They say that blood is thicker than water.
Why is it, then, that families in Hollywood love to sue each other?
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From the Kardashians going after former members of their family to parents/managers stealing money from their famous kids, those family ties sure aren’t tight.
Here are 10+ celebs who were sued by their own family (and vice versa).
1. Ariel Winter
There was lots of love lost in the Winter household when Ariel’s mother sued the Modern Family actress’s business associate, Matthew Borlenghi.
Ariel’s mother claimed that he caused defamation in her life by labeling her an “abusive monster.”
2. Britney Spears
The pop star has been in an ongoing legal battle to remove her father’s control from her estate.
Unfortunately, Britney’s lawsuit had failed. Her mother, Lynne Spears, says Britney shouldn’t be forced to obey him, calling her daughter and ex-husband’s relationship “toxic.”
3. Frank Ocean
The American soul singer’s estranged father sued him for $14.5 million.
It all started from a Tumblr post where the singer pointed out his ongoing traumatic relationship between him and his alleged homophobic father.
“I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a [expletive],” he wrote.
“That was the last afternoon I saw my father and the first time I heard that word, I think, although it wouldn’t shock me if it wasn’t,” he continued.
Cooksey has denied that this ever happened.
“I have never discriminated against anyone transgender or heterosexual or homosexual,” he wrote to Rolling Stone .
4. LeAnn Rimes
The vocalist settled a feud from an ongoing lawsuit with her father. She claimed he took seven million of her earnings when she was 16.
He ended up countersuing and calling her a “spoiled brat.” Yikes!
In the end, the two settled and eventually reconciled.
But the entire experience was still tough, as Rimes said that she spent “three or four days” in lawyers’ meetings before her wedding to backup dancer, Dean Sheremet.
5. Sofia Vergara
This one is wild.
The Colombian actress was sued by her ex-fiancé, Nick Loeb, for custody of the two frozen embryos they had created via IVF.
Yes, really. He had even named them “Emma” and “Isabella.”
The case began in 2015, soon after she became happily married to *Magic Mike* actor, Joe Manganiello.
As such, Sofia’s lawyer, Fred Silberberg, said that Nick’s lawsuit was an attempt for “Loeb to keep himself in the public eye”
6. Ellen Pierson
There was some bad blood between the Kardashians and the woman who married Robert Kardashian Sr. two months before his passing.
As a result, the widow found herself being sued by the entire Kardashian squad for copyright ownership over heirlooms.
The reality stars sought $500,000 in property damages and possession of diaries and photos.
They also believed that she was hiding materials from them as a way to exploit them.
In the end, the case was settled.
7. Tianna Madison
In 2012, the gold medalist Olympian told a news outlet that she was going to file a lawsuit against her parents.
She claimed that they mismanaged her finances and allowed a boy who molested her into their home.
While she never went through with it, she faced some repercussions of her public statement.
She ended up being sued by her parents for $25,000 for causing “humiliation, public ridicule, mental pain and anguish.”
In the end, the lawsuit was dismissed.
8. Billy Unger
Disney’s former Lab Rats star, Billy Unger, sued his manager and father in 2015 for “mishandling $400k of earnings.”
His father, William, reportedly spent $120,000 of his son’s earnings by taking his girlfriend on vacations. He retaliated by slandering Billy’s name.
9. Blac Chyna
Following her departure from the Kardashian family, Chyna filed a lawsuit against ex-fiance Rob Kardashian and his family for damaging her brand.
Things really got vicious, though, when Rob posted naked photos of Chyna on social media. They recently reached a custody agreement over daughter, Dream.
10. Ted Levin
The Silence of the Lambs actor found himself sued by his brother and sister for being pressured into selling their parent’s restaurant.
His brother Mick told TMZ that Ted would send endless emails with demands and called him a “crazy [expletive].”
11. Chris Pérez
As if losing his wife, the iconic singer Selena, wasn’t difficult enough, he faced a lawsuit from his in-laws.
Selena’s parents sued Pérez for using her in a series while her case had not been solved.
The family stated that Selena’s image belonged to her father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr.
He claimed he had signed a contract stating that he “owns all proprietary rights in the name, voice, signature, photograph, and likeness of Selena.”
In the end, Abraham won.
12. Leighton Meester
When Leighton’s family was in a financial battle with her brother’s medical expenses, the Gossip Girl star helped by sending $7,500 a month.
But after finding out her mother used the money for plastic surgery , she sued her.
In retaliation, her mother counter-sued her for $3 million for “sacrificing her happiness.”
She also claimed that Leighton had agreed to take care of her and provide her with $10,000 a month, which is why she got plastic surgery and hair extensions.
In the end, she lost to Leighton.
