OK or not OK?OPINIONThe

Surgery for stardom?

Compared to mum

BRED FOR BEAUTY

Daughters of models often follow in their

footsteps – but is the pressure to be pretty too much?

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C an’t I just be me?’ asks Alexa Ray Joel, the 27-year-old daughter of rocker Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley.

It’s a sentiment shared by a string of celebrity spawn.

While it may seem simple for the kids of the rich and famous to slide easily into the career of their choice, it often comes with a price. ‘It is difficult enough in our society to be a girl faced with the constant perfect image of a woman. I think it would be emotionally very draining for a girl to be compared to their “beautiful” mums. Any type of comparison can cause damage,’ child behaviour consultant Nathalie Brown tells OK!.

Alexa Ray Joel says she knows all about it. ‘It’s hard because

[people] compare my music to my father and my looks to my mother,’ she says.

The musician admits the constant scrutiny of growing up as a celebrity child can be overwhelming. ‘I used to not care. I’d throw on any dress and I was given a very hard time for it. Perez Hilton labelled me a slut. I was 19 or 20 at the time he called me that and it was hard. I know well what it feels like to be

bullied,’ says the star, who attempted suicide when it all became too much in 2009. ‘I felt like I was in a black hole and I couldn’t see out. I hit rock bottom that day… I was in such a dark place.’

Alexa vehemently denied claims that it was a fight with her mother over her weight that prompted

her to try and take her own life. ‘Nobody is more supportive of my physical appearance than her,’ Alexa says. ‘She tells me – which I don’t understand – that she wishes she looked like me, that I’m so much more unique than her.’

‘I was in a blackhole andcouldn’tsee out’

Too young?

Parents are so proud

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Modelling is in their blood, but shouldthere be an age limit for fame?

When Alessandra Ambrosio allowed her daughter, Anja, four, to star with her in a campaign for fashion brand London Fog last year, the Victoria’s Secret Angel, 32, was delighted by the results. ‘Having my daughter steal the spotlight is pretty funny and I just love it! I’m so proud of her,’ she said. But critics questioned the model’s decision to allow the pair to be snapped topless in one of the shots.

Meanwhile, Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber, starred in her first Versace campaign last year at age 10, but her famous mother is wary of her daughter’s desire to follow in her footsteps. ‘At this point, she’s too young to pursue a career. But if she’s 17 and wants to try it… what can I say?’ the 47-year-old supermodel says.

Larry Birkhead, on the other hand, is all too aware of the negatives fame at a young age can bring. His daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, six, is undoubtedly the image of her late mum, Anna Nicole Smith, and

despite the tragedy of Anna’s life, Larry allowed Dannielynn to model for Guess last year – the

same company which made her mum famous. ‘I know that Anna’s looking at this and seeing how great this will be,’ he said. ‘Dannielynn has always looked up to her mum’s image.’

Kate Moss’s daughter, Lila Grace, 11, however, has rebelled against her mother’s career. ‘I always take my make-up off, because otherwise my daughter will come in

and say, “Mummy, tut-tut.” She doesn’t like it,’ Kate, 39, says. ‘She likes the fresh-faced mummy,

when I’ve got my hair in a bun and no make-up on.’

ANNA NICOLE SMITH &

DANNIELYNN BIRKHEAD‘This is kind of Dannielynn’s

way of paying tribute to her mum in her own special way,’

dad Larry said of Dannielynn’s 2012 Guess campaign. But despite

allowing his daughter to model at a young age, Larry, 40, also

insists, ‘My goal is for her to be a child and just do

what all kids do.’

CINDY CRAWFORD

& KAIA GERBER‘I didn’t want her to have make-up or be

photographed looking older than she is,’ Cindy said of letting Kaia pose

for the camera at age 10 (left).

KATE MOSS & LILA

GRACE MOSS HACKKate’s little miss has so far shied away from her mum’s

career. ‘She’s got lipsticks but she doesn’t do colour,’ the model say of her look-alike

little one. ‘She’s quite prudish – she’ll only do a little bit of gloss or

something.’

Going her own way

HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG?

40 I WWW.OKMAGAZINE.COM.AU JULY 1, 2013

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OPINIONThe

‘I DIDN’TASK TO BE FAMOUS’Olivia Newton-John’sdaughter, Chloe Lattanzi,reveals what it’s really likeI wanted to be a normal young kid, and fame was not something I asked for – I was born into it. I felt I had no privacy. I never craved attention. I was paid attention since I was born. I had no choice. Nothing was private for me and this still pisses me off. I’m just trying to have my own identity, which I think is perfectly normal. I’m sure many would do the same to try to carve out their own identity. All kids cause their parents angst when growing up, it’s just that their relationships and problems aren’t splashed all over for the world to see and judge. I never wanted that and it angers me to this day. For me, it’s not about making one’s mark – we’re all equal – it’s about following your heart. My expectation of myself is to always do the things I love. I’m looking forward to the day when I stop being known as ‘Olivia’s daughter Chloe’ and just become Chloe!

MY KIDS ARE LUCKYJada Pinkett Smith has noproblem letting her children step into her famous shoesThis isn’t about fame or money… [Willow and Jaden] were still going to have their trials because of who their parents are. As much as I wish I could figure out a way I could protect my children, they have their destiny. I’m not going to put brakes on that out of fear. There are certain things I need to be for [Willow]; things I need to give her – support, knowledge, wisdom and guidance. I have to be a mum and I have to be mentor because I’ve been down that road. Our children are allowed to stay in the paradigm of being a child; they don’t have to take care of their families, become the complete emotional, physical and financial focus that happens to many child stars. Our family structure is hard to comprehend because it’s so outside what usually happens in a family, but the paradigm is the same. You have Mother. You have Father. Father is protective. Mother is the teacher. Most of the time with child stars, the child has all the responsibilities and connects to people around them who might not be that trustworthy. But with us, the paradigm stays the same because the child can still be the child with an extraordinary gift.

NOT OK!

IT’S OK!

But Alexa was struggling with one aspect of her appearance and just a few months after her suicide attempt, she went under the knife and had a nose job in 2010. ‘I was thinking about getting this for years, [my nose] always bothered me a little bit. I was self-conscious of pictures taken from the side. To some people, that’s vain but, at the end of the day, we all want to feel pretty,’ Alexa says. ‘[Now] I feel really good. I’m starting to grow a thicker skin – you learn to accept your quirks and your appearance.’

Alexa’s insecurities about her appearance are no surprise to psychologist Danya Braunstein, who tells OK! that often famous mothers aren’t even aware of the pressures they’re placing on their kids. ‘A mother who is well-known for being beautiful will often hold certain values about the importance of appearance and will perform certain behaviours to maintain this appearance. These values are usually communicated indirectly to children, by both the mother and society – that it’s important to look good and that self-worth is associated with how attractive you are,’ Danya says. ‘This comparison can be damaging for children if they don’t receive the message that they’re valued for other reasons.’

Ireland Baldwin admits she’s wrestled with growing up in the shadow of her famous mum, Kim Basinger, 59, too. ‘I have battled many different struggles with self-esteem and body image issues,’ she wrote on Tumblr earlier this year. ‘I also get compared to my mum quite a bit… I AM NOT MY PARENTS. My mum is one of the most beautiful women in the world. She is petite and fragile, and I am fit and… more to love… I have a booty, she has a thigh gap.’

Ireland also admits her mother has been grooming her for a life in front of the lens. ‘My mum’s very happy she can finally give me tips. She’s always there, so she’ll stand in the back and say, “Turn your head this way, or do this.’”

But what Ireland wasn’t prepared for was the torrent of online abuse she would receive. ‘I have received nasty emails, messages on Twitter and ridiculous comments not only about my size but my family,’ she says. ‘What is the good in commenting on a photo of a 17-year-old girl and calling her fat, ugly?’

With such harsh critics out there, it’s easy to see why some take things to the extreme in an attempt to be flawless. ‘There’s a lot of pressure to be perfect,’ says Bria Murphy – the 23-year-old daughter of Eddie, 52, and Nicole Murphy, 45 – who has opened up about some of the shocking practices she’s seen in the modelling world. ‘I’ve heard of people eating the cotton balls with the orange juice… they dip it in the orange juice and then they eat them to help them feel full. Lots of girls get addicted to drugs and anorexia – it’s a lot of pressure to be perfect.’

Rather than just witness eating disorders, Allegra Versace has struggled with her own. The 27-year-old daughter of designer Donatella Versace, 58, had a well-publicised battle with anorexia – and Allegra has explicitly blamed growing up in the spotlight for her disease. ‘I call this my period of absence. I was lost in other thoughts and couldn’t confront reality. Above all, I wanted one thing – to be no-one, to not be recognised, not be hunted down,’ she says.

Allegra says she has no interest in milking her family’s name. ‘I still prefer the anonymity. I’ve spent some time working with a non-Italian designer – and the great part about this work is that I am no-one!’

Theodora Richards admits she was inspired by her model mother, Patti Hansen, 57, to follow her into the profession when she was just a teen. ‘I saw her doing it while I was growing up with my sister. It looked so glamorous. She allowed me and my sister to start modelling when we were 16. Eventually, I wanted to be a part of it,’ she says.

But Theodora admits her father, Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards, 69, wasn’t sold on the idea. ‘He was a little apprehensive,’ she says.

And it appears the rock star may have been justified in his concerns, with Theodora, 28, looking frail of late, prompting some to speculate that she’s taken on board the modelling world’s often impossible standards.

Danya Braunstein says eating disorders and psychological problems in celebrities and their children are common because the success of their career is often reliant on looking

a certain way and being a certain weight. ‘The result of focusing too much value on attractiveness is that maintenance of appearance becomes a higher priority than self-care, and can lead to disordered thinking about their self and what other people think about them,’ she tells OK!. ‘Rules and behaviours about eating and exercise are often learned through observation of the parent.’

On the other hand, fellow model and celeb offspring Georgia May Jagger refuses to cave in to the pressures of life in the spotlight. And, unlike most of her contemporaries, the 21-year-old daughter of Mick Jagger, 69, and Jerry Hall, 56, has no problem with the comparisons to her famous parents. ‘That goes along with it,’ she says. ‘I don’t think of myself as separate to my parents. They’re really successful and I look up to them and I’m proud of them, so I’m happy to talk about them.’

Nathalie Brown agrees, and doesn’t believe all kids who chase fame are destined for disaster. ‘It depends on their parents and how much pressure is put upon the child,’ she tells OK!. ‘The emphasis is on the parent to ensure they keep a realistic view and let the child pursue their own dreams and have access to the real world.’

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WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CELEBRITY CHILDREN BEING SHOVED INTO THE SPOTLIGHT FROM BIRTH? TELL US

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‘I have a booty,

Mum hasa thighgap’

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