Why Marie Osmond Won't Be Leaving Her Fortune To Her Kids

In a world of nepo babies and intergenerational wealth, long-time performer Marie Osmond is taking a different and divisive approach. On a 2020 episode of "The Talk," the multi-hyphenate and only sister of the famous Osmond family revealed that she has no plans to leave an inheritance for any of her seven surviving children.

"Congratulations, kids," Osmond said in response to "The Talk" crowd's reaction to her decision (via CNN). "My husband and I decided that 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."

Osmond said that instead of leaving her children with her wealth — estimated by Celebrity Net Worth to be around $20 million — she plans on donating her money to charity. Despite some pushback from her "The Talk" co-host and the internet, Osmond confirmed her decision three years later, telling Fox News, "Self-worth can't be bought."

Marie Osmond certainly isn't the first celebrity to opt out of passing down her wealth after she dies, and, like other celebs who have made this decision, she received some pushback. Her "The Talk" co-host Sheryl Underwood immediately disagreed with Osmond after revealing her intentions, insisting that children who grow up around money naturally learn to respect and understand it so they won't abuse their fortune.

However, Osmond retorted that she found that wasn't usually the case. She argued that people who receive substantial inheritances are more liable to get in trouble because they aren't distracted with work. She also cited a personal experience of watching her relatives fight over a table and mirror after her uncle and aunt passed away as being a deciding factor for her. 

"Honestly, why would you enable your child to not try to be something?" Osmond reiterated to Us Weekly in 2023. "I don't know anybody who becomes anything if they're just handed money. To me, the greatest gift you can give your child is a passion to search out who they are inside and to work. I think all [an inheritance] does is breed laziness and entitlement. I worked hard, and I'm gonna spend it all and have fun with my husband [Steve Craig]."

Marie Osmond was the lone sister of the famous Osmond family that rocketed to stardom via the Osmond Brothers act. At her mother's urging, Marie signed a record deal with her family's label, MGM/Kolob Records, before earning her first No. 1 single, "Paper Roses," in 1973. She worked closely with her brother, Donny Osmond, in the recording studio and on their mid-'70s variety show "Donny & Marie." From there, Osmond and her family made money through recording, acting, sponsorship deals, books, and other professional pursuits.

Marie had eight children before the tragic death of her adopted son, Michael, in 2010. Her seven surviving children include three biological children, Stephen James Craig, Rachael Blosil, and Matthew Blosil, and four adopted children, Jessica, Brandon, Brianna, and Abigail. She told Us Weekly that although she doesn't plan on leaving her children with an extraordinary fortune, she does try to help them by chipping in on major purchases, like a new car.

Still, that doesn't stop some from raising their eyebrows at Osmond's decision. According to Us Weekly, a friend of her oldest son, Stephen, called him after she made her announcement and said, "Man, it must suck to be you." But in Marie's eyes, she's giving her kids the gift of self-reliance and perseverance — which is a fortune in and of itself, depending on who you ask.