They get it from their mamas!
Recently, the internet has been abuzz since Blue Ivy made her appearance on the Renaissance tour, blowing fans away with her talent alongside superstar mom Beyoncé. One of the greatest entertainers of our generation, Bey also has the stats to prove it, recently making history again as the woman artist with the most recorded Grammys ever. While her two decade career in this industry is impressive, her daughter Blue is fast on her heels. At just 11 years old, Blue Ivy Carter has already made history as the second youngest Grammy award winner ever. Blue also took home the 2021 Best Voiceover - Children's Audiobook award at the Voice Arts Awards for her narration work for Matthew Cherry’s Hair Love book. Now the young legend is shaking things up on her mother’s world tour, trying her skills as a featured performer.
While we are proud of Blue, she’s not the only daughter in the industry who has made a name for herself as bright as her mothers. As we reflect on the inspiration that is these powerhouse mother daughter duos, here are 5 other celeb moms and daughters who have changed the game!
Chip Fields, Kim & Alexis Fields
Chip Fields is an accomplished singer, actress and producer, best known for her roles in classic films and television shows like The Amazing Spider-Man (1977), Menace II Society, and Good Times. She is also the mother to her famous actress daughters, Kim & Alexis Fields. The two made a name for themselves early on and followed in their mother’s footsteps. Kim Fields has also been a fan favorite, appearing in shows like Living Single, The Facts of Life, & Netflix’s newest comedy, The Upshaws. Her younger sister Alexis was also a staple on our screens throughout the ‘90s and early 200s, appearing on shows like Roc, Moesha, Sister, Sister, and Kenan & Kel. We really can’t even imagine the culture without this trio!
Diana Ross & Tracee Ellis Ross
An iconic duo, these two embody the beauty of Hollywood. Diana Ross is a pioneering singer, making a name for herself as one of the stars of Motown and completely revolutionizing the music industry with her unique sound. It’s no surprise that all that star power trickled right down to her kids, and today, her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross is an icon in her own right.
The award-winning actress and PATTERN haircare founder is just as much a staple in Black culture as her mother, embodied nowhere more than in her recent accolade as the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from Spelman College.
“Make space for yourself. For your whole self. Your joy, your power, your fear…Let there be space for all of it,” Ellis Ross told graduates.
No truer words have ever been spoken because the Rosses have definitely made space!
Serena Williams & Olympia
Serena Williams is one of the most decorated athletes of our time. Famous nearly her whole life, her name has been ringing bells since she was 10-years-old. With 23 Grand Slam titles under her belt and an entire Nike headquarters building named in her honor, Williams walked away from the game last year to focus more on her family, chief of these being her daughter Olympia Ohanian.
Since the womb, Olympia has been right beside her mom cheering her on. But she’s also carving her own lane, already having appeared on the cover of Vogue and in various fashion campaigns. Olympia also made history as the youngest owner of a professional sports team, signing her name as co-owner of the Los Angeles soccer team “Angel City” when she was just 2-years-old. She made headlines again last month when she was named part-owner of Tiger Woods’ Los Angeles Golf Club, the youngest 2x sports owner, Yahoo! Reports. Olympia is so famous that even her baby doll is famous, the 5-year-old’s favorite doll Qai Qai racking up hundreds of thousands of followers across social media and fielding a number of brand and book deals.
Jada Pinkett Smith & Willow Smith
This duo goes without question because they’ve been running Hollywood for a minute now. Jada Pinkett Smith is an accomplished actress, singer, talk show host, activist and philanthropist with more than three decades in the industry. There’s no denying her impact on the industry from A Different World to Set It Off, to The Red Table Talk, her imprint in every decade of her career is palpable. Pinkett Smith also spent some time as the lead singer of a heavy metal band which might’ve rubbed off on her uber talented daughter Willow Smith, who developed a cult-like fanbase of her own.
Willow burst onto the scene when she was still in elementary school with her classic hit “Whip My Hair.” An anthem for Black girls everywhere, Willow took some time to truly discover her sound over the years and has continued to hit the market with innovative bops that keep the people going. She has also dabbled in film and production and she has the chops to back it all up, recently performing at Coachella. She absolutely gets it from her mama!
Thandiwe Newton & Nico Parker
Thandiwe Newton has been a staple on the silver screen for more than 20 years, starring in hit films and television shows like Beloved, Crash, Westworld, Norbit, and For Colored Girls. The award-winning actress has also rubbed off on her daughter Nico Parker, who has made quite a name for herself as well.
At just 18 years old, Nico has already starred in major films like Dumbo, How to Train Your Dragon, and she is a breakout star in HBO’s new hit drama The Last of Us. In addition to their work on screen, Thandiwe is quite prominent on the fashion scene and holds a number of brand deals. With her daughter now right by her side, we’re sure to hear about the Newton girls for a long time.
Michelle, Malia & Sasha Obama
No list would be complete without these three who are beacons of inspiration for people across the globe. The former first family made a remarkable impact on history in general but outside of their collective accomplishments, they’ve each managed to carve out distinct lanes for themselves that excite us beyond words.
Since their departure from the White House, the Obamas have been busy. Forever First Lady Michelle Obama has become a best selling author and Oscar award winning producer under their Higher Ground productions banner. She’s also continued to give back through the Obama Foundation, healthy eating initiatives, and voter registration drives. Her daughters Malia and Sasha, who we swear were just babies, are now taking a page from mom’s book. Sasha just graduated with her degree in psychology from the University of Southern California (USC) while big sister Malia got her degree from Harvard before joining Donald Glover’s team as a screenwriter on his hit Amazon series “Swarm.”
Be clear, the Obamas owe us nothing but to see the next generation take the reins, is pretty freaking fantastic!
Shout out to all the mothers and daughters doing their thing! You are appreciated.
Cover photo: Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, & 5 other powerful mother daughter duos changing the game/Photo Courtesy of @BlueIvyCter/Instagram