Marie Osmond says, 'I'm not leaving any money to my children' after death, sparking debate on 'The Talk'
Marie Osmond won’t leave any money to her children after she passes away, The Talk co-host, 60, said Friday.
The former country singer is a member of the famous Osmond family, who ruled the music scene in the 1960s and ‘70s as the Osmonds. Marie and her brother Donny Osmond, 62, also hosted a 1970s variety show called Donny & Marie. The Dancing with the Stars alum has been married three times and shares 6 children, two biological and five adopted, with her ex-husbands. (In 2010, Marie’s 18-year-old son Michael died by suicide).
During The Talk segment, the women discussed reports that Kirk Douglas, who died in February at age 103, left most of his multimillion dollar fortune to charity.
“I'm not leaving any money to my children,” Marie told her CBS co-hosts, adding, “Congratulations, kids.”
“My husband and I decided that...I think you do a great disservice to your children to just hand them a fortune because you take away the one most important gift you can give your children, and that’s the ability to work,” she said.
Marie said children of wealthy families often “don’t know what to do” and “get in trouble,” saying, “Let them be proud of what they make, and I’m going to give mine to my charity.” She clarified that her views don’t void a desire to help children, for example, helping them to purchase a home or car.
The topic gave way to a friendly debate. “I disagree with that,” said co-host Sheryl Underwood. “I think that when you come from a family of money, you raise your children to value money and understand money and because they [were] born into the family, they should have a healthy respect for money.”
Guest host Carnie Wilson of the former band Wilson Phillips, added, “I’m somewhere in the middle. I love the idea of teaching your children to work.” Admitting that she hails from a successful, hardworking family herself — Carnie and her sister bandmate Wendy are the daughters of Brian Wilson, a founding member of the Beach Boys — Carnie said she prefers leaving some money to her children while also instilling a work ethic.
Co-host Sharon Osbourne, who is married to three-time Grammy rocker Ozzy Osbourne, tactfully disagreed with Marie. “Everybody is different, and I just know that my husband’s body of work that he’s written and kept us all in the lifestyle that we love, goes to my children and his name and likeness goes to my children...” she said, adding, “I don’t want somebody that never met my husband owning his name and likeness and selling T shirts everywhere and...no, it stays in the Osbourne family.”
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