The road to fame is different for everyone; some people achieve it through having a powerful voice that wows the nation through song. Some are known for their incredible acting careers, playing iconic characters that change the way that people view the world. Others have grown in fame for being skilled at business, sports—excelling in their careers. And there are the people that are just famous, and you are not even really sure why. We all know their names and we recognize that they are notorious, but most of us have not taken the time to consider why. Relation? Perhaps.

There is actually a huge piece of the celebrity pie that is famous because of their children. They have gained access to the limelight by managing the careers of their legendary children, or tagging alongside them to red carpet events. Some of these parents are legitimately famous, too. Their name doesn’t just sound familiar—everyone knows exactly who they are. They may have gotten famous by their children, but they have stayed famous because they know exactly what they are doing.

Let us take a closer look at which celebs would not be famous if it were not for their children…

15 Michelle Duggar

Michelle Duggar became famous because of her many, many children. Their show went from “17”, to “18”, to “19 Kids and Counting” on TLC. It had a seven year run on the network, as America watched with morbid fascination at the life of the Duggar family.

The family of devout Baptists readily discussed their religious beliefs and how those beliefs affected how they raised their children. The Duggar’s homeschooled all of them, and believed that God would decide how many children they were meant to have.

Michelle became the face of pious women everywhere, and probably enjoyed the fame she gained from her children up until 2015 when the series was suspended. The Duggar’s oldest child, Josh, had been accused of molesting five little girls, something that TLC wanted to get as far away from.

14 Kate Gosselin

Who can forget the infamous Kate Gosselin—one of reality TV’s first famous mothers. Kate Gosselin grew in fame when she and her then-husband, Jon, delivered sextuplets Aaden, Collin, Joe, Alexis, Hannah, and Leah. The six cute babies joined older twin sisters, Madelyn and Cara.

The family was first featured on NBC in a show entitled, “Home Delivery”, and few other small reality tidbits on other networks.

But their rise to fame really came to be with creation of the hit TLC show, “Jon & Kate Plus 8” which documented the couple trying to live day to day with eight children in tow. They became famous for their huge brood of children, along with their marital struggles. In 2009 the couple announced publically that they were separating, which led TLC to cancel their show.

13 Mama June

Oh the lovable Mama June! I will never forget being 9 months pregnant with my first baby and binge watching “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”. Forklift Foot, anyone?

Moving on. Mama June became famous for her adorable daughter Alana, aka “Honey Boo Boo”. Mama June and her family got their own reality show after being spotted on “Toddlers & Tiaras”. Their quirky, interesting life quickly captured viewers.

Mama June and her longtime partner “Sugar Bear” joined “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars 4” in 2015, but they separated soon after the show aired. Mama June then went on to showcase her weight loss transformation, of upwards of 300 pounds.

But as famous as Mama June has become she was only so because of the hilarious temperament of her youngest daughter, Alana.

12 Dina Lohan

Dina Lohan quickly rose in fame by being the manager of her daughter’s career. Lindsay Lohan, quickly stole America’s heart, and climbed the ladder of success.

Since her name had become known via Lindsay’s career, Dina Lohan cashed in on her notoriety by starring in a reality show on E! with her youngest daughter, Ali Lohan, entitled “Living Lohan”.

Dina has gotten a bad rep in Hollywood from critics who have implied that Lohan exploited her children to achieve fame for herself.

Fun fact: Dina actually was in, “The Parent Trap” in 1998. She played a woman at the airport in un-credited cameo role. Since then she has appeared on three reality shows including her own, one called “Lindsay”, and also as a guest on “Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn”.

11 Kris Jenner

Ah, the most famous mother who got famous because of her children. Kris has been affluent in SoCal society for decades; married to an illustrious lawyer and she knocked boots with many of the rich and famous. (Her best friend was Nicole Brown, the ex-wife of O.J. Simpson who was found murdered in front of her home. One of O.J.’s lawyers was her ex-husband, Robert Kardashian.)

Kris then married retired Olympian Bruce Jenner, but still was not truly famous. But in 2007, after talks with Ryan Seacrest, Jenner proposed a reality show based on her family (really, her kids). The show skyrocketed her children in fame, especially her middle child, Kim. (Maybe you have heard of her?)

Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Kris Jenner was brought fully into the light.

10 Lynne Spears

This list would not be complete with the addition of Lynne Spears, whose two children are pop icons. She began her career as the owner of a daycare, but quickly became the manager of daughter, Britney’s, career.

Lynne caught a lot of negative press when Britney’s life came crashing down around her. But as any parent can attest, there is only so much you can blame the parent; there has been little to show a side of Lynne that did not include her doing her best to help out her children.

Lynne wrote a book entitled, “Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World.” Lynne defended her public decisions, but also talked a lot about her un-famous family, which irked some views hoping were hoping for a tell-all.

9 Amber Portwood

Amber Portwood became famous as a member of the hit reality TV show “Teen Moms”. Her daughter, Leah, made this young teen a spectacle for the world to watch with mouths agape.

Amber came into a ton of legal troubles following the show; she was arrested for domestic violence, and had many negative encounters with drugs and alcohol. She was arrested for possession and failed a rehab program, which resulted in a 5 year sentence at Rockville Correctional Facility. Amber was released after serving just one year.

Amber Portwood owes her success to her teen pregnancy, and the birth of her daughter, Leah. But Amber was smart; she capitalized on the circumstances and turned herself into a reality show diva, like so many other parents on this list.

I’m sensing a pattern here…

8 Tina Knowles

Tina Knowles actually had a successful career before she became famous; she was the owner and operator of a salon called Headliners in Houston, Texas. Her creativity was then called upon her daughter’s band, Destiny’s Child, needed a costume designer. She worked with the small budget of a fledgling music group, and created marvelous costumes that the women would wear when they were performing. She published a book about this time, drawing success from the notoriety of her daughter.

Tina Knowles also created a clothing line called House of Dereon, partnering with her then mega-famous daughter, Beyoncé. Together, they used Beyoncé’s fame to promote the line on shows like The View, to millions of women across America. The clothing quickly went from only being available on HSN to major super stores like Walmart.

7 Larry Birkhead

Larry Birkhead was a man that most of us had never heard of until 2007 when Anna Nicole Smith, Larry’s former girlfriend, died of a drug overdose. Their daughter, Dannielynn, became a tabloid sensation along her father, when the paternity of the young child had yet to be determined. Larry and a number of other men gave their DNA to test against Dannielynn’s, to see who the real father of the infant actually was.

Larry Birkhead, a celebrity photographer, was ruled the rightful father of Dannielynn and placed in his custody at around months old. He became a media sensation as reporters scrambled to get the inside scoop on his love affair with the late Anna Nicole, and to see pictures of their darling daughter.

He went on to appear on a handful of one-time appearances which all centered on his deceased lover and his child.

6 Pattie Mallette

Where would Justin Bieber be without his darling mother, Pattie Mallette? And she without him?

Justin rose to fame in the beginning years of YouTube and quickly became a sensation. His mother, Pattie, had always been interested in the arts, which may explain her son’s love for music. Justin Bieber is now an international pop star, who cannot seem to keep himself out of the tabloids.

Pattie, along with Bieber and many other stars, appeared in the film, “Justin Bieber’s Believe” which followed Justin in the days leading up to a 2010 sold out concert at Madison Square Garden. This performance sold out in 22 minutes.

Mallette published her autobiography entitled “Nowhere But Up” in 2012, which detailed her childhood the struggles of raising a son in show business, with Christian faith.

5 Susan Duff

Susan Duff has not one but two famous daughters: Hilary and Haylie Duff. Both have had strong musical careers and have appeared in film and television. Susan encouraged both of her girls to pursue acting, singing, and dancing. She moved her family from Texas to California for the sake of her daughter’s careers.

Susan managed both girls careers, and has been their spokesperson, especially in their teen years. She became the public face of the management team, and famous for her involvement in her daughter’s businesses.

Some have alleged that Hollywood mom’s take their roles too far, but no one has been able to anything of consequence that is negative about Susan Duff; she legitimately seems to have her girls’ best interest in mind, and has become famous for it.

4 Afeni Shakur

Afeni Shakur is the mother of one of the most famous rappers of all time—Tupac Shakur.

Afeni had always been involved in activism, joining the Black Panther Party in her early 20’s, which is where she met Tupoc’s father, Billy Garland. But after the death of her son in 1996, Shakur used her name to create the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, which provided art for the young adults in urban Georgia.

Although Afeni was famous because of who her son was, she is one of the few on this list that turned that used that fame almost entirely for charity. She created a fashion line whose proceeds all went to her foundation.

Afeni Shakur died as the result of a heart attack in 2016 in her home in Sausalito, California.

3 Melissa Ziegler Gisoni

Melissa Ziegler Gisoni became famous when her daughters, Maddie and Mackenzie, were featured on the hit reality show “Dance Mom’s”. The show debuted in 2011 on Lifetime, and followed the training and careers of children in dance. But the real spectacles of the show were the mothers, who were so devoted to their children that they screamed at the dance instructor as well as each other. Melissa appeared in the first season as an overzealous mother who wanted recognition for her daughters’ incredible talent.

Not one to shy away from the spotlight, Melissa garnered attention for her behavior. But this behavior, although petty, did make her famous alongside her two daughters. Melissa appeared in Todrick Hall’s video “Freaks Like Me”.

Melissa’s tenacious nature, brought to light by her talented children, made her famous.

2 Lynn Raisman

Lynn Raisman and her husband have become internet heroes for their hilarious, and outrageous reactions to their daughter’s competitions. Their daughter, Aly, is an Olmpic Gymnist, so you can understand why her parents might be feeling the pressure. But there are tons of US Olympic Athletes out there- and we know none of their parents.

I think it is fair to say that although Lynn Raisman has become famous off her daughter, it might not have been intentional. This woman cannot keep a poker face during a competition if her life depended on it. She shakes in her chair, leans dramatically to the side, grips her husband’s arms and releases a slew of facial expressions that could be featured on Saturday Night Live. Her mini-anxiety attacks have provided hours of entertainment for people across social media.

1 Andrea Swift

Oh, you didn’t think you were going to make it through this list without seeing Tay-Tay’s mom on here, did you? Her daughter, Taylor Swift, is one of the most famous living pop icons. Maybe even ever. Taylor broke barriers and collected fans from literally every genre of music because, dare I say it, she is the bomb.

Taylor’s mother, Andrea, has been featured in her daughter’s music videos, participated in interviews, and even publically testified on her daughter’s behalf in court. Andrea has helped manage Taylor’s illustrious career and has become famous herself, for it.

But unlike many of the other mothers on this list, Andrea has never seemed to yearn for the spotlight. Her fame is because she is the mother of someone crazy famous, and ends with that.

Sources: Wikipedia, Hollywood Life, Dance Moms, Romper