harry, who told “ITV” in October 2019,
"We're certainly on different paths at the moment [...] as brothers, you know, you have
good days, you have bad days [...] I will always be there for him and as I know he will
always be there for me [...] I love him dearly."
The Jackson 5 gave us enduring hits, including "ABC," "I Want You Back," and "I'll Be There."
But from the family band, only one superstar emerged: the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson.
The way Michael skyrocketed to fame above his siblings reportedly left older brother,
Jermaine Jackson, consumed with jealousy.
Close family friend Stacy Brown revealed in a “New York Post” article that not only
was Jermaine fixated on Michael's fame, he would profess that he should have been the
one moonwalking on stage in Michael's shoes. Jermaine reportedly complained,
"We had plans. But once Michael beat me to it, he made sure it would only be him."
Over the years, Jermaine denied any feuding with Michael, and even frequently defended
his embattled brother. In 1991, however, Jermaine fired a clear shot with his single, "Word
to the Badd!!," which he admitted was a dig at his brother's changing appearance.
Author of “Celebrity Tantrums: The Official Dirt,” Lisa Brandt, reported that Jermaine's
ex-wife confessed that the track was his jealous response to producers who abandoned his recording
to work with Michael instead. Mega-producer LA Reid confirmed in his own memoir, “Sing
To Me,” that the track did, indeed, cause a huge blowout between the brothers. According
to “Showbiz 411,” after Michael agreed to let Jermaine release the track, it seemingly
vanished. As Reid shared,
"Two days later, the record disappeared off the air. [...] I don't know if Michael did
anything, but it went away in a flash."
Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha Grant has refused to stay silent on the matters
concerning Markle's relationship with her estranged father, Thomas Markle. According
to “Biography,” she has had a complicated relationship with her father ever since her
royal wedding. Their relationship appeared to worsen after reports claimed Meghan sent
her father a private letter, which he later shared with the “Daily Mail.” Reportedly,
she asked him to stop reading the tabloids and stop listening to his, quote, "other daughter
[and her] vicious lies."
In 2019, Samantha criticized her royal sister in the documentary “Meghan and the Markles:
A Family at War,” which focuses on Meghan's estrangement from Thomas, who has since apologized
for their ongoing feud. In the doc, Samantha claims,
"[Meghan] doesn't have a heart. [...] [She] can't turn herself into the victim here."
She also shared that she believed Meghan's letter was strategic planning to frame Samantha
and Thomas as liars.
Samantha also claimed in the doc that her beef with Meghan started when Prince Harry
referred to his family as the family that Meghan has, quote, "never had." Samantha took
this description as incredibly offensive, as she shared,
"Though we weren't the classic family together on schedule for every holiday, we were family."
Despite Meghan and the royals refusing to comment on Grant's accusations, they have
been criticized as being motivated by, quote, “resentment and jealousy.”
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