6 Of The Sweetest Sisterly Bonds In Hollywood

Ranging from the legendary Jackson family to the controversial Kardashian clan, Hollywood has spotlighted many noteworthy families over the years. For better or for worse, these celebrity households breed headline-making moments, whether it's nepo babies wearing their mom's famous dresses or celebrity-born kids cutting ties with their renowned dads. Still, parent-child relationships aren't the only thing that are difficult to navigate in the public eye. Sibling relationships can be complex, providing both early connections and sources of seemingly endless frustration.

At the same time, these childhood links have the potential to blossom into lifelong friendship, with ties among sisters being a special vehicle for female camaraderie. "I think across the life course, we noticed that sister-sister pairs do tend to be closer," Dr. Megan Gilligan, an Iowa State University professor of human development and family studies, shared with the "Speaking of Psychology" podcast (via the American Psychological Association). "Women are also more likely to engage in conflict with each other. They may have these close relationships, but they also may have more intense conflict."

In this way, while some celebs are in need of tactics to smooth over sibling rivalries, there are other stars who've managed to maintain sweet sisterly bonds during their time in the spotlight. Not only do these heartwarming relationships highlight the importance of positive sibling relationships, but they have the unique quality of weathering public scrutiny together.

Elle and Dakota Fanning make up one of the most recognizable sibling duos, with both of the actors starting in Hollywood at a young age. They both have a distinct list of acting credits; Dakota, born in 1994, defined her childhood years with intense action films like "Man on Fire" and "War of the Worlds," alongside heartfelt projects like "The Secret Life of Bees." Meanwhile, Elle, born in 1998, appeared as Aurora in "Maleficent" before going on to star in the raunchy historical series "The Great."

Despite working in the same industry, the Fanning sisters have managed to avoid anything resembling sibling rivalry. "We obviously share a lot, but we're very different," Dakota told Vanity Fair in 2025. "So I don't even see something that's right for her as being right for me. I don't feel competitive." This positive relationship has allowed the sisters to cross their career path in a very purposeful way. Back in 2021, the siblings launched Lewellen Pictures production company, intending to develop TV projects and feature films.

"We let each other kind of find our own path and now that we're getting older, we're kind of coming together," Elle told Entertainment Tonight. "We're producing things together. We're going to work together now." The blonde beauties are also set to star together in the adaptation of "The Nightingale," a Kristin Hannah title that ranks among the best wartime historical fiction picks from Reese's Book Club.

While Serena and Venus Williams are actually two of five sisters, they rank as another fan-favorite Hollywood duo. The acclaimed athletes have had an undeniable impact on the world of tennis, each going professional at the age of 14 before setting records and competing at the Olympic stage. Outside of the sport, Venus has expanded her reach to interior design and fashion, launching V Starr studio in 2002 and clothing line EleVen in 2007. Meanwhile, Serena has launched an entire empire of brands, ranging from her skincare line Wyn Beauty to her production company 926 Productions.

Throughout their careers, Serena and Venus have been both teammates and rivals, making headlines as they've fiercely competed against one another. Even so, they've managed to maintain their unique bond over the years, with Serena writing about sisterhood on her website. "My sisters are the only people in the world who know exactly what it's like to grow up with our parents, in our family," she wrote. "We understand each other on another level because of these shared experiences, and that makes our sisterhood special."

Not only is their sisterly bond inspirational to fans and athletes, but the two continue to inspire one another as well. "I think we're each other's hero," Venus told People in 2021. "I learned so much from her on, off the court and I couldn't have been the person that I am or won any titles, really, without [her]." Even with a history of intense competition, the Williams sisters maintain obvious respect and deep love for one another.

Gigi and Bella Hadid are the next pair of sisterly celebs on our list, with the California natives each establishing themselves as some of the most sought-after supermodels in the industry. The sisters, who are only 18 months apart in age, have both walked the runway for countless designer brands, earned modeling-based awards, and posed on the covers of magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar.

Their overlapping career paths have led to a number of iconic collaborations, with the Hadid sisters walking several runways together, including the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and posing side-by-side for legendary brands like Versace. In fact, Gigi and Bella have highlighted their shared industry as a positive. "By the time we were [16], we [realized] that we have each other and that it can get lonely out there," Bella told The Telegraph. "Now, if we're having a hard time at work, we can just walk to the other side of hair and [makeup] and see one another."

When the Hadids aren't kickstarting viral beauty and fashion trends, such as Bella-pioneered grandma nails, they share sweet moments together on their social media pages. For example, both sisters took to Instagram in January 2025 to recount a heartwarming trip to Disney World that included Gigi's daughter. "[Experiencing] Disney as an adult, with your [Disney-]coded big sister, and your perfect baby (also Disney[-]obsessed) niece ... is a whole [new] level of emotion," Bella captioned a carousel of photos. They may have reached the in-demand It-Girl status, but they've maintained their sisterly bond along the way.

Emily and Zooey Deschanel are two actors whose sibling status may come as a surprise, but that doesn't make their friendship any less heartwarming. Zooey starred in the sitcom "New Girl" in addition to appearing in movies like "Elf" and "500 Days of Summer," while Emily is best known for playing Dr. Brennan on the long-running series "Bones." Born to actor Mary Jo Deschanel and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, the sisters grew up adjacent to the Hollywood industry, but still experienced a very familiar dynamic as young siblings.

"We fought a lot as kids," Emily said on the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast. "We would physically fight each other. I mean, there's nobody who would push my buttons more." Despite their differences, they seemingly look back at their early relationship with fondness, with Zooey praising her sister during a joint interview. "You're a really good big sister," she said. "You were very protective. Sometimes you were mean, but most of the time you were pretty nice."

While Emily revealed that she and her sister became closer during their young adult years, their overlapping pregnancies also served as a bonding experience. Emily welcomed her second son in June 2015, while Zooey had her first child in late July of the same year. "[We] couldn't have planned it better," Emily said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (via People). Even if you didn't realize these two celebs were related, their sisterly bond quickly becomes obvious.

Penélope and Mónica Cruz mark another pair of noteworthy Hollywood siblings, though with an international reach. Penélope, born in 1974, is known for English-speaking films like "Vanilla Sky" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," with the celeb earning an Oscar for her supporting role in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Mónica, born in 1977, joined Joaquín Cortés' dance company at the age of 17 before landing a role in the Spanish show "Un paso adelante."

Though the two have been heavily compared in the media, likely because of their physical similarities, the Cruz sisters have nothing but love for one another. "Penélope and I never fight, we have a really, really good relationship," Mónica told Daily Mail back in 2007, emphasizing the value of family. "We are the same size and we borrow each other's clothes all the time." In fact, while the Spain-born sisters each have their own claims to fame, they've also collaborated on several projects to establish themselves as an iconic fashion duo.

Back in 2007, the sisters partnered with Mango, a Spain-based fashion chain, to release a diverse clothing collection. "This is something we've wanted to do for a long time," Penélope told The Times. "We've always loved clothes — we used to hide in the bathroom with fashion magazines and say, 'I want that one.'" The siblings went on to design a lingerie line in collaboration with Agent Provocateur in 2013, and more recently teamed up with footwear brand GEOX to release multiple collections. With this in mind, the Cruz sisters might just be the most fashion-forward of the bunch.

Chloe and Halle Bailey round out the list of the sweetest sisterly bonds in Hollywood, with the Georgia-born duo rising to fame after being signed by Beyoncé's management company in 2015. The young stars released two studio albums as the musical duo Chloe x Halle, receiving multiple Grammy nominations, and appeared together on the spin-off sitcom "Grown-ish." While working this closely to a sibling would be a nightmare for some, the Bailey sisters undeniably shined as a duo.

"Because we know each other so well, it makes it that much easier," Chloe told xoNecole. "In terms of the business standpoint, we don't have to sugarcoat anything with each other ... and I truly feel like we bring out the best in each other." They've pursued independent career paths since their breakout in the late 2010s; Halle, who ranks among celebrities to take method dressing to the next level, landed the role of Ariel in the live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid," while Chloe released her debut single "Have Mercy" in 2021.

When appearing on the "Tamron Hall Show" in 2021, Chloe revealed that the pandemic played a significant role in their forking careers, as they were separated for nearly two years after Halle had traveled to London for her Disney film. "We both knew one day we'd do our own projects," the artist said. "We just didn't know it would come so fast." Even so, their sisterly bond has remained strong, with Chloe telling E! News in 2024, "I will go to bat for her, just like she would go to bat for me."