Well That's Awkward: 13 Celebs Who Fired Their Parents

Beyoncé

After Matthew Knowles’ affair came to light Beyoncé booted her father from his long held position as her manager. Although we all assumed the firing had everything to do with his indiscretion (and still kind of do), Bey claims it was never personal. She told Oprah in 2013:

“…we had our issues. I’d say ‘No’ to something, and he’d book it anyway. Then I’d have to do it because I’d look bad if I didn’t. We would fight sometimes, and it took about two years, to when I was 20, for him to realize, ‘Oh, she is an adult now, and if she doesn’t wanna do something, I can’t make her do it.”

Usher

Usher fired his mother in 2007 around the time he married Tameka Foster, rehired her in 2008 when he and Tameka were on the rocks, and fired her again about one year later when he started dating his current boo (and manager) Grace Miguel. Are we seeing a pattern here?

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson gave her mother, Melanie Sloan, her walking papers in 2009 after she married Ryan Reynolds. Sloan had managed her daughter’s career from the age of nine.

Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter axed his momager after accusing her of stealing $100,000 and preventing his father from attending most of his concerts.

Michael Jackson

Michael fired his father Joe in 1979, resulting in the breakup of the Jackson 5 in the mid-eighties.

The Other Jackson Sons

By the mid-eighties, all of the Jackson boys had dropped their father as their manager and ceased working under his management company Joseph Jackson Productions.

Macauley Culkin

After a nasty custody battle between his parents, Macauley Culkin was happily released from his father’s management by court ruling. Although Macauley’s father was hospitalized in January after a massive stroke the two have yet to rekindle their relationship.

Gordon Ramsay

In 2010 Chef Gordon Ramsay fired his father-in-law/manager after a private investigation revealed he had stolen $2 million from him to fund an extra-marital affair. Ramsay’s wife Tana has taken her husband’s side on the issue and severed ties with her father.

Gary Coleman

In 1989 Gary Coleman booted his parents from their role as trustees after accusing the pair of mismanaging his funds. Coleman filed for bankrupty ten years later as a result of that mismanagement.

LeAnn Rimes

In the late 90’s LeAnn Rimes sued her father, who served as both her manager and producer, for an unspecified amount claiming he and her former co-manager wrongfully spent millions of her dollars. To this day LeAnn and her father still haven’t reconciled.

Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields’ momager Teri stirred up controversy in 1976 when she arranged for a photographer to take nude pictures of Brooke. In 1978 she also allowed a 12-year old Brooke to be cast as a prostitute in Pretty Baby, and in 1980 allowed her to star in the R-rated film Blue Lagoon. After years of tumult, Brooke fired her mother in 1995.

Leighton Meester

Actress Leighton Meester’s relationship with her mother came to a head in 2011 when she fired her as her manager and sued her for custody of her younger brother on the grounds that her mother misused funds meant for his medical bills.