5 Celebrities Who Cut Their Kids Out of their Wills

Some celebrities like Simon Cowell and Marie Osmond might have wealth under their belts but they have no intention of passing it down to their offspring. The two stars, and three others, shared their reasons for not wanting to give their children inheritances.

People like Gordon Ramsay and Ashton Kutcher don't believe that just because they are rich, their children need to live that way through their inheritance. While their children might grow up living lavishly, that doesn't mean that's how their whole lives will play out because of their expected inheritance.

The truth is some Hollywood stars have openly noted that they will not be leaving any money for their children. Instead, these celebrities wish for their children to work and earn their own fortunes.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Won't Have Trust Fund Babies

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis started a family when they welcomed their first child together, daughter Wyatt Isabelle, in October 2014, with the first-time dad disclosing the newborn's name on his website dedicating a message to the little girl, saying:

"May your life be filled with wonder, love, laughter, health, happiness, curiosity, and privacy."

The couple welcomed their second child, a son, in November 2016. Ashton Kutcher and Kunis announced the name of their baby boy on A Plus (a digital media platform that counts Kutcher as an investor). Named Dimitri Portwood Kutcher, the infant was born weighing 8 pounds and 15 ounces, per their announcement. Once again, as a means of keeping their lives private, they did not share photos of the new addition to the family as they said:

"We'd like to allow our kids to make their own choices on whether to have a life in the public eye or not."

In October 2017, his wife discussed not giving their kids Christmas presents. On the other hand, Kunis has a Jewish background but grew up in communist Russia. Despite that, she still fully participates in American Christmas traditions such as tree decorating.

However, Kunis said their tradition includes no presents for the young ones. The new rule was due to her previous experiences with Wyatt. The actress said when children are younger than one, gifts do not matter, and when they celebrated Christmas when her baby girl was two, it was overbearing.

She explained the kids no longer appreciate the one gift, and instead, she and her husband prefer giving presents to charity, which is their new tradition. The doting parents have even taken it as far as planning to tell their brood that they are poor to humble them.

During an appearance on Australia's "Kyle and Jackie O Show," Kunis revealed she and Kutcher come from poor backgrounds and that it played a significant role in how she values and appreciates money. The former child star noted she and her beloved spouse are self-made and are well aware of what a dollar is worth, adding they worked hard because nothing was handed to them on a silver platter. She jokingly detailed on the radio show:

"It's a matter of teaching them from a very early age that, you know, mommy and daddy may have a dollar, but you're poor. You are very poor. You have nothing. Mommy and Daddy have a bank account."

In an episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, Kutcher revealed that he and his spouse would not be leaving any money for their children. He explained how he and his wife weren't creating trust funds for their children, adding:

"We'll end up giving our money away to charity."

However, the entrepreneur said if his children want to start a business someday and have a good business plan, he would be happy to invest in their future. "As long as they know what to do when they don't have things, they know how to be resourceful," the father of two said.

Jackie Chan's Son Flies Economy When They Travel Together

While Jackie Chan worked on slowly becoming the new face of martial arts in Hong Kong and Hollywood when he first started his career, he also struggled with a few personal problems. While breaking out into the US market was no walk in the park, the actor also dealt with public backlash after he had an affair with Elaine Ng Yi-Lei in 1999.

The scandal spread, especially since Chan had been married to Joan Lin since 1982. News outlets soon found out that the affair had resulted in a pregnancy, and Chan was forced to address the controversy. The actor confessed that he had made a mistake that had influenced the lives of everyone involved.

After the affair, the star's mistress gave birth to Etta Ng Chok Lam, and Jackie Chan reportedly refused to have a relationship with his illegitimate child. In 2018, Ng Chok Lam released a video alongside her partner, social media influencer Andi Autumn, explaining that their families had abandoned them entirely.

Ng Chok Lam said they had been forced out of their parental homes and onto the streets because of their sexual orientation, noting that neither of their families would have anything to do with them. Chan's daughter revealed that they'd been homeless for a month because their parents are homophobic, noting:

"We pretty much slept under a bridge and other things."

Ng Chok Lam and Autumn managed to stick it out. Although little is known about how they fared after that video, the pair reportedly married in November 2018 and remain together. Chan seems to have not reconciled with his daughter, although he reportedly has a closer relationship with his son, Jaycee Chan.

Although the star shares a closer bond with his son than with his daughter, he has been vocal about the fact that he will not be leaving the young man any of his money. The actor noted that he wanted to instill a rigorous work ethic into his boy and claimed that leaving him a fortune would merely inspire laziness. He feels that if his son is capable he'll make his own cash, further explaining:

"If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money. I really regret not sending him into the army in the past to give him more experience and temper his character."

Chan's son, also known as Jaycee Fong, has followed in his father's footsteps by becoming an actor and singer. He attended The College of William & Mary and is listed as a talented actor, singer, composer, lyricist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is also an award-winning musician in Asia.

His 2004 self-titled debut "Jaycee" attracted much attention in the Asian market, garnering a few Best New Male Singer awards. Nonetheless, Chan has insisted that his son can't rest on his laurels, pushing him to work hard for everything he earns.

Chan reportedly went so far as to book his son into economy class whenever they fly together. The action and comedy star might seem harsh in his outlook, but chef Gordon Ramsay has a similar idea for his children.

Gordon Ramsay's Six Children Have to Work for What They Want

In 2021, it was reported that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay had accumulated a net worth of over $200 million during his successful career. Still, he has admitted he will not leave a single cent to his six children. Despite having television shows and a restaurant empire, creating a substantial fortune, he does not intend to leave it to his children, Megan, Tilly, Jack, Holly, Oscar, and Jesse.

Ramsay believes that everything needs to be worked for and earned. Therefore, he considers leaving his wealth to his children would be disastrous. He once said in an interview with The Telegraph:

"You appreciate it more when you've grafted for it."

In the same interview, he explained that he wouldn't let his children fly first class with him and his wife when they travel as the children have not worked hard enough to earn the privilege. Undoubtedly, his ethos comes from his rough upbringing.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Stratford-Upon-Avon with his three siblings, his mother, and his alcoholic father, Gordon Snr. His father was abusive, struggled with addiction, and never maintained a stable job. So, the Ramsay family constantly moved around until he moved out of the home at 16.

In a documentary for Channel Four, Ramsay's son Jack looked back at his father's humble roots and learned what kind of life his father lived before making a name for himself. In contrast to Ramsay's upbringing, his wife Tana grew up in a "super set-up."

The chef shared that his children bounced off him and his wife and met somewhere between their upbringings. Although his children live a completely different life compared to the one he grew up in, the renowned chef emphasized that they are grateful for his hard work and are not spoilt:

"They have a completely different life than I did growing up. I worked my [expletive] off to get out of the [expletive] mess that I grew up in, and they're grateful; they're not spoilt."

Furthermore, Ramsay has a practical way of teaching his children the value of money; they are responsible for paying for their things, such as their phone plan and clothing. In 2017, the star revealed that his children get £50 ($63 now) a week, except Megan, who got £100 ($126 now) because she was at university.

They had to figure out how to pay for their expenses each month. Of course, he is not letting his children do everything independently. He admitted that he and his wife agreed to give each child a 25 percent deposit for their apartment but would not pay for the whole property.

Besides not giving his children financial handouts, Ramsay has also stated that he would not give his children a job in one of his restaurants. In 2019, he explained that he did not want his children to be treated advantageously because they were his children. Instead, if one of his children wants to work for him, he said:

"You want to work in this business? You [expletive] off to another chef, learn something different, and come back with something new to improve the business."

Marie Osmond's 7 Children Won't Inherit Her Wealth So Their Independence Won't Be Stifled

In 2023, Marie Osmond's net worth from her long-term career was estimated to be $20 million. Besides being a Grammy nominee, she is a mother of eight kids, five of whom are adopted: Jessica, Brandon, Brianna, Abigail, and Michael.

Osmond welcomed her first child, son Stephen Jr., in April 1983 with her first husband, Steve Craig. The couple wed in 1982 and divorced in 1985. Following their split, she married Brian Blosil in 1986, and they had seven children together: Abigail, Brianna, Brandon, Jessica, Matthew, Michael, and Rachel.

However, the singer and the actor divorced in 2007 after 21 years of marriage. Osmond welcomed her second child, daughter Rachel, in August 1989. Shortly after giving birth to Rachel, the star and Blosil adopted Jessica at age two – born in December 1987.

The songstress's fourth child is Brandon, born in November 1996, and her fifth child is Brianna, born in November 1997. Her seventh child is daughter Abigail, who was born in September 2002. Osmond's eighth beloved child is her son Michael, who arrived in May 1991. Sadly, he tragically died by suicide at age 18 in February 2010.

Even though the singer adores her children and grandchildren dearly, she decided they would not inherit a cent of her fortune. During an episode on "The Talk" in March 2020, the former child star revealed she and her spouse Craig, whom she remarried in 2011, would not be leaving their brood with inheritance money.

Marie Osmond told her co-hosts she believes leaving her children with her wealth would only stifle them from becoming independent individuals, stating:

"I think you do a great disservice to your children to just hand them a fortune because you take away the one most important gift you can give your children, and that's the ability to work."

One of the reasons the Broadway star decided on this is because she wanted to avoid having her kids fight over how the inheritance would be distributed among them. While some agreed with her choice, co-host Sheryl Underwood had a different perspective.

Underwood said leaving a certain amount of money for children could help them with a boost to maintain a lifestyle that they are already used to–coming from a high-income home. Still, Osmond stands by her decision. In January 2023, she said she refuses to enable her brood by not allowing them to make something of themselves.

The author added that she is unaware of anyone who managed to amount to anything by being given money. The Grammy Award nominee further stated that providing children an inheritance motivates them to become lazy and entitled.

The star has witnessed such with kids from wealthy families who have nothing to keep them busy and get into trouble, adding that parents should allow their offspring to "be proud" of what they earn. The global star clarified it does not mean she does not step in whenever she can when it comes to her sons and daughters, but that she does not casually give them money whenever they are in a bind. She emphasized:

"I worked hard, and I'm going to spend it all and have fun with my husband."

Simon Cowell Doesn't Believe in Passing Down Generational Wealth

Simon Cowell is the mastermind behind the famous "Got Talent" and "The X Factor" franchises. He is also the creator and currently holds full ownership of the British entertainment house, "Syco."

In his more personal life, the star proposed to his long-time love, Lauren Silverman, in December 2021, and reports state they are planning their special day. Years before the engagement, in August 2013, the "American Idol" judge officially confirmed that he'd become a first-time parent with Silverman.

Despite his controversial outlook, at 63, Cowell had nothing but gratitude and love for his family, including his son.

After weeks of speculation, the then-53-year-old Cowell expressed sheer pride in embracing parenthood, noting that although he hadn't considered it before, he now felt ecstatic about the news. The music guru welcomed a boy, Eric Philip, who is named after his late father.

Sadly, reports say none of his children will inherit Cowell's million-dollar net worth, including his son. The millionaire said he didn't believe in passing his money from generation to generation but in leaving behind a legacy of sharing his knowledge and empowering people.

The "Britain's Got Talent" judge has raised Eric to be grounded while teaching him the importance of hard work. In 2013, The then-53-year-old Cowell revealed in 2013 that he intended to rather allocate his wealth to charity, especially ones benefiting animals and children.

The philanthropist has been an ardent supporter of several charities, such as "Shooting Star Children's Hospices" (Vice President) and organizations like "Together For Short Lives," "The Katie Piper Foundation," and "Linda Blair Sacred Heart Foundation."

Cowell is also an ambassador for "Great Ormond Street Hospital" and "The Association for Children's Hospices" and has been honored with Variety International's Humanitarian Award. He also supports initiatives like "Dr. Brandon Rogers Memorial Fund," "Against Breast Cancer," "The Health Lottery," "Save The Children," "Comic Relief," "Battersea Dogs Home," "RSPCA," "The K9 Angels," "PETA," "Hope Sanctuary Barbados," and "Help For Heroes."

Despite his controversial outlook, at 63, Cowell had nothing but gratitude and love for his family, including his son. He expressed how being a father is the best thing that's ever happened to him and he loves every second spent with Eric. The star was already anticipating the next step of his son becoming a teenager.

The proud father disliked the idea of never being able to revisit the precious moments he shared with Eric during their early years. At the same time, he shared a strong desire to relive that incredible phase by welcoming another child.

Simon Cowell is currently a successful media person, a music mogul, and a content family man. Each day he gets to revel in the joy of fatherhood while leading a beautiful life with his fiancée by his side.