There is something so sacred about the mother-daughter bond, stemming from the first snuggles into the land of secrets, pedicures, and, of course, big fights. Less than a year into being a mom of my own little girl, I’m learning already what a powerful role model I am for her. Girl-moms figure out early that we have to demonstrate strength, conviction, and compassion to teach our daughters how to succeed. After all, they do as we do.
For many in the spotlight, raising smart, independent daughters seems to come naturally (although, let’s be honest, we know it’s a ton of work!). Whether following in their mothers’ footsteps or branching out to expand upon their own dreams, the daughters of some of our favorite celebrity moms have accomplished so much — thanks to the support and teachings of their moms. Here are our favorite celebrity moms and daughters of all time.
More for Girl Moms:
- Dear Moms: Stop Calling My Baby Girl Fat
- The Best Girl Power Movies to Watch with Your Daughter
- 15 Lessons I Want to Teach My Daughter About Having Girlfriends
18 Most Inspiring Celebrity Moms & Daughters of All Time
-
Michelle & Sasha and Malia Obama
Mama is the current First Lady and has made great strides with many charitable endeavors, including her Let's Move! initiative to fight childhood obesity. Michelle's spirited young daughters have transitioned from cute little kids to elegant teens throughout their father's two terms in the Oval Office, and both are no doubt poised for greatness.
Photo: Michelle Obama/Instagram
-
Madonna & Lourdes Leon
The Material Girl's first child is ready for her time to shine. Madonna might have risen to fame as the most important female pop vocalist of an era, but now that she's dipped her talents into the fashion world, her mini-me is following suit both on the runway and behind the scenes.
Photo: Lourdes Leon/Instagram
-
Donatella & Allegra Versace
Mom Donatella is the sister of the late Gianni Versace, who launched the famed Italian fashion brand; she stepped in after his death and now runs the multimillion-dollar corporation as VP and Chief Designer. Her daughter Allegra has shown a keen interest in fashion since childhood, and now in her late twenties, sits on the Board of Directors of Gianni Versace S.p.A.
Photo: hotelfashionland/Instagram
-
Goldie Hawn & Kate Hudson
Acting clearly runs in the bloodline for these two famous blondes. Goldie has been at it for decades, earning an Oscar for her role in 1969's Cactus Flower. Kate's work is heavy on romantic comedies, and she recently launched a line of workout gear, Fabletics. This mother-daughter duo is reportedly very close, and seem to have a lot of fun together.
Photo: Kate Hudson/Instagram
-
Hillary & Chelsea Clinton
Hillary, now hoping for the Democratic nomination in 2016's presidential election, has served as Secretary of State, Senator, and First Lady. But perhaps her most important role is mom to Chelsea, her only child. Chelsea now sits on the board at The Clinton Foundation, a nonprofit focused on global health and wellness, women's opportunities, childhood obesity, climate change, and other worthy causes.
-
Katie Holmes & Suri Cruise
Nine-year-old Suri might not have made too many waves yet, but the child's outfits are already inspiring a generation. Mom Katie Holmes got her start on the hit '90s television series "Dawson's Creek" before starring in a series of films and Broadway shows. Katie and Suri live in New York City, where their fashion game is always strong.
Photo: Katie Holmes/Instagram
-
Lisa Bonet & Zoe Kravitz
Best known for her role on" The Cosby Show," actress Lisa Bonet is funny and dynamic. Her daughter Zoe (with ex-husband and music superstar Lenny Kravitz) seems to have gotten talent and beauty from everywhere. She is a working actress, model, and singer. Both women have serious style.
Photo: Zoe Kravitz/Instagram
-
Kris Jenner & Kim Kardashian (but don't forget Kourtney, Khloe, Kylie, and Kendall)
Love them or loathe them, this fearless bunch is bold, fashion-forward, and closer than ever. Kris has served as "momager" to many of her girls, whose talents the public may question from time to time, but whose impact no one is debating. Using a reality show to springboard careers in fashion, mainstream television, music, and beyond takes serious sass --something these five beauties definitely got from their mama.
-
Blythe Danner & Gwyneth Paltrow
American theater Hall-of-Famer Blythe Danner has graced Broadway stages and screens large and small with her unique brand of style and grace. She's also been heavily involved in environmental and human health causes for years. Daughter (and fellow acclaimed actress) Gwyneth might just be the most put-together Hollywood gal we know of, and she details the ins and outs of her very chic life for all to emulate on her well known lifestyle website, Goop.
Photo: Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram
-
Laura Bush & Twin Daughters, Barbara and Jenna
Former First Lady Barbara Bush has a master's degree in education and is an avid philanthropist in the fields of literacy and breast cancer. Daughter Jenna is a journalist, teacher, and author who makes frequent appearances on "The Today Show." Perhaps the lesser-known twin, Barbara is Yale educated and making great strides for women's global issues at Global Health Corps.
Photo: Jenna B Hager/Instagram
-
Jada Pinkett Smith & Willow Smith
Jada is more than a pretty face and talented actress: The mom of two co-founded a charity with hubby Will Smith to help inner city youth and also does important work for lupus. Her teenaged daughter Willow broke onto the hip hop scene in 2010 at the ripe old age of ten and has put out three albums to date.
Photo: Jada Pinkett Smith/Instagram
-
Angela & Margherita Missoni
Born in 1958 in Milan, to the family that made bold, zigzag knits famous, Angela Missoni was destined for a chic life. The heiress took several years away from the family brand to develop her talents before returning in 1993 and going on to build it into an empire with 25 sub-lines and a heavily publicized 2011 Target collaboration. Daughter Margherita doesn't just have a great name---she's talented like her mom, and recently launched Margherita Kids. (Excuse me while I go shop for that baby of mine!)
Photo: Margherita Missoni/Instagram
-
Joan & Melissa Rivers
The world lost comedian Joan Rivers to an unforeseen medical tragedy last year, and her spirited daughter carries her mother's torch. Joan revolutionized red carpet fashion chat and was a mainstay on the celebrity gossip chain, including on "E!'s Fashion Police," which she hosted. Melissa recently penned The Book of Joan in honor of her late mother.
Photo: Melissa Rivers/Instagram
-
Sarah & Bristol Palin
It's public knowledge that the former Governor of Alaska hasn't been pleased with either of Bristol's out-of-wedlock pregnancies, but both women have used their positions in the public eye to increase awareness for teen pregnancy and other issues. Not every mother-daughter relationship in the spotlight is "perfect," and this one keeps it real.
Photo: Bristol Palin/Instagram
-
Sharon & Kelly Osbourne
The bawdy British duo came to fame on the coattails of Sharon's husband (Kelly's dad), rock star Ozzy Osbourne. But they've both taken America --and the world -- by storm, as television hosts, reality competition judges, and fashion heavy-hitters, and with Kelly as a musician in her own right. The singer-songwriter has put out three albums, and her very famous "mum" is a cancer survivor who works tirelessly for awareness initiatives.
Photo: Kelly Osbourne/Instagram
-
Isabella Rossellini & Elettra Wiedemann
Rossellini might be best known as an Italian actress and fourteen-year face of Lancome, but she's also a filmmaker and philanthropist. Daughter Elettra Wiedemann definitely inherited Mom's good looks, but in addition to her modeling chops, she's also an esteemed food writer and editor, who launched Impatient Foodie, a blog that covers healthy, delicious, sustainable foods and inspiration. This pair is also daughter and granddaughter, respectively, to actors Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini.
Photo: Elettra Wiedemann/Instagram
-
Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer
Famed American author Jodi Picoult boasts over 14 million copies of her books sold worldwide, penning stories about relatable characters in real-life situations both monumental and mundane. She teamed up with her then-high-school-aged daughter Samantha van Leer on a young adult novel, Between the Lines, in 2012. The duo recently released the successful book's companion, Off the Page, to raves.
Photo: Samantha Van Leer/Instagram
-
Leslie Mann & Iris and Maude Apatow
The world first got a proper glimpse of the Apatow girls when they starred in director-dad Judd Apatow's Knocked Up in 2007. They also made waves opposite their hilarious and gorgeous mama Leslie Mann in 2012's This Is 40. The clearly comedic family has great chemistry both on and off screen---we can't wait to see what they come out with next.
Photo: Iris Apatow/Instagram
