Simpsons’ Nancy Cartwright Details Bond With Niece Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter is in the good graces of an iconic Simpsons actor.
Indeed, Nancy Cartwright, who has voiced Bart Simpson since the show premiered in 1989, explained that she and the “Espresso” singer share a special bond, since Sabrina is her niece.
“She’s not a blood relative,” Nancy clarified on the Jan. 2 episode of Toon’d In with Jim Cummings. “Her grandmother was married to my dad, so her dad was my stepbrother.”
And as family, Nancy had “no problem” supporting Sabrina on her path to success from a very young age.
“I met her when she was 8,” she continued. “Her folks brought the three girls out to my house, and they stayed with us because she was interested in her dream was to do everything Disney. She wanted a Disney contract, and she said, ‘I want to do that’ since she was 6 years old.”
Agreeing that Sabrina, with her singing and acting talents, “could really do it,” Nancy added, “They would come out every year and stay with me. They lived with me for four months at a time during pilot season and helped her get management [and an] agent.”
But while the voice actress was there to help the Grammy winner—who is nominated for six more trophies this year, including Album of the Year—at the start of her career, she certainly doesn’t plan to “take credit for it.”
“She needed to hold her own, obviously,” Nancy shared, “and this little gal, she sings, she dances, she writes, she will be an EGOT someday.”
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“She can do it all,” the 68-year-old added. “She certainly doesn’t need my help. I gave her a little boost and she ran with it, and I’m very proud of her.”
Nancy concluded, “Look at her now. She’s just flying.”
Of course, Sabrina and Nancy aren’t the only Hollywood stars who share a surprising connection. Read on to see other celebs who you might not know are related.
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Nancy Cartwright & Sabrina Carpenter
The Simpsons actor, who has voiced Bart since the show premiered in 1989, is the aunt of the “Espresso” singer.
“She’s not a blood relative,” Nancy clarified on a January 2026 episode of Toon’d In with Jim Cummings. “Her grandmother was married to my dad, so her dad was my stepbrother.”
And that family connection led to Nancy playing a pivotal role in Sabrina’s success.
“They would come out every year and stay with me,” she continued. “They lived with me for four months at a time during pilot season and helped her get management [and an] agent.”
The Emmy winner concluded, “She certainly doesn’t need my help. I gave her a little boost and she ran with it, and I’m very proud of her.”
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images/Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Lena Dunham & Larry David
On a 2024 episode of Finding Your Roots, host Henry Louis Gates Jr., revealed that Lena Dunham had a distant ancestor in common with Larry David on her mother’s side.
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Stassi Schroeder & Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Genealogist Dr. Adina Newman, known on Instagram as My Family Genie, revealed Blanchard and the Vanderpump Rules alum are allegedly related on their paternal grandmother’s side dating back all the way to the 1600s.
Schroeder, a self-professed true crime fan, commented on Newman’s post, “Omg I’m unwell.”
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Dakota Johnson & Antonio Banderas
The Mask of Zorro star was married to the Fifty Shades of Grey actress’ mother Melanie Griffith for 20 years before they ultimately split in 2015, but that doesn’t mean the stepfather and daughter’s bond has been severed.
Johnson got emotional when she presented an award to Banderas at the 2019 Hollywood Film Awards.
“I come from a family of many a marriage and I got very lucky,” Johnson, whose dad is actor Don Johnson, said. “I got a bonus dad who I realized that, over time, is actually one of the most influential people in my whole life,” she said. “When I was six years old, my mother married a man who brought an unbelievably bright light and a whole new world of creativity and culture—and one remarkably magical little sister into our family.”
Robyn Lively & Blake Lively
The Teen Witch star and the Gossip Girl alum are half-sisters who share the same mom, talent manager Elaine Lively.
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Elle King & Rob Schneider
The “Ex’s & Oh’s” singer is the SNL vet’s daughter, born from his relationship with former model London King.
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Ludacris & Monica
The Fast & Furious star is cousins with the R&B singer thanks to her stepfather, Reverend Edward Best, who happens to be the rapper’s uncle.
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Conan O’Brien & Denis Leary
The late-night host and the Rescue Me alum are third cousins.
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Steven Spielberg & Jessica Capshaw
The onetime Grey’s Anatomy doc has called the legendary director stepdad ever since he married her mom Kate Capshaw in 1991.
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Yara Shahidi & Nas
The Grown-ish star calls the rapper her second cousin. She was even the flower girl in his 2005 wedding with now ex-wife Kelis.
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Lea Thompson & Zoey Deutch
The actress is the daughter of the Back to the Future icon.
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Kiefer Sutherland & Sarah Sutherland
Not only did the Veep vet make a name for herself playing a famous daughter on the HBO comedy, but she’s also a famous daughter in real life. The erstwhile Jack Bauer star is her father.
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Phil Collins & Lily Collins
Some Emily in Paris viewers were très shocked to discover Lily is the daughter of the English Grammy winner.
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Amy Schumer & Chuck Schumer
The comedian and the New York Senator are actually related, as he’s the first cousin of her father.
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Kate Middleton, Dakota Fanning & Elle Fanning
According to a 2014 People interview, a family historian from Ancestry.com claimed that the Fannings and the Princess of Wales are all descendants of King Edward III, who ruled England from 1327 to 1377, making them very distant relatives—21st cousins, to be exact.
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Jonah Hill & Beanie Feldstein
The actors are actually brother and sister.
©Academy Museum Foundation; Photo by Hunter Abrams
Niecy Nash, Danielle Brooks & Sterling K. Brown
Talent runs in this family, as the Reno 911! alum, Orange Is the New Black actress and This Is Us star are all cousins.
“We are blood related!” Nash wrote on Instagram January 2024, sharing a photo of the trio at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Third Annual Fundraising Gala. “REAL cousins!”
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Jason Sudeikis & George Wendt
The SNL alum calls the Cheers icon Uncle George whenever he sees him. At least, we assume he does.
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Stephen Dillane & Frank Dillane
Yep, Game of Thrones‘ Stannis Baratheon is the real-life dad of Fear the Walking Dead‘s Nick Clark.
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Lily Allen & Sam Smith
The brunette beauty and the “Stay With Me” singer are third cousins. During a radio interview, Smith admitted that the pair have never met because their family is “huge.”
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Liev Schreiber & Pablo Schreiber
The Salt actor and the memorable Law & Order: SVU guest star are half-brothers.
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Melissa McCarthy & Jenny McCarthy
You may not have guessed but the Bridesmaids comedian and the former View co-host are cousins.
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Julia Roberts & Emma Roberts
The We’re the Millers actress has the perfect mentor in the Pretty Woman star, who happens to be her auntie.
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Lacey Schwimmer & David Schwimmer
Who knew the stunning Dancing With the Stars pro is second cousins with the Friends alum?
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Alexander Skarsgård & Stellan Skarsgård
The True Blood vampire caught the acting bug from his dear old dad who stars in both The Avengers and Thor franchises.
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Sofia Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Nicolas Cage & Francis Ford Coppola
The Ghost Rider actor comes from an extremely talented family. One of his cousins directed The Bling Ring, the other starred in Saving Mr. Banks and his uncle directed The Godfather.
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Lily Allen & Alfie Allen
The outspoken British singer is the older sister of the Game of Thrones star. She even wrote a song about him titled “Alfie.”
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Brooke Shields & Glenn Close
The Damages star and the Lipstick Jungle actress are second cousins.
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Shirley MacLaine & Warren Beatty
The Terms of Endearment actress originally inspired her baby brother to get into show business.
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Rashida Jones & Quincy Jones
The Parks and Recreation actress is the daughter of the legendary music producer.
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