Reality TV Kids Who Are More Famous Than Their Star Parents

Some people pave their own way to stardom, but others seem to have it handed to them on a silver platter. If you're born into a famous family, the spotlight awaits you the second you exit the womb — whether you like it or not. If you're born into a reality TV family, your screen time was probably negotiated while you were in utero.

While it's actually pretty common for celebrity-spawn to choose a path outside Hollywood, some A-List offspring lean all the way in, swiping the limelight from their 'rents and creating their own dynasty. As they bloomed into adulthood (right before millions of cable viewers' eyes), these reality TV kids have taken full advantage of their celebrity birthright to delve into new branches of entrepreneurship on and off the screen. We can thank modern-day social media for much of the growth in popularity of these youngsters, but their endeavors have contributed greatly to their family legacies.

From spin-offs and catwalks to beauty brands and fashion lines, the following second-generation starlets have climbed to the top of the family tree when it comes to celeb status. 

You might know former model Yolanda Hadid from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. You definitely know her daughters, Gigi and Bella Hadid from, well, basically their total domination of the fashion world. While Yolanda's reality TV stardom led to the girls' blossoming success, both became world-renowned models with maternally inherited poise. 

Gigi was just 21 when she landed her first Vogue cover. She's done it over 30 times since. Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and countless others followed. But mostly, her supermodel status comes from crushing the runway time and time again. Bella's success parallel's Gigi's, as she became the face of Dior Beauty and has graced a slew of fashion mag covers and high-level runway appearances. Bella was even named Model of the Year in 2016.  

So, is Yolanda "jealous" of the way her daughters' careers have clearly eclipsed her own, as certain mean-spirited blogs love to suggest? Hardly. In fact, it was all part of a plan she laid out for the girls that took off faster than expected. "When my girls started, I sat them down and I said, 'Listen, there are a million girls out there who are as beautiful as you and deserve success as much as you do. You have to be the hardest working girl and show people you care about everybody," Yolanda told People, adding, "And what makes me proud of my children, more so than even their success, is that they are polite and respectful." 

It's no secret that the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner crew is a boss lady. Should much of Kylie Jenner's success be credited to momager Kris Jenner, who pitched the family's long time reality show, ultimately sparking its worldwide stardom? Many say yes. Regardless, Kylie (and all of her siblings, really) have killed the game with careers far beyond Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Kylie reached phenomenal heights following the launch of her make-up brand, Kylie Cosmetics, in 2014. She has since expanded the line to include several palettes, and even collections to honor her sisters. 

Kylie was a success out of the gate, with her original Kylie Lipkit on a constant sellout cycle, some of which lasted less than a minute. But then Kylie felt the highs and lows of being declared "the youngest self-made billionaire ever" after she sold over half of her Kylie Cosmetics company to industry power-player Coty in January 2020. According to Forbes, who made the declaration and subsequent correction, it turns out Kylie only made "an estimated $340 million after taxes from the sale." So while she may not technically be a billionaire, she's doing just fine, particularly in contrast to Kris, who's entire net worth is estimated at $140 million.  

Kylie also crushes it on social media. As the family's reigning queen of Instagram, she boasts a whopping 193 million followers and counting – topping all four of her sisters (although Kim Kardashian West is right on her heels with 187 million).

Former real estate mogul Todd Chrisley made his way to fame through USA's popular program Chrisley Knows Best. The strict, ever-so-southern father figure may seem like he's hard on his kids, but it looks like it turned out in his favor. He and Julie Chrisley's sweet and sassy daughter, Savannah Chrisley, excavated her Atlanta roots and replanted in Nashville, where she continues to make a name for herself. She maintains her reality TV personality on Growing Up Chrisley, co-starring her younger brother, Chase Chrisley. As a former pageant queen, Savannah is idolized for her grace, class, and fashion sense, which have helped initiate her career as a creative director for the women's clothing brand Rampage, where she launched her own collection in 2019. 

Todd, the man of the Chrisley household and maker of fame for Savannah, is still facing backlash-fueled turmoil from his alleged sex tape and tax evasion scandals.  Meanwhile, Savannah's over-2 million Instagram followers clearly illustrate her level of fame, showcasing, at the time of this writing, as many as her father. It wouldn't be surprising if her audience surpasses his with her flourishing career and wholesome reputation. Although denying rumors of fraud and bankruptcy, Todd's unflattering net worth peers through his words of defense. At negative $5 Million, Savannah exceeds her father by a long shot with a $500,000 net worth status.

The Atlanta-based Biermann family could be considered the Kardashians of the South, hitting high ratings in the reality TV realm. Kim Zolciak-Biermann, former Real Housewives of Atlanta star, has two stunningly gorgeous daughters, Brielle and Ariana. The dynamic trio, starring in Bravo's Don't Be Tardy, recently launched a make-up line together, KAB Cosmetics, in 2019. As both their age and beauty progress, the Biermann sisters continue to gain followers, become more independent, and launch their careers.

The eldest sis, Brielle Biermann, is claiming tons of clout. She is quite the social media influencer, representing brands such as Loving Tan, Fab Fit Fun, and of course, her own KAB Cosmetics line. At the time of this writing, she boasts 1.3 million followers on Instagram, and now that she's launched a beauty brand, received lip fillers, and swapped the blonde status for brunette, she may soon be giving Kylie Jenner a run for her money. 

Her mother gained fame well into adulthood, but Brielle has been famous since she was a child when the family began parading their lives on television over a decade ago on RHOA. Despite having fewer followers than her mom on Instagram, she often scores more likes than her star parent, especially when donning skimpy swimsuits and showing off her bod. It's not rare for Brielle to sport low cut, revealing attire and snap seductive bikini shots, resulting in her name consistently showing up in the tabloids. There's no doubt she's taking over.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Paris Hilton's value sits just $50 million below that of her father, Richard Hilton. At $300 million in worth, it's probably safe to say that Paris' face is much more well-known than her paternal predecessor. She truly made a name for herself in the early to mid-2000s reality television hit, The Simple Life, with co-star Nicole Richie. She even dipped her freshly pedicured toes in the music industry, releasing one-hit wonder, "Stars Are Blind" in 2006. Even though her vocal talents didn't get her far, she is now a relatively successful DJ. Paris is definitely renowned for a handful of iconic attributes, including her chic (mainly pink-clad) style, attitude, nightclubbing hobby, and of course, her late chihuahua, Tinkerbell. 

The blonde has made a comeback with her Youtube Originals documentary, This is Paris, which premiered in September 2020. In this raw, tell-all glimpse into Paris' life, she reveals secrets of trauma and abuse from her past. She also aims to inform fans that the spacey facade she portrayed at the start of her career is not a true representation of who she is. "I just created this brand, and this persona, and this character, and I've been stuck with her ever since," admits Paris in the official This is Paris trailer.

The successful businesswoman and fashion figure is the modern-day face of the Hilton family and will hopefully continue its legacy.

Dina Lohan ought to receive more public credit for birthing the renowned red-head actress, Lindsay Lohan, along with younger sister, Aliana. Dina and Aliana co-starred in Living Lohan back in 2008 (sans Lindsay), which pushed Ali's existence to public knowledge. It's apparent that Lindsay harbors most of the family fame; from her early acting days in Parent Trap and her popular role as Katy in Mean Girls to her infamous rehab stints. However, her younger sister, Aliana has collected some fame since her reality TV appearance. She has escalated in the entertainment industry, taking up singing and songwriting. "This is what I wanted to do since I was 8 years old," she told Cosmopolitan. 

Aliana also seems to be escaping the shadows of her older sis, who tried her hand in a short-lived career in music. We all remember Lindsay's hit songs, "Rumors" and "Confessions of a Broken Heart," but Aliana's music is a bit less pop-centered and more faith-based, as depicted on her Instagram profile.

It appears that Dina left the limelight to her two girls and likely prefers to remain under the radar, with half as many Instagram followers as Ali and a -$1.3 million net worth. It's estimated that Ali's worth is around $1 million. Dina doesn't seem to mind leaving the spotlight to her spawn, as, at the time of this writing, she plans to include all her children in her upcoming wedding with Jesse Nadler, according to People. 

Joseph Simmons AKA DJ Run, the co-founder of popular rap group, Run DMC, spawned quite the litter of unspeakably beautiful children. He may have "run" out of time in the spotlight after peaking in the '80s and starring in MTV reality show, Run's House, but his kids have taken over — especially Angela.

Angela continued her reality TV journey on Daddy's Girls, Growing Up Hip Hop and spin-off, Growing Up Hip Hop: New York, where she co-stars with fellow second-generation hip hop legacies including Kristinia DeBarge, and her siblings, Vanessa Simmons and Joseph Simmons Jr. Angela is genuinely out here doing the most, wearing many hats throughout several ongoing projects and careers. As a fashion designer, she owns a clothing brand, Foofi and Bella, and a footwear line called Pastry. The beauty mogul also has a popular skincare brand, Simmons Beauty.

With all her entrepreneurial endeavors, it's no doubt Angela has taken over the notoriety of the Simmons name, especially when it comes to her social media influence. The beauty icon and fashionista boasts over 6 million Instagram followers, versus her father's just-over-2 million. She has received a tremendous amount of recent media attention following the death of her ex-fiance, Sutton Tennyson, who was fatally shot in Atlanta in 2018. In a Growing Up Hip Hop clip, Angela opens up about breaking the news to her son, Sutton Joseph. Despite her hardships, she is still exceeding in life as a mother, TV star, and businesswoman.

The Simple Life star, popularized with her co-star and former BFF Paris Hilton, is an heir to Lionel Richie's throne. The legendary '80s funk and soul singer and his adopted daughter, Nicole Richie, have both starred on reality shows now that Lionel can add "American Idol judge" to his resumé. Attempting to follow in her father's versatile footsteps as a vocalist, Nicole tried her hand at a career in the music industry with a cover of LFO's "Dandelion," and even performed alongside her dad at MGM Grand Las Vegas in 2012. 

Although she never made it big as a singer, Nicole has definitely outnumbered her father in fans when it comes to social media. She has four times the number of Instagram followers as Lionel at over four million, and she discovered her stardom in the acting realm, specifically in gigs centered around comedy. Nicole produced her own series, Candidly Nicole, and starred in 8 Simple Rules, Chuck, Grace and Frankie, and tons of other productions. She even created, produced, and stars in a mini-series on Quibi called Nicki Fre$h, in which she plays a rap star. In a Marie Claire interview, Nicole says the show is about "being at one with the garden, being at one with the universe, understanding that we, like everything else, are living and have to be here and need water and attention."

Although The 19 Kids and Counting star's name doesn't pop up as heavily as sister Jill Duggar, who is constantly entangled in family drama, Jessa Seewald (FKA Jessa Duggar) has the largest following of the bunch, with 2.2 million Insta fans. Jessa stars on TLC's Counting On with her husband Ben and three kids, Spurgeon, Henry, and Ivy. The spin-off even received higher user ratings on IMDb (5/10) than the original 19 Kids and counting (3.2/10) starring the original Duggar parents, Michelle and Jim Bob.

Jessa and her new fam also have a popular YouTube vlog with a large following of over 110,000 fans who eagerly anticipate their family chronicles. She is diligent when it comes to maintaining the massive family lineage, as she just welcomed her third child in 2019. It's only natural for devotees to expect more offspring from the pair, but Seewald has recently shut down rumors regarding a fourth child. In response to a fan who accused her of sporting a baby bump in a comment on her Instagram post, Seewald reprimanded, "There's no baby behind the bump — only tacos. Thanks for asking." Anticipatory fans may have to wait a bit longer for more mini Seewalds to join the ever-growing clan of Duggars.