It’s hard to imagine celebrities before fame. Particularly for those who were born in very humble conditions, it’s inspiring to observe the journeys they took to climb out of poverty and make it in Hollywood.
Believe it or not, before they had everything they could ever want at their fingertips, some stars didn’t have a bed to sleep in, healthy food to eat, or enough money to go to school. Some didn’t even have a place to live.
There are also those celebrities who had great fortune before they could even walk or talk. What fans can learn from their stories is that the circumstances of birth really come down to luck of the draw. Nobody can decide whether they’re born to a real estate mogul in Beverly Hills or struggling artists who can’t afford to put food on the table.
But these celebrities have proven that no matter where someone is born or how hard life is, they can always rise above their situation and create a new destiny for themselves.
Some might even argue that being born into a tough situation teaches people things like courage and persistence, which make them all the more likely to succeed. Read on to find out which celebrities were born to humble roots, and which had wealth from the beginning.
15 Celebs With Humble Roots
20 Jennifer Lopez Had To Sleep At Her Dance Studio
Today she’s one of the powerhouses of the entertainment business, so it’s hard to imagine Jennifer Lopez ever leading a less-than-glamorous life. Then again, she did sing about still being Jenny from the Block!
J.Lo was essentially homeless at the age of eighteen after coming to blows with her mom over her choice to pursue dancing instead of going to college.
During this time, she had nowhere to sleep but on a couch at her dance studio. Not long after, she booked a huge gig which launched her to stardom, but it definitely didn’t come without sacrifice.
19 Leighton Meester Wasn't Raised By Her Mother Because...
We know Leighton Meester as Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf, the super spoiled daughter of an Upper East Side clothing designer who has her maid Dorota waiting on her hand and foot. Though they both found professional success and ended up marrying hunks, Meester had a slightly different upbringing from the character she portrayed. She was born while her mother was serving time, and was raised in a halfway house. She lived a humble life (without limos and maids) with her grandmother while her mother finished serving, and later pursued modeling when she moved to New York City.
18 Justin Bieber Used To Sleep On A Pull-Out Couch
Compared to other artists, Justin Bieber was relatively young when he broke into the music industry and was catapulted to superstardom.
But during his childhood, and those early tween years, things were tight for the Canadian-born singer.
Reports state that the house Bieber grew up in with his single mother was infested with rats and the fridge was always empty. The Biebs recalls being brought up on an exclusive diet of mac and cheese. He was also given a pull-out couch to sleep on, rather than a comfortable and more expensive bed. Can you blame him for enjoying his success today?
17 Oprah Winfrey Literally Went From Rags To Riches
Oprah’s name is the first people tend to think of at the mention of rags to riches. Really coming from nothing, the billionaire was born to young, unwed parents and grew up on a pig farm on Mississippi. She was apparently even dressed in potato sacks because the family couldn’t afford anything else. Though her mother was a hardworking maid, there was always a lack of money and food. Winfrey even encountered obstacles as she embarked on a profession in the media and was fired from early jobs that she took. But she did not give up until she reached the very top.
16 For A While, Jim Carrey Lived In A Van
Jim Carrey is one of the most famous comedians of the age, and blessed millennials with his roles in iconic '90s flicks like Dumb & Dumber and Liar Liar.
A believer in manifesting his own destiny, Carrey told himself that he was going to make $10 million as an actor and signed himself a check for the future.
But before that, he experienced a life of lacking. As a child, he had to live in his family’s van after his father lost his job. Carrey dropped out of high school at only fifteen and worked as a janitor and a security guard to support his family.
15 Nicki Minaj’s Goal Was To Financially Support Her Mother
While many people dream of fame and fortune to benefit themselves, Nicki Minaj thought of her mother as she hustled her way around the rap scene in Queens. Coming from a poor and struggling family, Minaj witnessed her house burning down when she was just a child. When her acting efforts didn’t take off, the rapper took jobs in hospitality and customer service just to support herself and her mother. In her song “I’m The Best," Minaj raps about how she once could not afford to buy her mother a couch, but since making it as a rapper, she has bought her mother a house.
14 Selena Gomez Was Born To A Teenage Mother
Selena Gomez has been in the entertainment industry longer than most people realize, appearing on Barney & Friends as a child. Just because she got her break early, though, doesn’t mean that she didn’t do it tough for a while. In 2011, Gomez revealed to Hollywood Life that her mother, Amanda Dawn Cornett, was only sixteen years old when she gave birth.
When Gomez was a toddler, Cornett had to work several jobs just to put food on the table.
And often, that food consisted of dollar-store spaghetti. Today, Gomez has over 80 film and television credits and is worth approximately $60 million.
13 Kelly Clarkson’s Family Relied On Food Stamps
As a pop superstar, Kelly Clarkson sometimes sings about the hardships she endured as a child. The house she grew up in was infested with cockroaches and apparently falling apart, and her family had to rely on food stamps just to survive. Clarkson thought things would look up after she moved to LA, but while she was trying to make it as a musician, her apartment caught fire. On top of working hard to gain recognition as a singer, she was living out of her car and homeless shelters. Her big break came when she was the first person in history to win American Idol.
12 Jay-Z Started At The Very Bottom
From not having a dollar to his name to being worth $930 million, Jay-Z has definitely worked his way from the bottom to the top.
A lot of his raps reflect the conditions of his childhood and his days being raised in a Brooklyn housing project.
With little financial support, the rapper felt he had no choice but to resort to drastic measures to make money. “I was thinking about surviving,” he said. “I was thinking about improving my situation. I was thinking about buying clothes.” Now, his empire consists of music, sports teams, startups, spirits, and endorsements.
11 Hilary Swank Lived In A Trailer Park
Now an Oscar-winning actress, Hilary Swank has worked hard to transform her life. She spent her early years growing up in a trailer park, and while she was still young, her father walked out on her family. Her mother was struggling to support two children, and when she lost her job, Swank dropped out of high school to try and contribute. With her family behind her, she drove to California, where she hoped to become an actress. In the beginning, the family had to live out of their car or on the living room floors of friends, as they couldn’t afford their own apartment.
10 Food Was Scarce For Mila Kunis, Who Was Born To Immigrants
Mila Kunis was born in a small town in Ukraine and fled with her family to the United States as the Soviet Union collapsed. Having left everything behind, her parents had to build their lives in America from the ground up.
In 2016, Kunis recalled eating “ketchup soup” as a child, since there was nothing else to be had.
She turned to acting to get her out of poverty, beginning with a role on That ‘70s Show when she was fourteen years old. Though she is now worth $65 million, she has publicly vowed not to spoil her children.
9 J.K. Rowling Was “As Poor As It’s Possible To Be”
All Harry Potter fans know the rags-to-riches story of creator J.K. Rowling. When she was writing a story about a boy wizard in 1994, Rowling was a single mother raising her daughter with the help of welfare benefits. In 2013, she told the Daily Mail that she was “as poor as it’s possible to be.” Her book was rejected in the beginning, but before long, it found a home in a publishing house and Rowling launched to literary superstardom. In 2017 alone, Rowling earned a casual $95 million, which contributed to her billionaire status. The Harry Potter franchise itself is worth $25 billion.
8 Sarah Jessica Parker’s Family Relied On Social Welfare
Before she made a name for herself in the big city, Sarah Jessica Parker grew up in Nelsonville, Ohio. One of eight siblings, SJP and her family had to rely on social welfare just to get by.
There were times when they’d go without electricity, and couldn’t always afford to celebrate Christmas or family birthdays.
It wasn’t unusual for bill collectors to show up at the door, or for the phone company to announce that they were cutting off the family’s phone lines. When she was still a child, SJP turned to acting, singing, and dancing to get herself out of poverty.
7 Shia LaBeouf Had To Start Work At The Age Of Ten
The concept of the starving artist was all too true for Shia LaBeouf growing up. “My dad and my mom were both artists who never found an audience for their artwork,” he admitted. “And so I lived in poverty. Now that I’m not poor, I know that is what it was.” LaBeouf, who’s now worth $25 million, started a stand-up comedy stint at only ten years old just to earn money. Though times were hard, he believes that they ultimately made him stronger. “… I look back at that stuff, and I’m grateful. It’s like scars. You become proud of them.”
6 Halle Berry Stayed In Homeless Shelters
Before Halle Berry was even five years old, her father abandoned her and her family. Her mother was left to raise two children in a rough Cleveland neighborhood, all alone. Eventually, Berry worked up the courage to move to New York and try to make it as a model or an actress.
We know how the story ends, but it didn’t happen overnight.
During her first days in New York, Berry had to live in homeless shelters while she was trying to catch a break. Those conditions probably showed her what she’s capable of and how strong she really is.
5 Celebs Who Were Born Into Wealth
5 Taylor Swift Grew Up On A Christmas Tree Farm
Taylor Swift worked hard trying to make a name for herself as a teenager on the music scene in Nashville, but she didn’t have to start right at the bottom. Before she made any money with her music, her father was a financial advisor at Merrill-Lynch, and her mother worked as a mutual fund executive, so the family was never short of money. Not only were her parents able to provide a life of luxury for Swift, but she also grew up on a Christmas tree farm. Is it even possible to be sad on a Christmas tree farm?
4 Lady Gaga Was Born On The Upper West Side
During her decade-long stint in the limelight, Lady Gaga has said that she puts all her money towards her magnificent stage and has struggled with finances just so she could fund her performances.
Branching out on her own may have been financially trying, but Gaga was born into a comfortable existence on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.
Her father became very wealthy while working as an internet entrepreneur. He started a company that installs WiFi in hotel chains, and Gaga has been open about the lavish upbringing that brought her. Today, her parents own a restaurant in Manhattan called Joanne Trattoria.
3 The Hadids Come From One Of The World’s Wealthiest Families
The Kardashians are known as the first family of Hollywood, but the Hadids were born into wealth beyond the imagination of most people. The patriarch of the family, Mohamed Hadid, is a former Olympian just like Caitlyn Jenner, except he’s also a billionaire real estate developer. Gigi, Bella, and Anwar grew up in mansions, riding horses and running in circles with the elite of the world. With mom Yolanda’s role on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Gigi and Bella’s modeling work taking off, the family now have fame as well as extreme (and we mean extreme) wealth.
2 Ariana Grande’s Parents Both Owned Successful Businesses
Ariana Grande may have first risen to fame through her role as Cat Valentine on Victorious, but she still had a comfortable lifestyle growing up before she ever set foot on a set. Her father, Edward Butera, ran a successful graphic design company, and her mother, Joan Grande, was the CEO of a successful communications firm.
This allowed Grande a pretty breezy (financially speaking) life while she was being brought up in Florida.
When the singer was ten years old, her parents divorced and Butera moved out. Today, she often shows love to her mother in acceptance speeches.
1 Kristen Stewart Grew Up In A Mansion In The Hollywood Hills
Long before the days of starring as Bella Swan in Twilight, Kristen Stewart was surrounded by the movie business. Growing up with two parents in the industry will do that to you! Her father is a stage manager and producer who worked for Fox when she was being brought up, while her mother is a script supervisor and also directed a film. It’s been reported that Stewart grew up in the Hollywood Hills in a mansion that had an Alice in Wonderland theme. The mansion was said to be worth nearly $2 million, a far cry from co-star Robert Pattinson’s London upbringing.
Sources: This is Insider, Narcity
