Celebrity parents who have had public and brutal feuds with their children; As the Beckhams' family feud dominates headlines, we take a look at some other famous parents who have had complicated relationships with their children.

Byline: By, Maria Leticia Gomes

Few celebrity news have started a year with as much impact as Brooklyn Beckham's digital admission of his feud with his parents, Victoria and David Beckham.

The 26-year-old's comments about one of England's most successful football players of all time and a former Spice Girl have dominated headlines for days, sparking everything from countless AI-generated pictures reimagining their wedding dance drama to a renewed chart resurgence -pushing Victoria's 2001 single 'I'm Not Such an Innocent Girl' to the number one spot on iTunes.

But the Beckhams are far from the first celebrity parents to have had lashings from their nepo-babies. Here, we take a look at some other second-generation celebrities who have publicly spoken out against their famous parents.

Miley Cyrus vs. Billy Ray Cyrus

One of the most well-documented parent-child relationships in pop culture, Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus' bond has been tested in the past.

They started working together on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, but cracks emerged behind the scenes early on.

In 2011, Billy Ray admitted working with his daughter strained the duo's real-life relationship, telling GQ that "the business was driving a wedge between us."

As years passed, Miley's career evolved and her parents went through multiple breakups. In 2022, when the pair finally divorced, fans noticed Miley did not follow her father on Instagram anymore.

The feud was seemingly confirmed in 2024, when Miley won Record of the Year at the Grammys but did not thank Billy Ray in her acceptance speech -after naming her mother, sister, partner, and collaborators.

Later, Miley addressed the estrangement and explained that she took her mother's side during the divorce. She told the New York Times: "I'm respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents."

The pair reconciled in 2025, when Miley released her song 'Secrets,' which she wrote for her father and described as "musical medicine."

Shiloh and Zahara Jolie vs. Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt's relationships with several of his children have been rocky since he got a divorce from their mother Angelina Jolie, but two of them manifested their distancing from him in a more explicit way.

In 2023, Zahara Jolie-Pitt publicly introduced herself using only her mother's surname while joining Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Less than a year later, Shiloh petitioned a Los Angeles court to legally drop "Pitt" from her name -a request that was approved shortly after her 18th birthday.

The rift is alleged to have started since the Jolie-Pitt divorce, which involved an incident aboard a private plane, where it was claimed Jolie was the victim of physical aggression in front of their children.

Jolie herself has a complex relationship with her father, Jon Voight, with whom she now shares a close relationship despite his absence during her childhood after divorcing her mother, Marcheline Bertrand.

Elon Musk vs. Vivian Jenna Wilson

Even the richest man in the world has family trouble. In 2022, Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's daughter from his marriage to Justine Wilson, made headlines when she changed her name and gender, explicitly asking to sever ties with her father.

The model claimed to "no longer wish to be related to [her] biological father in any way". In 2024, the Tesla mogul took the tensions a step further by publicly commenting about Wilson's transgender identity, referring to her as "dead" during an interview.

She then spoke to NBC News, accusing Musk of lying about her publicly. "If you're going to lie about me to millions of people, I'm not just going to let that slide," she said.

In later interviews, Wilson has described Musk as "cold," "uncaring," and "very quick to anger," and rejected portrayals of herself as rebellious or radical.

Since then, Wilson has led a successful digital career and maintains distance from her father.

Jayden James and Sean Preston vs. Britney Spears

After 13 years of conservatorship, Britney Spears' relationship with her sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, seems to have been deeply affected.

In 2022, her older son Jayden spoke out about his perspective of the family, claiming to have felt emotionally neglected growing up.

"I don't think she showed enough [attention] to Preston," he said, adding his mother's mental health struggles made reconciliation difficult.

The singer retaliated by making a post on Instagram where she put into words her heartbreak and highlighted her unconditional love for her children.

Since then, Spears has reconciled with Jayden, and the two now reportedly spend significant time together. Although, her relationship with Preston has been slower to heal.

In rare instances when talking about the rift, Spears has acknowledged the years she spent separated from her sons and how they still affect their bond, calling the experience "demoralizing."

Chet Hanks vs. Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks' son has spoken out about the emotional complexity of growing up under the spotlight.

In a 2022 video, Chet Hanks reflected on the pressure of being famous by association -for being the child of one of Hollywood's most beloved actors -and not by merit.

"My experience was complicated," he said, criticising some aspects of his upbringing. "I wasn't even famous. I was just the son of somebody famous."

After a few years, though, Chet and Tom's relationship seems to have stabilised. In recent interviews, Chet has praised his father and even collaborated with him professionally.

He also joked about a cameo Tom made in one of his music videos, calling him "the most easygoing dude ever."

Article Details

Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:	Celebrity News
Author:	By, Maria Leticia Gomes
Publication:	Daily Mirror (London, England)
Date:	Jan 27, 2026
Words:	907
Previous Article:	27 UK areas urged to buy 6 food items before 17-hour snowstorm on Tuesday; The Met Office has issued multiple yellow weather warnings for snow and...
Next Article:	'I'm a mum of 5 living in a home with mould and damp and there's one thing no one tells you'; "I've lived with mould all my life. My children have...
Topics:	Celebrities