“I lived on a farm, but I went on tour, and I knew crazy famous people, like crazy.”

From Marvin Gaye stopping by the house to Lucille Ball popping in for a catch-up, celebrity visitors were simply part of her norm.

Speaking on an episode of the Baby, This Is Keke Palmer podcast, Ellis Ross reflected on the famous faces who have genuinely left her starstruck despite growing up surrounded by A-listers.

She recalled being painted by none other than Andy Warhol alongside her sisters, Rhonda and Chudney. But rather than feeling awestruck, Ellis Ross admitted she was "actually frightened" because she "did not understand what was happening."

Julia Roberts grew up with an extraordinary connection with the King family after her parents, Walter and Betty Roberts, formed a friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King during the 1960s.

The Roberts family ran a theatre school in Atlanta, where Coretta brought her children after struggling to find a place that would accept them while schools were still racially segregated. After Coretta called Betty to explain the difficulties she was facing, Betty welcomed the King children into the school, telling her to “come on over”.

Over time, the two families became close, with Roberts later sharing a touching story about how the civil rights activists “helped us out of a jam” by covering her parents’ hospital bill when they couldn’t afford it on the day she was born.

Today is Julia Roberts birthday! 55 years ago MLK and Coretta Scott King paid for her parents hospital bill after she was born. Can’t stop thinking about this since I read it. Here she is talking about it with @GayleKing https://t.co/5HvpNSUIYb pic.twitter.com/147x6d807W

Stella McCartney may have built her own name in the fashion world, but she has previously lifted the lid on growing up as the daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, and being surrounded by famous faces. 

During an interview with PORTER, the designer shared how she's often asked about the famous friends of her own, adding: “But I grew up around that.”

Speaking about her unusual childhood, she shared: “I lived on a farm, but I went on tour, and I knew crazy famous people, like crazy. And for my children, it’s not dissimilar; they go to the farm, and they’re in the field getting muddy and falling over, and then they come here, and they’re surrounded by crazy famous people. I worry about that. But I think I turned out okay-ish, and I hope that they will be okay.”

Drew Barrymore grew up with Steven Spielberg as more than just her director – he became a major figure in her life. After casting her as Gertie in E.T., Spielberg later became her godfather.

"Drew Barrymore never really went home," Spielberg joked at The Big Picture with Steven Spielberg event. "I kind of adopted Drew, and helped co-parent her... right up until last week, when we were on a text together, you know? I'm still very much connected to Drew's life."

Gwyneth Paltrow grew up with Hollywood embedded in her DNA. The daughter of actress Blythe Danner and filmmaker Bruce Paltrow, she was introduced to the entertainment industry from a young age.

One of the family’s close friends was Steven Spielberg, who, like Drew Barrymore, became her godfather. Spielberg later cast her as Wendy Darling in his 1991 film Hook when she was 18 years old.

Daughter of soul singer Minnie Riperton – best known for her 1970s hit "Lovin’ You", which was originally a lullaby for Maya – and music producer Richard Rudolph, Maya Rudolph grew up surrounded by creativity and some of the biggest names in music.

Among her family’s connections was Stevie Wonder, who helped produce Riperton’s acclaimed album Perfect Angel, as well as Quincy Jones, who was part of the same influential music circle.

During an April 2024 appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Rudolph reflected on how different her mother’s fame felt when she was growing up, saying: “It’s interesting because my mom was a singer that not all my friends were that aware of at the time. Everybody that knows who I am now knows that’s my mom. But growing up, I didn’t feel like she was a household name. I felt like she was special.”

Nicole Richie was adopted by music legend Lionel Richie at the age of nine, becoming part of one of the most famous families in entertainment.

Through Lionel’s close ties to the music world, Richie grew up around some of the biggest names in the industry, including Kenny Rogers and Michael Jackson. 

The late King of Pop, along with legendary producer Quincy Jones, were also her godparents.

Having Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet as parents meant Zoë Kravitz grew up surrounded by creativity – and some very famous faces. Among her family’s close connections were icons like Prince and Denzel Washington.

Reflecting on her childhood, Kravitz described spending time with her father as “this whirlwind of a completely different universe,” as she experienced the world of rock music and celebrity from being a child.

Emily in Paris star Lily Collins grew up with a music legend as her dad. She is the daughter of Phil Collins, the drummer and singer from rock band Genesis, and businesswoman Jill Tavelman.

Despite her father’s global fame, Collins has spoken about not fully understanding the scale of it as a child.

In her 2017 memoir, she recalled walking around Disneyland and seeing someone wearing a T-shirt featuring Phil’s face – something she “didn’t quite get” at the time.

“Then he saw my dad and asked for a photo — and it was a really weird moment,” she wrote. “I was thinking, ‘Why does he want a picture of my dad, and why is my dad on his T-shirt?’ Slowly but surely, I started to understand.”

Additional photo credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images