Jack Nicholson’s estranged daughter, Tessa Gourin, has spoken about her non-existent relationship with her father in a new, wide-ranging interview.
Gourin, 28, was born in 1994 after her mum Janine (then a waitress) and the One Flew Over A Cuckoo’s Nest star, now 85, reportedly had a brief affair. According to The Daily Beast, who published the interview, Nicholson has never publicly acknowledged Gourin’s existence. She grew up in Manhattan, New York, with her mother and attended private schools reportedly paid for by her father.
“From a very young age, my mother told me not to tell anyone that I have this famous dad,” Gourin said. “I knew he was powerful and Daddy Warbucks-level rich, so I kind of equated my life to being like Orphan Annie’s.”
Nicholson has not been in touch with his daughter for many years, says Gourin, who confirmed that she “doesn’t know him” well.
“My mum wanted me to have a relationship with him, but he said he wasn’t interested,” she added. “I was dealt a really shitty random card, but I’m not gonna let that destroy me. In fact, I’m gonna use it to fuel me.”
She added: “I formed my own opinion [of Nicholson]. He’s a complicated person, and I think my mum fights her own demons, and with the combination of the two, I was simply collateral damage.”
Nicholson has reportedly fathered six children by five women over the years, including daughter Lorraine and son Ray with his ex-girlfriend, the American actress Rebecca Broussard. Both Lorraine and Ray have followed their father into the movie business, as has Gourin.
“Having grown up without my father, I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched in frustration as other celebrity children have seamlessly secured roles or been signed to huge agencies,” Gourin wrote in a recent essay for Newsweek.
“More recently, I have grown even more frustrated at what I think is a missed opportunity for these so-called ‘nepo babies’ to own their position and embrace it instead of complaining about it.”
Nicholson is rarely seen in industry circles these days, although sometimes attends Los Angeles Lakers basketball games. He last acted in the 2010 romcom How Do You Know.
NME has reached out to Nicholson’s representatives for comment.
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