Jeff Goldblum started a family later in life. He was in his early 60s when he married his 31-years-younger wife Emilie Livingston. He was 62/63 when they welcomed their first child, Charlie Ocean, and then two years later, they welcomed another son, River. The boys are 8 years old and 6 years old right now, and Goldblum is 71. He’s apparently not planning on leaving his sons much money or maybe even ANY money in his will. He’s one of those celebrities, who thinks that his kids should make their own way in life without an inheritance.
Jeff Goldblum is ready for his kids to get jobs. The actor, 71, revealed that his children — Charlie, 8, and River, 6 — will have to support themselves when they get older. The “Jurassic Park” star shares his sons with wife Emilie Livingston, 41.
“Hey, you know, you’ve got to row your own boat,” he recalled telling them when he recently appeared on the iHeartPodcast “Table for Two With Bruce Bozzi.”
“It’s an important thing to teach kids. I’m not going to do it for you. And you’re not going to want me to do it for you,” he continued. “You’ve got to figure out how to find out what’s wanted and needed and where that intersects with your love and passion and what you can do. And even it if doesn’t, you might have to do that anyway.”
I mean, everyone is different and you feel differently about this kind of stuff depending on your age and background. I didn’t inherit a vast fortune from my late father, but I did inherit a modest amount, enough to make me feel safe, like I have a Plan B in case my life goes t-ts up. I think the inheritance conversation is kind of superficial, because in so many cases, it’s about what values parents instill in their kids – if your parents always taught you to make your own way and work hard no matter what, an inheritance is beneficial. If you’ve taught your kids that everything will be handed to them on a silver platter, then yeah, an inheritance is going to make that situation worse. In Goldblum’s case, I feel sorry for his much-younger wife – I hope she’s in the will, you know?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
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- UNIVERSAL CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 11: Canadian dancer Emilie Livingston and husband/American actor Jeff Goldblum arrive at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) 2022 Summer Block Party held at Universal Studios Backlot on June 11, 2022 in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 699052290, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Emilie Livingston, Jeff Goldblum, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- UNIVERSAL CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 11: American actor Jeff Goldblum arrives at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) 2022 Summer Block Party held at Universal Studios Backlot on June 11, 2022 in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 699052584, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Goldblum, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Jeff Goldblum, Emilie Livingston attends the LA Regional Food Banks A Million Reasons Celebration at a Private Residence in Los Angeles, California on August 13, 2023,Image: 796874569, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Goldblum, Emilie Livingston, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Jeff Goldblum, Emilie Livingston attends the LA Regional Food Banks A Million Reasons Celebration at a Private Residence in Los Angeles, California on August 13, 2023,Image: 796874574, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Goldblum, Emilie Livingston, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
Unless they have some sort of strict pre-nup, I don’t think you can completely write a spouse out of a will. Right now he can’t refuse to leave the children anything because they are minors and he is responsible for them. Why do all these celebs think it makes them look so great to say they are leaving their children nothing?
They think it makes them look great because people will think they are tough. He is the extreme opposite of a nepo dad and we all know extremes are not good. There are other ways of raising productive non-entitled children. Disinheriting his kids won’t make him a good dad. Look at what it did for Joan Crawford.
I don’t believe any of these rich people who say they’re not leaving any money for their children. What happens if he dies before they are become adults?
That’s what I want to know. He’s 71. They’re 6 and 8. At his age he should be making some provision for them if he dies before they can “row their own boat”. I can see the Daddy Dearest books coming from here.
I can’t fathom it. If I were wealthy, I would absolutely leave money to my children. There are ways to do it so it’s not an enormous lump sum the day they turn 18.
Set up an education fund. Set up a housing fund.
Totally unrelated to the story, but I was at a posh spa hotel (here in the UK) and Jeff goldblum just sat next to us to have lunch alone in the restaurant. We then saw him in the gym working out in jeans and a coat. It was a very exciting celebrity sighting!
They say this and then quietly set up trusts for them. And it’s moot since I assume everything will go to the wife one day. Who in turn will leave it to their sons. Generational wealth always passes it on to the next one.
I also find the Proud Scrooge trend of rich folks not leaving their kids money to be very weird. It’s just odd to brag about how cheap you are, even after you’ve made money.
Successful white men love to pretend that they became successful only on their inner virtues and hard work, while devaluing the people (especially wives) who supported them, systemic unearned advantages, and unearned individual favors along the way.
Yuck.
I’m coming back to edit this and say it’s not just successful ones, there’s plenty of mediocre ones too.
And then to use that false entitlement against your children.
Truth comment 💯
Bingo!
As long as he does everything he can to set his kids up for success now, I don’t see a problem with this – and it sounds like he is? He’s telling them now they’ve got to provide for themselves instead of spoiling them. Hopefully he’s using his money to enrich their education!
That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sets up trust funds for them, rather than leaving them money in his will. Maybe one of those ones where they get the money in their 30s, so they get it when they are already financially secure, probably several years/decades after he passes?
I’ve always held that neither myself nor my siblings are entitled to anything my parents earned in their lives. If they decide to leave us anything fine, if not also fine. No one is entitled to an inheritance. I do hope that these celebrities who scream this though are actively working to ensure that their kids are prepared for this world and the future state of it.
I understand not wanting your kids to be spoiled grifters with no purpose or drive. I certainly understand wanting to leave money to worthy charities, schools, etc. But there’s nothing wrong with leaving your children something as a cushion, or to help with their own families, should they have kids. What if one of his boys gets a serious chronic illness? What if one wants to get a history degree and become a teacher? That’s hard, meaningful work, but it doesn’t pay very well.
I wouldn’t consider it a point a pride to announce this, if I were him. It sounds obtuse. You never know what the future might bring for your children, so plan accordingly, if you can. And he certainly can.
They’ll inherit assets in all likelihood. They will have had phenomenal educations fully paid and very valuable connections thanks to their name. The kids will have more than many of us have ever dreamed of. They’ll be fine.
MTA. But I didn’t realize he has very young children. I feel differently with the high probability of his missing much of their lives. That’s less of a safety net.
Unless you are raising your kid in a working or middle class neighborhood and sending them to a school with kids who won’t be getting money from their parents either, you are being a narcissistic and abusive ass. Before the 80s there was an old money thing that you didn’t raise your children in too extravagant a style, in case the money went away. Memories of the depression. Raising your kids in the sort of luxury Goldblum lives in and then kicking them out of that world is setting them up for a shitty life.
And that is exactly what we saw with Tori Spelling.
She was raised in unbelievable wealth, but was never taught the actual value of money. What money even means.
We are leaving our children our house. That’s no small inheritance: always having a home, a place to live & settle. Having experienced housing insecurity I’m super proud & excited to have this to gift to them.
My point is just because you suffered doesn’t mean your kids should, because the world isn’t what it was when you were younger. Fact is, for my kids, always having a home in a world where you can’t even rent a place on a full time salary is a real leg up in life.
He should really rethink this “spare the rod” choice.
“He’s one of those celebrities, who thinks that his kids should make their own way in life without an inheritance.”
Good for him, tbh! People don’t realize the role generational wealth plays in our f-cked up world. Besides, he’s not leaving them destitute, lbr. He’s probably setting up a fund that they can access when they’re in their mid 20s or something.
I appreciate wealthy parents that do this. In their daily life they’ve probably seen the kind of selfish, cruel brats that never grow up, learn the value of money or are grateful for what they have, and reasonably they don’t want their children to become that.
It’s his money and he can spend/give it to whoever he wants.
Signed,
Biased
(because I listen to him on NPR in my city on my commute and he’s hilarious)
He is funny and a good actor but it is also narcissistic to say ‘I want my kids to row their own boat’ while depriving them of a boat and oars for ‘reasons’.
I can’t imagine wishing wage-slavery on people I have forced into the world.
Also: he’s aged her.
They’ll probably get the money when he’s alive instead of after.
I don’t fully believe him. Not when he’s 71.
I assume money is structured around how much tax you don’t want to pay.
Didn’t Anderson Cooper say his mother told him the same thing? He has said it contributed to his drive in wanting to succeed.
He inherited 1.5M + had already established his career.
I always thought JG was a little hot because he seems funny and smart, but this just took it away.