Modern family? Jack Nicholson has welcomed six children with five women over the years — but he has only publicly commented on four of them.
The three-time Oscar winner only tied the knot once, to Sandra Knight, in the early 1960s. After the couple welcomed their daughter, Jennifer Nicholson, in 1963, they remained married for five more years.
Once their divorce was finalized in 1968, the Departed actor allegedly had a fling with his Five Easy Pieces costar Susan Anspach that resulted in the birth of his second child, Caleb Goddard. Jack, however, has yet to publicly acknowledge the paternity.
The Something’s Gotta Give star moved on with Danish supermodel and actress Winnie Hollman, whom he dated for five years. The pair welcomed daughter Honey Hollman in 1982.
Jack’s relationship with American actress Rebecca Broussard is one of his more public romances. The twosome had an affair during his 17-year relationship with Anjelica Huston, which led to the arrival of their first child, daughter Lorraine Nicholson, in 1990.
Two years later, the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest actor welcomed son Ray Nicholson with Broussard. The duo called it quits in 1993. “We have a relationship,” Jack told Vanity Fair in April 1994 of Broussard. “Because of the children, but we have no other relationship.”
In 2011, the Anger Management star gave fans a rare glimpse at his dynamic with Lorraine and Ray. “They’re great. I was never what you call a hands-on sort of father, but I’m lucky my kids have turned out the way they have,” Jack said at the time via the Daily Mail. “Parenthood is all about being in the lap of the gods. All you can do is your best.”
Lorraine, who is one of Jack’s many children to dabble in acting, teased her dynamic with her famous father three years later.
“He gives me top secret advice,” she told Entertainment Tonight in February 2014. “Obviously, I’m not going to share it with anyone, because it gives our family a competitive advantage.”
Jack’s sixth child, however, claimed she never received the same guidance and support. Tessa Gourin, who was born to waitress Jennine Gourin, in 1994, alleged in early 2023 that she never knew her dad growing up. While she claimed that Jack is her biological father, the actor has never publicly commented on the paternity.
Tessa claimed in a February 2023 interview with The Daily Beast that the As Good As It Gets actor “wasn’t interested’ in having a relationship with her as a child. She did, however, explain that Jack was involved in the funding of her early education.
“I knew he was powerful and Daddy Warbucks-level rich, so I kind of equated my life to being like Orphan Annie’s,” she told the outlet, revealing that her mother told her “not to tell anyone that I have this famous dad.”
Scroll down to learn more about Jack’s blended family:
Sandra Knight
The About Schmidt actor married Knight in 1962. One year later, they welcomed their daughter, Jennifer. The twosome finalized their divorce in 1968.
Jennifer Nicholson
Jennifer is the only child of Jack and his ex-wife, Knight. She was born in September 1963. Jennifer appeared in several movies in the ‘90s, with her most recent film being 2017’s Johnny Christ. In addition to acting, Jack’s eldest child has worked as a movie set designer, interior designer and in 2003 she debuted her first fashion line during New York’s Fashion Week.
The designer was married to Mark Norfleet from 1997 to 2003. The exes share two sons: Sean and Duke, born in 1996 and 1999, respectively.
“I like being Jack Nicholson’s daughter and I’m proud of him, but people don’t understand the pressures that come along with that,” Jennifer told the Los Angeles Times in 2003.
Caleb Goddard
Actress Anspach became pregnant with son Caleb while working with Jack on 1970’s Five Easy Pieces. The Montenegro star married Mark Goddard in 1970 amid her pregnancy and Mark later adopted Caleb. The pair split in 1978. Anspach died in 2018 at age 75.
The Bucket List actor publicly denied the paternity of Caleb. However, Caleb told People in 1995 that Jack had recognized him as his son in private.
Honey Hollman
Model Winnie welcomed her and Jack’s daughter in January 1982. Honey was raised by her mother in Denmark and appeared in one money, 2010’s Empire North. She is married to Peter Duffy and the couple share three children: Walter, Daisy and Hank, born in 2011, 2012 and 2017, respectively. Honey own a pub called The High Horse before opening the grocery store CULT:ZERO in 2019, which is located in Trim, Ireland.
Lorraine Nicholson
Lorraine was born in April 1990 to the Oscar winner and Broussard. In 1997, the Los Angeles native made her acting debut voicing a character in Father of the Bird. Lorraine’s second gig was a small part in her dad’s 2003 hit Something’s Gotta Give. More than a decade later, Lorraine started working behind the camera producing and directing her first music video, “Hana: Clay,” in 2016. She directed and produced her first short film, Life Boat, the following year.
“Lorraine is one of the great people, a totally unique human being,” Jack told Vanity Fair in April 1994. “She’s already got her own theories, her own philosophies.”
Ray Nicholson
Ray is the second child of Broussard and Jack. He was born in February 2022 and has followed in his dad’s footsteps, breaking into acting in 2006 with a minor role in The Benchwarmers. He has since starred in hits such as 2020’s Promising Young Woman, 2021’s Licorice Pizza and 2022’s Something From Tiffany’s.
“Ray may have a problem with being a little too good-looking. [He] looks exactly like Rebecca. When he was born, he looked like one of the farmers in The Magnificent Seven,” the I’m Still Here actor told Vanity Fair in April 1994 of his son. “He does move like me. There’s a lot of body language on him. You don’t miss them Nicholson legs. Somebody’s got to get them, poor thing. They’re useful but short. Most infants pretty much don’t have chins. But Ray always had a jaw. You can’t wait to get him into a collar or a shaving commercial.”
Tessa Gourin
Tessa was born in August 1994 in New York City to Jennine. The waitress alleged that the Chinatown actor is the father of her daughter, but Jack has never publicly acknowledged the paternity. Tessa made her acting debut in 2018 with Stranger’s Arms. She then appeared in 2022’s The Crusaders. Tessa is also a model, who spoke out about her alleged estranged father in February 2023.
“I was afraid people would think I was tacky or that I was riding off his coattails. But this person doesn’t want me in his life, so how would you use that to your benefit?” she told the Daily Beast, noting she had no issue with Jack’s body of work. “I really want this to come across: If I were to discredit anything about his acting, then that wouldn’t make me an artist, because making art and being the world’s greatest dad are not the same thing.”
Sean Norfleet
Sean is Jack’s eldest grandchild and one of Jennifer Nicholson’s’ two boys whom she shares with ex-husband Mark Norfleet. He doesn’t appear to have a social media presence.
Duke Nicholson
Duke, who goes by his mother’s maiden name, is Jack’s second oldest grandson. He is the youngest child of the actor’s daughter Jennifer and her ex-husband. Duke made his acting debut in 2016’s The Dandy Warhold: Catcher in the Rye video. His stardom shot up in 2019 when he played Danny/Tony in Us.