12 Rich Celebs Who Don't Help Their Poor Siblings
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Celebrities live pretty glamorous lives for the most part, but being famous is not without its challenges. One of the biggest issues celebrities face is how they will help their families once they make it big. Some famous people are more than willing to assist their loved ones financially. However, poor money management and family members who can’t seem to stop asking for cash can turn out to be a huge hassle for these celebrities. While having a celebrity in the family can be a huge relief at times, especially for hard-working people who can’t always make ends meet, there are some relatives who can really take advantage of the fact that someone in their bloodline has millions of dollars.
There are also famous people who have used their star status to help their siblings make it big, too. For instance, after Ben Affleck had achieved a pretty substantial level of fame, he showed his brother Casey, the (Hollywood) ropes and now both brothers attend red carpet events to promote their respective movies. Of course, there are also celebs who don’t help their less-than-rich siblings. The reasons for this vary, even though to the average person it can look pretty heartless. Here are 12 scenarios you may not know about.
12. Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts had a half sister who committed suicide. The cause of her death was a drug overdose, and it was well known that she suffered extensively from substance abuse. Roberts’ sister even stated in her suicide note that Julia did not help her to improve her life, and that she wanted the public to know that Julia Roberts isn’t the “sweetheart” that America knows her to be. Roberts’ sister, like many drug addicts, was likely angry that her sister refused to continue helping her. Perhaps Julia saw that her financial help wasn’t going to get her sister to turn her life around, which is devastating and unfortunate.
11. Jimmy Carter
Former president Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy, has long been an embarrassment to the family. Billy has had an addiction to drugs and alcohol for quite some time, and has even been seen using the bathroom on an airport runway. President Carter and his family aren’t looking to help Billy financially, because they see that he is not interested in getting sober. We’re not sure if or to what extent Jimmy Carter has helped his brother in the past, but it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume that he’s likely done all he can for Billy. President Carter is now suffering from a cancer relapse that has spread to his brain, so all his strength (and his family’s strength) is likely focused on doing everything possible to improve his health.
10. Lindsay Lohan
Perhaps actress Lindsay Lohan is not intentionally trying not to help her sister, Ali. Well, not completely, anyway. However, Lindsay’s reputation as an irresponsible party girl in Hollywood definitely hasn’t been beneficial for Ali. Ali has dreams of being a model, and reportedly, no agencies will work with her because she’s related to Lindsay. Executives are skeptical about giving Ali a chance, because they don’t want to run the risk that she’ll show up late to work and cost the company money with her bad behavior. It’s also been rumored that Lindsay won’t give Ali the funds to get her modeling career started. Maybe Lindsay is afraid her sister will be more successful than her, or maybe she just can’t spare the cash right now because she’s trying to revive her own career.
9. Prince
The legendary singer tried to help his sister, Tyka, get into the business, so he pulled some strings and got her a record deal. However, Tyka was so bitter that her famous brother has so much success in the industry that she ended up blowing her deal and turning to drugs, especially cocaine. She was never able to fully overcome her addiction, and there have been rumors that she has been involved in prostitution as a way to make ends meet. Prince has decided that he’s not going to assist her in any way, because he tried to help her before and she didn’t use her opportunity wisely.
8. Gordon Ramsay
Some think that Ramsay’s cold persona and demanding antics as a celebrity chef are just an act, but there may be some truth to them. Gordon Ramsay’s brother is addicted to drugs, which has been really hard on the family. Gordon and his family are not the type to discuss their personal family issues often. However, when they do discuss them, they have no problems discussing the fact that having a family member dealing with addiction is very stressful. Ramsay is not financially supporting his brother, and that is most likely because he knows that most of his hard-earned money will be used to support a destructive habit.
7. The Kardashian/Jenner Sisters
Everyone knows the Kardashian girls are rich, and their younger sisters, the Jenners, are making a name for themselves as well. These women are involved in everything from reality shows, fragrances, fashion, retail and public appearances, and they make millions. However, their brother Robert Kardashian, hasn’t enjoyed this type of success. He’s definitely not poor compared to average standards, but all the business ventures he’s tried on his own haven’t exactly taken off. Robert even lived with Khloe for a while, and his mom Kris pretty much takes care of his bills. His siblings have tried to help him in the past with money and advice, but it looks like he doesn’t want to hear it, so they’re less willing to come to his aid now.
6. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has several brothers, and most of them are also actors. Alec’s brother Daniel, worked in Hollywood for a while, but became addicted to drugs, which may have been due to the fact that he couldn’t seem to keep up with his famous brothers. As a result of his addiction (he’s been in rehab nine times), he’s had lots of financial troubles. Daniel’s money problems have been in the news over the years, indicating that Alec (and the rest of the Baldwin clan) are no longer willing to help him out. Alec is finally back in the good graces of the public himself, after his lengthy custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger, and several public fits of rage.
5. Dane Cook
Actor and comedian Dane Cook, isn’t willing to help his brother financially anymore because his brother decided to “help himself” to Dane’s money illegally. Dane Cook’s brother and his brother’s wife reportedly embezzled about $12 million from the star. This solved the mystery of why Cook’s brother was suddenly wealthy and able to make pretty significant purchases. The man and his wife were tried for their crime and spent time in jail. Now, they’re pretty poor, but they should probably look to someone other than Dane Cook for help. It’s a shame that sometimes your own siblings will be so jealous of your success that they’ll actually steal from you just to get a taste of your lifestyle.
4. Madonna
It probably doesn’t often occur to people that legendary pop singer Madonna, does, in fact, have a family. When someone goes by one name for so long, it’s hard to imagine that they are biologically connected to anyone else. Madonna has a brother named Anthony, who is definitely not as well-off as she is. She refuses to help him out financially anymore, because he struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. Apparently, the singer has tried to help her brother get clean on more than one occasion, but hasn’t been effective, so he’s been cut off, money-wise. After all, Madonna does have children to take care of and a lifestyle to maintain.
3. Beyonce
We all know Beyonce’s sister Solange, isn’t hurting for money, and has become a style icon. However, Beyonce and Solange have two younger half siblings. They belong to their father Matthew Knowles, who fathered the children while being unfaithful to Beyonce and Solange’s mother, Tina. Beyonce made it clear that she wasn’t going to help take care of her father’s love children financially when she fired him as her manager. Now that Matthew is having a hard time paying child support, he has blamed it on the fact that he is no longer managing his daughter and doesn’t have the money to handle his responsibilities. Maybe once he figures out that this situation really isn’t Beyonce’s fault, he can come up with a solution.
2. Bill Clinton
Once again, we see that even former presidents have poor siblings that they refuse to associate with. Clinton’s brother, Roger, spent time in jail for dealing cocaine. Roger has also been known to pay off mobsters and has done business with the mafia before, which most families wouldn’t be too proud of. You’d think Bill Clinton would cut his brother a little slack, since he knows what it feels like to be involved in scandal. However, it looks like associating with Roger would be even more of a detriment to his political status, especially since former First Lady Hillary Clinton is now running for president.
1. Mariah Carey
Singer Mariah Carey has a sister named Allison, but the two have been estranged since the early 1990s. Allison worked for quite some time as a prostitute and has used drugs heavily for years. Mariah Carey is worth around half a billion dollars, so some feel that she’s pretty heartless for not reaching out to her sister during such a difficult time. It’s been reported that Mariah doesn’t want Allison in her life at this point, because she’s afraid that Allison will be a negative influence on Carey’s twins with ex-husband Nick Cannon. Carey also had a fight with her brother Morgan in 2013, and he went to the tabloids and sold false stories that Mariah Carey was on drugs and suicidal. The singer has since cut ties with him as well.
Sources: lockerdome.com, abcnews.go.com
