Celebs who used other celebs to get famous
Talent alone isn't enough for a man or woman to become rich and famous. Most people climbing the fame ladder need help, too. Most of time that help comes in the form of an agent, but other times that help is an already established celebrity. And aspiring stars get the fame and fortune they desire, they unceremoniously say goodbye to the people who helped them in the first place. Here are some celebs who've done just that.
Kim Kardashian
The only thing surprising about Kim Kardashian using another celebrity to become famous is who she used: Nick Lachey. At least that's how he tells it. The two dated for a bit in 2006, after Lachey's time as Mr. Jessica Simpson, when people still kind of knew who he was. And while on one date, Kardashian made sure it wasn't private. Years later, in 2013, Lachey told Details magazine, "We [he and Kardashian] went to a movie. No one followed us there. Somehow, mysteriously, when we left, there were 30 photographers waiting outside." It's definitely Kim K's M.O., and his bringing it up seven years later shows Lachey must've learned a thing or two from her.
Courtney Love
Kurt Cobain's death broke the hearts of an entire generation, but it proved to be quite the opportunity for his wife Courtney Love. Stories of how the two met conflict, but the only consistent detail is that Love wasn't able to capture his affections until 1991, after his band Nirvana hit it big. After they wed, Love pretty much lived in Cobain's shadow, until his apparent suicide. Upon his death in 1994, Love jumped at the chance to gain some notoriety for herself, supplying a pre-recorded reading of Cobain's suicide note to a vigil. She allegedly made a personal appearance there too. That August, the still-newly-widowed Love mourned her husband, and cashed in on her new fame, by embarking on a world tour with her band Hole that lasted until summer 1995 and began appearing in movies too. Touching.
Jaden and Willow Smith
Will Smith is the only reason anyone knows who Jaden and Willow Smith are. They don't have enough actual talent to earn what notoriety they have without help from a father as famous as theirs. Producers and record execs would've shown them the door a long time ago. Of course, they shouldn't be begrudged for using their father's fame to swindle careers for themselves. It's not like their mother really could've helped them…
Yoko Ono
If Yoko Ono had never approached John Lennon at a London art gallery, she'd be able to live in anonymity, rather than be globally reviled. Sources claim Ono had no idea who Lennon was when they met, but that's a little fishy because he was, you know, a Beatle. She had to know exactly who he was and that she had a bright career in front of her. Well not bright, but definitely lucrative. But not until she got her husband's band out of the way first. The rest is infamous history.
Pharrell Williams
Even though Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo met in grade school, it doesn't mean Pharrell didn't use Hugo to become famous. Yes, from there the two went on to form the ace production duo, the Neptunes. And yes, as the Neptunes, Pharrell and Hugo worked with some of the music industry's biggest names (at the time anyways), like Britney Spears and Busta Rhymes. But once they hit it big with their own album, The Neptunes Present…Clones, in 2003, Pharrell went on to solidify his own name. This left the rest of the world asking, "Chad who?"
Puff Daddy
Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., was a star on the rise when he was murdered in 1997. By then, he already had a few hit singles, which is impressive considering he only released two albums. But once he died, his producer and friend Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs seized on the opportunity to release a song eulogizing his friend, but more importantly one featuring Combs on vocals. So Combs basically sampled (piggybacked) Biggie Smalls' fame. And Combs didn't stop there either. He continued borrowing fame from the work of Sting, David Bowie, and Led Zeppelin, to name a few. He also made sure to continue releasing work by Biggie. Why? Because that's what makes Combs a Bad Boy.
Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, seemed destined for greatness when he hit it big with his first single, "Ice Ice Baby," in 1990. But his fame became infamy once people realized why the song was so good: he didn't write it…well, the music that is. Everything good about the song comes from the sampled bassline of Queen and David Bowie's 1981 classic "Under Pressure." Ice attempted to defend his dubious maneuver by drawing attention to the minute change he made to the song with his much derided claim that "It's not the same," which no one bought. After that, he attempted a few comebacks with a few brand new editions, but nobody bought those either.
Dolph Lundgren
Before he was Ivan Drago, Dolph Lundgren was Grace Jones' boyfriend for four years, believe it or not. Before they met, Lundgren rubbed shoulders with the likes of Iman and Andy Warhol. While Jones was filming A View to a Kill, which features Jones as a Bond girl, she suggested he audition for a role, which he got. A year later, Lundgren was Ivan Drago, and not long after that, Lundgren and Jones were no longer a couple. Though Lundgren told The Guardian he loves Jones, it sure seems he still treated her like she was expendable.
Solange Knowles
Most first heard of Solange Knowles because she's Beyonce's little sister. It's actually how most people still know about her. Still, that didn't stop Solange from attempting a career as an R&B singer once her name was out there. Too bad for her it yielded far-from-stellar results. But Solange pressed on. In an attempt to gain some more notoriety, she tried to borrow a little more fame from her sister—by attacking her husband Jay Z in an elevator at the Met Ball in 2014. There's been a lot of speculation as to why Solange attacked her brother-in-law, but it's possible she decided she "Looks Good with Trouble."
Ashlee Simpson
At one point, the world loved Jessica Simpson, so her sister Ashlee must have thought they'd like her too. And she was right! But unlike some of the other celebs on this list, once Ashlee became famous, she didn't kick her sister to the curb. Instead, Ashlee made the mistake of getting caught lip syncing during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2004. After that, Ashlee quickly disappeared from the spotlight and, it's believed, dragged Jessica down with her. Ashlee attempted a comeback in 2008 when she married Pete Wentz, but that didn't work. Now, people only see pieces of her, from time to time.