Famous In Hollywood Magazine

In this online magazine, renowned Hollywood interviewer and journalist Jay Christian, shares his celebrity human interest stories of the past and present.

Word for word, you'll enjoy reading what the greatest Hollywood actors, actresses and recording artists in the world personally thought and wanted to share, as well as issues that they believed in.

There will be new celebrity stories from famous Hollywood legends to the current celebrities of today!

We are thrilled to have you visit our Famous In Hollywood community! 

 

Issue #41 May 2025

Welcome!

Every month, you'll read stories that I've written from my interviews with Hollywood celebrities of the past and present. Each star has expressed to me in conversation, their thoughts and wisdom, that I've put together in a wonderful story to share with you, as I have always done throughout my entire career.

I hope you enjoy all these intriguing stories. 
Visit me each month to find out what the Hollywood celebrities have to say and share, right here at: 

Famous In Hollywood Magazine!
My best to you-
Jay Christian​

MARIE OSMOND 

Her Personal Secrets For Parenting

Written By Jay Christian

 

With all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Marie Osmond has been the envy of many. When she was only 15 years old, she was known as America's Sweetheart and was as popular as today's megastar Taylor Swift. Now, after five decades of success, Marie is still truly admired by all demographics. 

 

While in her twenties, Marie focused on having a good marriage and a family. Initially, she did meet her knight and shining armor and then another marriage was to follow, but she took the time out of her busy and demanding career to raise her family as a sensible, understanding and loving mother of eight children- three maternal and five adopted.

 

How did a petite, talented beauty raise eight children and keep a normal household with an active musical career? Marie tells it all in this exclusive most personal interview on just how she raised her lovely family.

 

With plenty of knowledge and advice to share for others, she said, “I think raising all of my children has been a lot of trial and error. I have raised eight beautiful children. They all couldn’t be more different if you tried.”

 

Marie expressed, “I don’t know if I’m a good parent. I don’t know that anybody does. I think we try, but I know that my children are just the best and I couldn’t love them anymore!”

 

Although her kids come from an affluent background, Marie believes in common basics like everyone else,” I don’t believe in spoiling them. I believe that there’s a time to be a friend, but it isn’t when they’re children. You have to be their parent,” Marie explained.

 

When asked why she chose to have a large family Marie said, “Well I think they chose me, I’m not necessarily sure that I chose them. I had a very difficult time having children [with pregnancy] and so I felt blessed to have one. But you know, I came from a big family and I see the benefits of it. I don’t think you’re as selfish, you’re not as self-centered, you learn to share and serve. I think you learn a lot from having siblings.”

 

She continued, “I think the key to a successful family are the parents. I had great parents, I was just so blessed. I believe that in a world where we have so many single parent homes and I know because I’ve been a single parent, there’s just something about having not [only] just a great mom, but to have a great dad in the home is so important for children. My children just adore my husband.  I think they appreciate having a dad." [ Marie remarried her first husband Steve Craig in 2011.]

 

Marie feels that if anything there was one rule for parenting that she followed. “I think be consistent. I was raised that if you promised them a reward, you better give it to them. If you promised them a punishment, then do it. For example, I hear parents say, ‘I’m warning you, I’m going to put you on the stairs,’ and then they keep saying it, ‘you’re gonna take a time out and you’re going to go to your room’ and they never do and I'm thinking, ‘Well, what is that teaching the kids?! They have absolutely no value to your word,’” Marie said wisely.

 

She continued, “You can give them choices like, ‘okay you can either watch this movie, but you have to finish your homework first’ or whatever it is, but help them, so they learn through choices.  You teach your children to make wise choices.”

 

Marie believes all children are different and depending on their personality, each has to be treated and understood individually.

 

“All of my children are different, there's not one solution. I don't believe there is with any child. Some children are strong-headed, some are kind of pushovers, some are pleasers, some are achievers and I think you have to be proactive to understand how you can best help your child. I really believe that we are given these children to help us be better people. I look at my children and think that's the greatest gift I ever received,” she said with appreciation.

 

When asked why she chose adoption, Marie said, “Well honestly, I don't know that I did. I just know that I really felt God's hand in it. And the people I know who have adopted, they feel the same way. It's not like, ‘oh, I just want to go have a baby,’ no. It was… there is a child and they need you and this is how you're gonna find them. You feel very prompted. Every one of my children was a very different, unique situation and they're mine. I have adopted kids, but I don't know which ones. And I mean that sincerely, they are my kids. And I love them ferociously!”

 

Marie believes that teaching a child to stand on their own two feet can sometimes be painful for a parent, but it might be the only way a child can grow up to be independent.

 

“As a parent I can honestly say I think you're only as happy, as your least happy child. And there are times as a parent where you have to step back and you have to let them even fail at times because they have to find that strength. You can't fix stuff for them, you have let them learn and that's the hardest part of being a parent,” she said with concern.

 

Marie feels having an upfront approach in parenting and being honest with your child is very important. She confided, "You just have to be willing to admit your faults. It's like I said to my kids, ‘You know I may not be a perfect mother, but I could not love you more perfectly, so let's figure this out and have communication.' Did I do everything right, no, but I don't know that every parent does. I think this is part of the journey.”

 

She continued, “You know there’s a saying that, ‘If you train a child, he will not depart,’ but that doesn't mean what he'll do in-between. Children will explore, there's so many avenues and so many things that we need to teach them to protect themselves. A lot of times people think that these rules or commandments or whatever they believe in are stifling, when in actuality the way I explained it to my children is: they are fences that protect you from becoming a wild horse that's unusable. In order to give back to society, you want to be a usable person, not a creature that's out of control,” Marie said tactfully.

 

“As they become teenagers, you have to remember they're going to make choices and they're going to do stupid things and you can either point your finger and say, ‘I told you so’ or you can be the kind of parent that's like, ‘what did you learn from this?’ You can't enable, you have to help them learn to understand the consequences. I may not be happy with some of their choices but that's never changed my love for them. My children know I love them unconditionally.”

 

Marie continued, “If I have done anything to help my children, I hopefully have taught them that there is no failure because the real success is getting back up on your feet. My children get back up on their feet and I'm proud of them for that.”

 

Marie also feels that demonstrating a strong work ethic is very important. She said, “I think they've seen that from me. There have been times when I've been very, very sick and I'll just say ‘no, these people flew in to see the show tonight and I can certainly pull it together for two hours.’  I would never have felt sorry for myself,” she said with determination. “I sincerely love people! I hope I've taught that to my children as well. They're kind to people, they're good kids.” 

 

Marie feels that a tranquil home is very important for the children. “My 24 year old came to the house the other day and he said, ‘Mom I love coming here and seeing you and Dad, there's just great spirit in this house of peace.’ And that was just like the best compliment I could ever have!” she said proudly.

 

Marie reminisced, “Years ago, both my parents said to me, ‘Honey, you will know that you've been successful in life, when you can honestly say that you are a happy Grandma." And I use to think, ‘What on earth does that mean?!’ And what they meant by that is: I live my life, where my children love me and they love me enough that they trust me to be around their children.”

 

Marie concluded, “Today, I love being a Grandma! I think that’s the reward for being a mother because you get to love ‘em and spoil them and give them back!” she laughed.*

 

LONI ANDERSON'S CHEESECAKE

 

Ingredients:

 

1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

2 packages (8 oz.) plus 1 package (3oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup dairy sour cream or

1 can blueberry or cherry pie filling/ glaze

 

Directions:

 

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and the butter. Press in bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes and let cool.

 

2) Heat oven to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese in large mixer bowl. Add 1 cup sugar gradually, beating until fluffy. Add vanilla. Beat in 1 egg at a time. Pour over crumb mixture.

3) Bake until center is firm, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Loosen edge of cheesecake with knife before removing side of pan. Top with sour cream or fruit toppings.

 

Loni Anderson's Cheesecake

Photo by Lori-Michele

Recipes from the book Jay Christian's Hollywood Celebrity Recipes

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