Jack Nicholson
The Hollywood star grew up with a sad life lie
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Some life stories of Hollywood stars provide more explosive material than the dream factory films themselves. Famous example: Jack Nicholson. GALA looks back at the actor’s incredible family fraud.
For 37 years, Jack Nicholson, 86, lived an incredible life lie. The actor grew up believing that his mother was his sister. In adulthood, this life lie was exposed through a newspaper article. But from the beginning.
Jack Nicholson grew up with a life lie
With three Oscars and twelve nominations, Jack Nicholson is one of the most successful acting stars of today. His life also began like a film. He was born on April 22, 1937 as the son of the dancer June Frances Nicholson, †44, in the small town of Neptune City in New Jersey. However, the big but followed immediately: June was unmarried and 17 years old when her son was born. A scandal at the time.
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In order not to damage the reputation of her underage daughter and not to endanger her career, Jack’s grandmother Ethel May († 1970) posed as his mother. June – the actual mother – took on the role of big sister. The birth certificate was forged, a life lie was born. The theater-loving boy had no idea at the time. It wasn’t until 37 years later that the truth would come to light.
Reporter stumbled upon Nicholson’s fake birth certificate in 1974
In 1974, a reporter from Time magazine discovered the family hoax. At that time he stumbled across Jack Nicholson’s fake birth certificate, did further research and finally uncovered the lie of his life.
The father question has not yet been resolved
Who Jack Nicholson’s father is, however, was never really clarified. John, his grandmother Ethel May’s husband, was initially considered his alleged father. He was an alcoholic and left the family when Jack was still a baby. The Italian immigrant Donald Furcillo-Rose, who dated Jack’s biological mother June several times in 1936, was considered the biological father. Another possible producer was a man named Edgar A. Kirschfeld. Jack Nicholson himself never wanted to find his real father.
Nicholson’s alleged daughter makes allegations: ‘He said he wasn’t interested’
Nicholson’s own family history is also not considered to be fully understood. According to his own statement, his alleged daughter Tessa Gourin was never able to build a real relationship with him. “He said he wasn’t interested,” Gourin told the US online portal “The Daily Beast” in 2023. However, Tessa is not his only offspring. Nicholson is said to have at least five children by four different women. The Hollywood star regularly attends basketball games with his youngest child Ray Nicholson, 31.
Sources used: spiegel.de, thedailybeast.com