‘Felt like Orphan Annie’: Jack Nicholson’s ‘illegitimate’ daughter Tessa Gourin details growing up without dad
SAN FRANSISCO, CALIFORNIA: Tessa Gourin has opened up about her relationship with her estranged father Jack Nicholson as the actress said she felt like "Orphan Annie" while growing up in New York City without him. The 28-year-old ‘Stranger’s Arms’ star was raised by her mother Jennine Gourin, who was a young waitress when she allegedly had a fling with Nicholson and got pregnant in 1994.
The 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest' star, who is father to five other children, has never acknowledged Gourin as his daughter but the Hollywood industry has labeled her Jackson’s 'illegitimate' child. The actress revealed that her mother always told her to not tell anyone about her father. "From a very young age, my mother told me not to tell anyone that I have this famous dad," she told The Daily Beast. "I knew he was powerful and Daddy Warbucks-level rich, so I kind of equated my life to being like Orphan Annie's," she said.
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Gourin, who grew up on the Upper East Side in a two-bedroom apartment with her mother and half-brother, said Jennine raised her in a “really intense, nuanced situation.” “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,” the actress added. She recalled that although she would occasionally spend a few hours or days with Nicholson, she never truly got to know him. “My mom wanted me to have a relationship with him, but he said he wasn’t interested,” she stated, according to Daily Mail.
'I’m not the poster child for sanity'
“I formed my own opinion. He’s a complicated person, and I think my mom fights her own demons, and with the combination of the two, I was simply collateral damage,” Gourin continued. 'The Crusaders' actress said she shares some of Nicholson's characteristics despite their estrangement. “I’m f*****g crazy,” the daughter asserted. “I’m not the poster child for sanity, and I do think that’s a little similar to my dad, from what I’ve read.”
Gourin continued by saying that she has shied away from acting for years but now she is seriously pursuing a career in the film industry just like her father. “I was afraid people would think I was tacky or that I was riding off his coattails,” she stated. “But this person doesn’t want me in his life, so how would you use that to your benefit?”
When Tessa Gourin slammed Lily-Rose Depp
This came after Gourin slammed actress and model Lily-Rose Depp for denying that she benefited from nepotism as the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. "The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that," Johnny Depp’s 23-year-old daughter told Elle.
Replying to Lily’s comments, Gourin shared some screenshots of her comments on Instagram, writing, "Things could be worse girl trust me!!" "I'd be thrilled to use my 'nepo baby' title (that I can't claim bc it isn't considered "legitimate") if it meant I could get in the room and showcase my talent and craft," she explained in a follow-up post. "Do you know how hard it is to even get an audition?! Let alone an agent/manager?! Now we're gonna cry about that??!!!"