It's sad enough when a celebrity leaves us before his or her time, but it's heartbreaking when they also leave behind children. Whether the celebrity was a great parent or a no-show, their kids navigate the future without them. Here are some children of celebrities who stood up to the challenge of growing up without a parent.
From successful entertainment careers in their own right, or seeking to live a more private life, these celebrity children are showing their strength and resolve.
Some of these kids lost their famous parents when they were very young while others were fortunate enough to have more time with their parents. How are these famous kids of celebrities doing today? Catch up with these resilient individuals and see how they are doing after the loss of their famous parents.
Surviving Tragedy: Resilient Children of Dead Celebrities,
John Candy
Beloved actor John Candy died in his sleep at the age of 43 in Durango, Mexico, while filming Wagons East! He left behind a wife, Rosemary Hobor, and their two small children, Jennifer and Chris.
John Lennon
Former Beatle John Lennon had two children, Julian in 1963, with his first wife, Cynthia Powell, and Sean in 1975 with Yoko Ono. Lennon died on December 8, 1980, after being shot by Mark David Chapman.
Julian Lennon
Julian Lennon, born April 8, 1963, is a successful musician, produced movies (like the documentary Whaledreamers) and a noted photographer as well. He's been engaged twice, to socialite Lucy Bayliss and actress Olivia d'Abo, but never married. He resides in Lake Como, Italy.
Lennon works tirelessly on two charities, the White Feather Foundation and the Whaledreamers Organization. Both groups work to promote the health of the earth, and cohabitation of all species.
Michael Jackson
The King of Pop had three children: Prince and Paris, with second wife Deborah Jeanne Rowe, and Prince II ("Blanket"), whose mother is unknown. Jackson died in 2009 in his sleep from complications of drug use.
Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon, born on October 9, 1975 also became a musician. In addition to his work as a solo artist he's also been a part of Cibo Matto and The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger and collaborated with his famous mother, Yoko Ono, in The Plastic Ono Band.
He supports the Occupy Wall Street movement, opposes fracking (a natural gas extraction method), and loves Transcendental Meditation.
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was married to Bobby Brown from 1992–2007 and they had one daughter, Bobbi Kristina. Houston died in 2012, and coroners found traces of drugs in her system, including cocaine, Benadryl, and marijuana.
Jennifer Candy
Jennifer Candy was born on February 3, 1980. She was 14 when her father died, and later followed his footsteps into the entertainment industry. She's worked as an actress ("According to Jim," "Mad TV," "Camp Candy,") and a producer ("Prom Queen").
In 2002, she directed a stage production of Little Shop of Horrors for a theater group at Loyola Marymount University, where she was attending college. She even included an audio clip of her father's voice (as a radio DJ character) in the production.
Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown
Bobbi, born on March 4, 1993, commemorated the death of her mother with a tattoo of doves and Houston's initials on her wrist. She married family friend Nick Gordon in January, 2014.
Chris Candy
Chris Candy, born on September 23, 1984, lives in Santa Monica, California, and has a successful acting career of his own, appearing in Bar America, Contracted, and "Clark and Michael." He also does work at the Upright Citizens Brigade and posts sketches to his YouTube channel.
He's a great improv performer and also the lead singer of punk band Chotto Ghetto.
Prince Jackson
The Jackson children were relatively hidden from the public eye until Michael's death. Prince Jackson, born February 13, 1997, attends the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California. He's also a correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" and made his acting debut on "90210" in March 2013.