Seven famous family feuds to make Meghan feel normal
You can’t choose your family and you also can’t seem to lose them. But if it’s any consolation to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, this celebrity story has been told many times before, writes Kerry Parnell.
If Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is stressing out over the realisation that her father Thomas and half-sister Samantha Markle are never going to shut up, she can take heart — even if Samantha says she doesn’t have one — because famous family feuds, including those of her in-laws, are nothing new.
Like a rottweiler, Samantha has been nipping at the Duchess’s designer-clad heels for a year and shows no sign of stopping, until everyone has understood her royal relation is a phony and bought her tell-all book.
You can’t choose your family, the saying goes, and you also can’t seem to lose them. But if it’s any consolation to Meghan, this is a celebrity story that has been told many times before — including the public denouncements, unauthorised interviews and books.
MORE FROM KERRY PARNELL: Why has Meghan Markle lost her sparkle?
Even poor Dolly Parton is getting it from her sister, who has called out her country-singing sibling for not supporting the #MeToo movement.
“I’m ashamed of my sister,” Stella Parton said on a podcast this week.
“This is the first time I’ve really publicly called my sister out. But it’s high time that some of these older women speak up.”
The sisterhood obviously doesn’t mean standing by your actual sister.
I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised — there can’t be a family in the world that doesn’t fight at some point, normal people don’t usually get a book deal out of it, thankfully. Note to my siblings: I love you dearly.
MORE FROM KERRY PARNELL: The unsung hero of the royal family
Here are some of the best/worst famous family feuds:
Christian Bale vs. his mum
The Dark Knight star was arrested for allegedly fighting with his mum Jenny and sister Sharon at a London hotel in 2008. Police were called but no charges laid. He didn’t talk to his mother for a decade — only making up this year.
Kate Hudson vs. her dad
The actor has long viewed stepdad Kurt Russell as her father, saying her real father Bill Hudson, “doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall”. Enraged, Bill said she and her brother Oliver “are dead to me”. Oliver has lately begun talking to his father.
Jennifer Aniston vs. her mum
The Friends star fell out with her mother Nancy Dow when she gave a TV interview and published the memoir From Mother And Daughter To Friends, without her daughter’s permission. They only reconciled shortly before Nancy’s death in 2016.
Angelina Jolie vs. her dad
She and father Jon Voight have had a long and public feud, not helped by Jon blabbing to the press about his daughter, including saying she had “mental problems”. They have since patched up their relationship.
Lindsay Lohan vs. her dad
The teen star and her father Michael have lived out their tumultuous relationship in public, with the pair never off the TV talking about themselves. They say they are now in a happy place.
Diana, Princess of Wales vs. her mother and stepmother
Diana and her siblings dubbed their stepmother Raine Spencer, “Acid Raine”, but she formed a friendship with her in later years. Her relationship with her mother, Frances Shand Kydd however, went in reverse, with Diana reportedly stopping speaking to her six months before her death after a bitter phone call about Diana’s relationships. Sadly, they would not get the opportunity to reconcile.
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