(Images: Getty Images; KLS.com; File)
In honor of Mother’s Day, BlackEnterprise.com highlights famous mothers whose offspring are following in their star-studded career steps and are blazing their own trails in their industries. –Janell Hazelwood
Kimora Lee Simmons and daughters, Ming and Aoki Lee
Mrs. Fabulosity herself, Kimora Lee Simmons has taken a modeling career and marriage to the Godfather of Hip-Hop, Russell Simmons, and ran with it–building a fashion, lifestyle and reality TV brand. She founded and headed the uber-successful fashion line Baby Phat in 1999, authored best-seller Fabulosity: What It Is & How to Get It ($15.99; HarperEntertainment), and now stars in The Style Network’s, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane. After parting ways with Baby Phat in 2010, she’s taken her career on a new path as CEO of The KLS Design Group, a fashion and beauty company, as well as creative director of JustFab.com, a fashion subscription service. And her daughters are doing their part to add to the empire as well, with both having starred in fashion campaigns and inspiring their own children’s clothing and jewelry lines.
Cathy Hughes and son, Alfred Liggins III
Media mogul Cathy Hughes founded Radio One with ex-husband Dewey Hughes in 1979, eventually owning 67 radio stations in 22 urban markets in the U.S., and taking the company public. Today, Hughes’ son, Alfred Liggins III, serves as president and CEO of Radio One as well as CEO of Interactive One, its digital arm, after working as general manager for Radio One’s WOL/WMMJ stations in Washington, D.C. In January 2004, the Radio One empire expanded with the founding of TV One, a national cable and satellite television network targeting African American viewers, where Liggins serves as chairman.
Pat Cleveland and daughter, Anne Von Ravenstein
In the case of Pat Cleveland, the apple hasn’t fallen far from the glamorous tree. With a 30-year fashion
industry resume that includes Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, and Stephen Burrows, the legendary model’s daughter, Anne Von Ravenstein, has taken the baton, walking national and international runways while rocking lines including Zac Posen and Chanel.
Jada Pinkett Smith and children, Jaden and Willow
We all fell in love with Jada Pinkett Smith in her role as Lena James in A Different World. And she went even further, with roles in films including Menace II Society and box office powerhouse franchises Scream, The Matrix, and The Nutty Professor. She changed gears in 2002, channeling her musical alter ego, Jada Koren, in the rock band, Wicked Wisdom. After her nuptials to actor Will Smith, their family expanded into Hollywood royalty, with son Jaden finding major success in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness and 2010’s The Karate Kid, and daughter, Willow, in her super-popular rise to fame with her single, “Whip My Hair,” and subsequent record deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
Iman, and daughter, Zulekha Haywood
Iman strutted down international catwalks with fierce tenacity, breaking barriers in the industry and highlighting the beauty of diversity. She then took the cosmetics industry by storm in 1994, founding IMAN Cosmetics, Skincare and Fragrances, a line of products specifically for women of color. Today, her daughter, Zulekha Haywood, serves as forecasting and planning manager at the company, carrying on the legacy of entrepreneurship and innovation in the beauty industry.
LisaRaye McCoy and daughter, Kai Morae
The former First Lady of Turks & Caicos, LisaRaye McCoy took the spotlight in 1998 in her premier role as Diamond in Ice Cube’s The Players Club. She went on to become a popular entertainment host and actress, with two shows running concurrently, TV One’s top-rated LisaRaye: The Real McCoy and VH1’s Single Ladies. Her daughter Kai, who also stars in the reality show, is pursuing a modeling career, having already scored an ad campaign with Macy’s for Apple Bottoms.
Lisa Bonet and daughter, Zoe Kravitz
Actress Lisa Bonet saw great fame in the ’80s and ’90s as Denise on TV’s The Cosby Show and then went on to star in the college-themed spin-off, A Different World. Today, her daughter, Zoe, (who’s father is legendary rocker Lenny Kravitz), is taking on Hollywood as an actress, model and singer, rubbing professional elbows with the likes of actress Katherine Zeta Jones and hip hop impresario Jay Z. She’s set to star in the latest of the X-Men blockbusters, X-Men: First Class, this summer.
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