Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
While twinsMary-KateandAshley Olsenare household names (along with their younger sisterElizabeth), their other siblings tend to stay out of the spotlight.
The famous pair — who first skyrocketed to fame for their joint role as Michelle Tanner inFull House —are sisters to four siblings: Elizabeth, Trent, Courtney and Jake.
Trent, Mary-Kate, Ashley and Elizabeth were all born to parents Jarnette and David Olsen in Sherman Oaks, California. The couple divorced in 1996, and David went on to welcome two more children — Courtney and Jake — with his second wife, McKenzie.
Though Mary-Kate and Ashley are ultra-private and haven’t said much publicly about their siblings, they’ve made their love for them clear in little ways. In fact, the twins even named their lifestyle brand,Elizabeth and James, after their brother and sister.
“I always felt that having older twin sisters was an advantage,” ElizabethtoldHarper’s Bazaar UKin 2022. “I felt very clear about how I was going to navigate lots of things because of watching them. I also felt very protected.”
Keep reading for everything to know about the six Olsen siblings.
Trent Olsen
Trent Olsen Instagram
As a child, Trent appeared in several of his twin sisters' videos, includingYou’re Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley’s Sleepover PartyandMary-Kate & Ashley Olsen: Our First Video.According to a 2014 profile in theNew York Post, he and his sisters attended Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles, and he went on to graduate from the University of Southern California.
In February 2023, Trent shared asweet Instagram postdetailing how he reconnected with an old friend named Alexis, and the two had started dating. “I love you and look forward to seeing what all the next phases have in store… including my nerd s— that’s definitely starting to rub off on you,” he wrote.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
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Fraternal twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Fuller Olsen were born on June 13, 1986. As infants, the twins made their acting debut as Michelle Tanner onFull House, which premiered in 1987 and ran until 1995. They took turns playing the youngest Tanner sibling; as the twins' acting coach, Adria Later,explained toThe Washington Postin 1991, Ashley excelled in scenes with heavy dialogue, while Mary-Kate (whom she described as “a bit more shy”) thrived in shots with more action.
In 1993, when they were just 6 years old, the twins founded Dualstar Entertainment Group, with which they produced their own programming, such as theAdventures of Mary-Kate & Ashleyseries and direct-to-video movies likePassport to ParisandBillboard Dad.
The actresses also starred in two feature films,It Takes Two(1995) andNew York Minute (2004), and another ABC sitcom,Two of a Kind,which ran for one season in 1998.
The twins also showed an interest in fashion at an early age, and in 1999, they launched a hugely successful girls' clothing line with Walmart. In 2006, Mary-Kate and Ashley started a luxury clothing line calledThe Row, for which they’ve received several CFDA Fashion Awards.
Matt Winkelmeyer/MG19/Getty
In 2004, Ashley had her last starring role before stepping back from acting to focus on business endeavors. Mary-Kate took on some solo acting jobs before leaving the business in 2012.
As for their personal lives, Mary-Kate began dating French bankerOlivier Sarkozy, whose half-brother is former French PresidentNicolas Sarkozy, in 2012, andthe pair marriedin 2015. Five years later, Mary-Katefiled for divorcefrom Sarkozy and they reached a settlement agreement in 2021.
Elizabeth Olsen
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While an undergraduate student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Elizabeth landed a series of roles in independent films, most notably the 2011 psychological dramaMartha Marcy May Marlene. After making her Marvel debut as Wanda Maximoff in 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron, Elizabeth quickly rose to fame and achieved mainstream success. In 2021, she starred in the Disney+ seriesWandaVision, a show based on the star’s MCU character.
In a 2011 interview withThe New York Times, Elizabeth explained how she didn’t fully grasp the depth of her sisters' careers as a child.
“All of our family vacations were somehow involved or tied to my sisters' working,” she said. “It wasn’t until really a few years ago that I realized how hard that must have been for them. I just thought it was a fun vacation, but they were working every day, whether it was a cruise or a trip to Canada or whatever.”
Elizabeth has also addressed claims of nepotism over the years. In fact, she toldGlamour UKin 2021 that she even considered dropping her last name when she entered the industry.
“During that time, I thought, ‘I don’t want to be associated with [Mary-Kate and Ashley],’ for some reason,” she explained. “I guess I understood what nepotism was like inherently as a 10-year-old.”
However, Mary-Kate and Ashley’s guidance proved invaluable to the young actress when she was starting out. The best advice they ever gave her? “‘No’ is a full sentence.”
Afterbreaking off her engagementtoNarcosstarBoyd Holbrookin 2014, Elizabeth began dating musicianRobbie Arnett. The pair made their relationship public in 2017, and after three years of dating, the actress and musiciangot engagedin 2019.
In 2022, Elizabeth confirmed that she and Arnett hadsecretly eloped. Speaking on SiriusXM’sThe Jess Cagle Show, she said, “It was before COVID. I just never talked about it.”
Courtney Taylor Olsen
Courtney Olsen Instagram
The first child of David and his second wife McKenzie, Courtney Taylor Olsen was born on May 10, 1997. While she’s never acted, she’s highly supportive of her famous siblings' careers.
“Just admiring my badass of a sister,” she captioned a2018 Instagram photoin which she’s standing next to a poster forAvengers: Infinity War.
In May 2022, Courtney attended the premiere of her sister Elizabeth’s movieDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.She shared snaps from the evening on Instagram with her partner and brother Trent. “Big Wanda fans over here,” shecaptioned the post.
While Courtney hasn’t launched an acting career like her older sisters, she still has ties to Hollywood. According to herInstagram, she’s close friends withThe Game PlanactressMadison Pettis. The duo have apparently been pals for some time; in December 2022, Pettisshared a snapof her and Courtney with a group in friends captioned, “11th Annual Secret Santa festivity with my for lifers.”
Jake Olsen
Jake Olsen Instagram
Born in 1998, Jake Olsen is the youngest of the Olsen siblings and the second child of David and McKenzie. He keeps a low profile, but his Instagram suggests that he’s currently working in the entertainment industry. In 2022, he assistant directed and acted ina music video, and in 2023, heappeared in an adfor Driply Coffee.
In 2016, Jake had a brief stint as a model, posing for aneditorial photo shootforRunwaymagazine. In the accompanying interview, he briefly discussed what it was like growing up as one of six siblings.
“Growing up in our house was always interesting … there was a lot going on!” he said. “I learned about respect from everyone in my family. In a family of six kids, you learn it’s not always about you.”
Jake added: “I love every chaotic moment I have when my family is all together. It’s a lot more normal than you would think … We all support each other’s dreams.”
In December 2016, heshared a photowith his sister Elizabeth and wrote, “I love family time with my sister.”
source: people.com
