Celebrities You Didn’t Know Come From Really Big Families

Whether they embrace it or not, celebrities raising large families often find their household dynamics drawing public attention. What gets far less coverage, though, is the family each of them was born into. Some of those families turn out to be surprisingly massive.

Take a look at these celebrities who grew up surrounded by plenty of siblings.

Kim Kardashian

It’s hardly a secret that Kim Kardashian belongs to a large clan. After all, being part of that household is essentially what launched her into the public eye to begin with.

Between three full siblings, two half siblings, and four step siblings, it’s easy to see why she’s never been shy about the spotlight.

Michael Jackson

The Jackson family is another household name in more ways than one. Beyond the iconic Michael and Janet, the family also includes Jermaine, La Toya, Rebbie, Randy, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie.

Marlon had a twin brother named Brandon, who tragically passed away shortly after being born. There is also a half-sister, Joh’Vonnie Jackson, born in 1974 to one of their father’s mistresses.

Mark Wahlberg

Marky Mark holds the distinction of being the youngest among nine children born to Alma Donnelly and Donald Wahlberg. Beyond his eight full siblings, he also has three half siblings through his father.

Growing up in a packed household clearly didn’t discourage him — Wahlberg now has four children of his own with his wife, model Rhea Durham.

Madonna

Most people are aware that Madonna has built quite a large family of her own, with two biological children and four adoptions. Less commonly known is that she herself was raised in a considerably big household, with five full siblings and two half siblings on her father’s side.

Dolly Parton

Country legend Dolly Parton was one of 12 children growing up in rural Tennessee. The family had very little money during her early years, and she came into the world in a humble one-room cabin.

Despite the hardships, Parton has consistently spoken warmly about that upbringing, and its mark on her life surfaces throughout her music — perhaps most memorably in Coat of Many Colors.

Miley Cyrus

Much like her godmother Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus also grew up in a full house. She has two full siblings and three half siblings.

Performance clearly flows through the family — all of Miley’s maternal siblings have pursued entertainment in some form. Her brother Trace is perhaps the best-known among them, having been part of the electro-pop group Metro Station.

Alec Baldwin

The Baldwin brothers are well known as a famous acting quartet, with Alec being the most recognizable of the four.

What many people overlook is that the brothers also have two sisters — Elizabeth and Jane — who grew up right alongside them, likely watching their brothers soak up most of the attention.

Bill Murray

Comedy legend Bill Murray was raised in an Irish-Catholic household with eight other children. The family might have been even larger had his mother not suffered several miscarriages.

Three of his siblings also went into acting: John Murray, Joel Murray, and Brian-Doyle Murray.

Celine Dion

The beloved Canadian vocalist is one of 14 children raised by her devout Roman Catholic parents, Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay.

The family endured devastating loss in 2016 when her brother Daniel died of cancer — just two days after her husband, René Angélil, had also passed away.

Donny Osmond

Donny Osmond grew up alongside eight siblings — seven brothers and one sister — in a family rooted in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He and four of his brothers formed the beloved group The Osmonds, and from 1976 to 1979, he co-hosted a wildly popular variety show with his sister under the simple title Donny & Marie.

Jack White

White Stripes frontman Jack White — born John Anthony Gillis — is the youngest of 10 children raised in a Catholic family.

Unlike many on this list, he doesn’t seem to have carried the large-family tradition forward: he has just two children of his own.

John F. Kennedy

The 35th President of the United States was the second born among nine children, raised by Irish Catholic parents Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald.

The Kennedys were a prosperous family, and one of JFK’s earliest recollections was reportedly gathering around the kitchen table for lively political discussions with his relatives.

Martin Sheen

Born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez, Martin Sheen was raised in a large Roman Catholic family that totaled 10 children.

His mother passed away when he was only 11, but a local church stepped in to provide support, keeping the siblings together rather than letting the family be separated through foster care.

Mel Gibson

Now a father of nine himself, Mel Gibson also came from a very large family — he was the sixth of 11 children.

His younger brother Donal also pursued acting, but Mel remains the only sibling to reach the level of award-winning fame and widespread recognition.

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert rounds out this list as the youngest of 11 children in a Catholic household. The family suffered an unimaginable tragedy in 1974 when an airplane crash claimed the lives of three of its members.

His father and two of his brothers perished in the Eastern Airlines Flight 212 disaster. Colbert has opened up over the years about how that loss fundamentally shaped the way he thinks about grief and finding meaning amid suffering.