A woman who claims to be Jack Nicholson's daughter has said she wishes she had a relationship with her dad as the conversation around 'nepo babies' rages on.
Tessa Gourin, 28, is both an actor and a ceramics artist and although she has never met Nicholson, she is certain she got her artistic flair from him.
Nicholson has never acknowledged his paternity but, according to Gourin, The Shining star paid for her to attend private school.
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That being said, Gourin admits she would have appreciated a leg-up from the Oscar-winning actor to help her get a little further in her own career - thus putting her under the controversial nepo baby umbrella.
"The truth is, in all of my 28 years of life, we have never had a relationship," Gourin claims in a Newsweek column.
"Have you ever been on a date and sensed that the other person just wasn't feeling it? That's pretty much how every interaction I have ever had with Jack Nicholson has gone."
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To be fair to Gourin, Nicholson does have a bit of a complicated history with paternity claims.
The actor, who has only been married once in his life, has had a number of different women naming him as the father of their children - and it takes a lot to convince him.
Nicholson's Five Easy Pieces co-star Susan Anspach claimed that her son Caleb, now 52, was his.
After a few years of uncertainty, Nicholson publicly acknowledged that Caleb was his son in the late 90s.
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Nicholson also allegedly fathered a daughter, Honey Hollman, with model Winnie Hollman - though he has never publicly acknowledged paternity.
Nicholson's children Jennifer, 59, Lorraine, 32, and Ray, 30, have had less trouble, and seem to enjoy pretty strong relationships with their dad.
"So many people have been forced to live with the pain of a parent's absence, famous or not," says Gourin.
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"But it makes it that much harder when that absent parent is actively in the lives of their other children, which is the case for me."
That said, Gourin insists that she isn't really craving a father-daughter relationship with Nicholson anymore, but rather an 'artist-to-artist' connection.
"One of the most influential actors happens to be my biological father and for whatever reason, he isn't interested in having a relationship," she says.
"This has always left me conflicted about pursuing something I truly love."
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That'd be the acting career, she's referring to.
"When his children that he acknowledges pursue acting, that's fine; but if I want to pursue acting, it's 'tacky' or 'exploitative'," she complains, though she doesn't mention exactly who has referred to her in those terms.
"I want to show people that I am so dedicated to my craft as an actor that the scandal regarding the rest of my life is a separate issue," she continued.
"I hope that those privileged enough to be called 'nepo babies' are taking the same approach.
"Yes, your mommy or daddy might be famous, but just embrace it and be thankful it opened a door for you."
For now, though, as far as any sort of relationship with Nicholson goes, Gourin claims all he is is 'a celebrity with whom I just happen to share DNA'.
UNILAD has approached Jack Nicholson's representatives for a comment.
Topics: Celebrity
Ali Condon