They have it all; bottomless bank accounts, glamorous wardrobes, famous friends and oodles of adoring fans...
There's plenty of downsides to the good life if you care to open the tabloids. Paparazzi, obsessive fans, scandals and dirty laundry aired for all to see. But if you're a former child star, the shortcomings of fame can have grim implications; especially if mum is willing to sacrifice dignity and sanity for a glimpse of the spotlight.
In the world of us mere mortals, the common presumption is that no one looks out for you like mum and dad.
But there are a few celebrity parents that missed out on that manual. For those in the spotlight that are managed by their parents or 'mum-agers', the line between caring parent and scrupulous fortune-chasing manager seems to blur. So when it all goes pear shaped for our young luminaries, should the blame rest squarely on the shoulders of the stage mums?
The all-singing all-dancing Britney Spears was on stage by the age of four, the record company was choosing the colour of her nail polish by age eight and by 16 she was dancing in a rather skant school uniform asking us to 'hit me baby'.
Mother Lynn Spears seems to be a perfect example of what happens when the children of pushy stage mums begin to make their own decisions. It appears Lynn Spears got so caught up in being a manager for her daughters that she forgot how to be a parent. It's been a career that boarders on violating child labour laws, and there's no doubt why poor old Brits is a tad twisted.
Dina Lohan's reign on daughter Lindsay's career is another illustration of mum-aging gone horribly wrong. Having feasted on the career of Lindsay since she first entered show business at the tender age of three, the fame hungry Dina is currently staring in her own reality show in which she attempts to launch siblings Ali and Cody as human piggy banks, er we mean stars. Her mother's pushy antics may give us a reasonable explanation as to why Linds has been into rehab more times than she's changed her undies.
Critics are also calling for a platter with Billy Ray's head on it. Just last month, the 'calloused old veteran of the music biz,' allowed his 15 year old daughter Miley to pose sudo-nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, sparking debate about the sexualisation of young girls.
In 2000, country singer LeAnn Rimes sued her father, Wilbur and his co-manager for embezzling $7 million from her empire. Though Leanne and dad have made up and the case was settled out of court, one might wonder if a child could ever recover from such betrayal.
Interestingly enough, it turns out that in the topsy turvy world of celebrity, scandals do wonders for the bank account (and therefore mummy and daddy's).
You could be forgiven for assuming the parents of such stars see their offspring as a meal ticket, rather than a child that need guidance and discipline. The unfortunate residue of such tactics result in a meteoric rise to fame and an equally disastrous fall from grace, with starlet's troubles receiving more press than their successes.
But there are exceptions.
R&B sensation Usher has recently re-employed his mother as his manager, because she has his best interests at heart after all. Usher gave his mum-ager Jonetta Patton an early retirement after 15 years on the job last year, allegedly because of problems between Jonetta and his now-wife Tameka Foster.
Usher solved the family feud by teaming up with Benny Patton, who also managed the careers of heavyweights Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. But when Usher recently released his sixth album 'Here I Stand', it tanked. While the album made it to number one on the Billboard chart, it only sold 433, 000 copies in its first week, compared to 1.1 million copies of his fifth album 'Confessions'. Usher wasn't a happy camper.
A source says, "Usher was livid. He threatened to fire everyone. People have been telling Usher to listen to his mother. Nobody knows how to sell him better than she does. Usher can be stubborn. But he may be ready (to re-hire his mother)." See? Mother does know best Usher!
Justin Timberlake is another child star who has successfully made the transition from Mouseketeer, to boy band cohort, to one of the most successful artists of his generation with his sanity seemingly intact. And Mum has been looking over his shoulder every step of the way.
The heavy handed mangement tacktics of Beyonce's daddy have come under fire from the media, former Destiny's Child members and even the star herself, but there's no denying that daddy's influence in her talent quest days, to her bootylish girl group and into her unbelievably successful solo career has been triumphant.
Mom-agers do have their strengths, but stage-mothering their way to fame on the back of their progeny isn't one of them. Are you listening Dina and Lynn? You might have moolah in the bank, but remember, money doesn't cuddle and you only get one childhood.
By Marina Banoub
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