Marie Osmond certainly isn't the first celebrity to opt out of passing down her wealth after she dies, and, like other celebs who have made this decision, she received some pushback. Her "The Talk" co-host Sheryl Underwood immediately disagreed with Osmond after revealing her intentions, insisting that children who grow up around money naturally learn to respect and understand it so they won't abuse their fortune.
However, Osmond retorted that she found that wasn't usually the case. She argued that people who receive substantial inheritances are more liable to get in trouble because they aren't distracted with work. She also cited a personal experience of watching her relatives fight over a table and mirror after her uncle and aunt passed away as being a deciding factor for her.
"Honestly, why would you enable your child to not try to be something?" Osmond reiterated to Us Weekly in 2023. "I don't know anybody who becomes anything if they're just handed money. To me, the greatest gift you can give your child is a passion to search out who they are inside and to work. I think all [an inheritance] does is breed laziness and entitlement. I worked hard, and I'm gonna spend it all and have fun with my husband [Steve Craig]."
