How Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen escaped the child star curse and became billion-dollar fashion titans

‘It comes with the territory,’ a 17-year-old Ashley Olsen told Oprah Winfrey in 2004 when discussing how her appearance, and that of her twin sister Mary-Kate, were picked apart on the world stage at the height of their fame.  

The twins provided astute commentary on how child stars of years past were thrust  into the limelight and left to fend for themselves amid preying eyes of fans, often before they had even reached adolescence.

While, at the time, Ashley’s comments were par for the course for child stars, they make for chilling viewing today as the clip has resurfaced online – with many fans now wincing as Winfrey asks: ‘What size are you, by the way?’ 

The blunt questioning came about because Winfrey, widely regarded as one of America’s stalwart broadcasters, raised the issue of a ‘rumour’ that had been circulating – that Mary-Kate had been battling an eating disorder. 

Watching the troubling clip today, modern-day viewers have expressed their discomfort at seeing the twins squirm while trying to address the deeply personal and intimate battle Mary-Kate was rumoured to be facing behind the scenes. 

So perhaps it’s no surprise that, as they reached adulthood after growing up on the world stage, the twins shunned the limelight almost altogether and quit acting for good – instead foraying into the fashion world.

Now dedicating their time to fashion where they work behind the scenes and rarely offer interviews, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have embarked upon entirely different lives, marrying and having children behind the scenes (while their 36-year-old sister Elizabeth flies the flag for the Olsen name in Hollywood instead). 

It seems the twins have managed to achieve the impossible – reversing the curse of the child stars to achieve astounding success almost entirely behind the scenes – and now heading up a $1 billion company. 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were born in Sherman Oaks, LA, to parents David and Jarnette. As well as Elizabeth, they also have a brother named Trent. 

The twins became household names for a generation of young women who were raised on the twins’ coming-of-age teen TV movies including titles like Winning London, When in Rome and New York Minute – but the actresses’ big break came when they were just six months old and starred in ABC sitcom Full House. 

The sisters, although not technically identical, both played the character of Michelle Tanner from the age of nine months old 1987 until the show ended in 1995.

By the mid-nineties, the Olsen twins, then just eight years old, were already stars – and also had a production company, Dualstar, to their names, from which their TV movies were born.

When Full House ended, the sisters kept on working and were instantly thrust into their next project – their feature film debut It Takes Two, starring Steve Guttenberg.

For the remainder of the nineties and the early noughties, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were rarely off screens, jet-setting around the world to film Dualstar TV movies in locations including Rome, Paris, The Bahamas and London. 

When they turned 18 in 2004, the twins became co-presidents of Dualstar and expanded the business to release a line of products including fragrances and home decor. 

But behind the scenes, fame was taking its toll on the twins, as rumours began to swirl Mary-Kate was battling an eating disorder amid her drastic weight loss – leading to the girl’s uncomfortable interaction with Oprah Winfrey.

Mary-Kate has never confirmed an eating disorder – however the sisters revealed in 2004 that she had checked into a rehab clinic or a ‘health-related issue’ – just one week after their 18th birthday.

Little over a year earlier, the actress had hinted that she was struggling with her body image when she told 48 Hours: ‘Are you kidding me? I look in the mirror and I’m like why do you look pretty and I look ugly?’ as she compared her appearance to that of Ashley’s.

In 2008, Mary-Kate addressed the rumours for the first time in an interview with Elle Magazine – but shied away from confirming either way.

She said: ‘I think it’s important that what anybody goes through — and I’m not saying that it’s true or not true — you realise it’s part of growing up. Everybody is going to go through hard times. It’s a part of life. 

‘I think the hardest part to get to is that point of asking for help or reaching out to other people and being honest with yourself. I do not want to go through my life with my eyes shut. And I don’t want to go through it with a closed mind. I want to be aware of things. And I’d rather know than not know.’

It was a dismissive answer that set the tone for the remainder of the interview and which marked the beginning of her retreat from the spotlight.

Away from showbusiness, the sisters had founded luxury fashion brand The Row in 2006. Established in New York City, the label, which makes clothing, footwear, bags and accessories, now sells in 37 countries around the world.

It began with a seven-piece capsule collection which consisted of the ‘perfect’ T-shirt, a pair of leggings and a cashmere dress, among other items – all of which were snapped up by department story Barneys New York immediately.

From there, The Row went from strength to strength, leading to the sisters buying a site in Paris in 2011 before adding a studio in Tribeca in 2012 – and expanding out to London in 2019.

Like many retailers, the success of The Row wavered in 2020 during the pandemic with reports the brand had laid off half its staff due to financial difficulties. 

However by 2021 it had bounced back, with The Cut estimating it had made $100 million in sales per year.

Last year, the family behind Chanel bought a stake in The Row, which is now valued at $1 billion. Amid its astounding success, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen remain the majority stakeholders.

As the sisters continued to enjoy incredible success after walking away from the limelight and choosing to further their careers behind the scenes, Mary Kate and Ashley adopted the same ethos in their personal lives.

In 2012 it emerged Mary Kate was dating Olivier Sarkozy, the brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. At the time, she was 26 years old and he was 43. Although the 17-year age difference raised eyebrows among the twins’ fans, little more was ever known about the couple’s eight-year relationship, which was kept extremely private.

By 2014 the couple were engaged and they tied the knot in November 2015 at a private residence in New York City – in a small ceremony of a reported 50 guests.

Page Six reported that the party was stocked up with ‘bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes, and everyone smoked the whole night’. 

Very little is known about their relationship which was kept almost entirely out of the public eye – but it was reported that their early dates included late night dinners at Nobu and horseback rides in The Hamptons. 

When they began dating, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Mary-Kate was attracted to the French businessman’s outgoing personality – and they bonded over shared values and work ethic.

In a rare comment on her marriage, Maty-Kate revealed in a 1017 interview how she and Olivier managed to balance work schedules with their family lives. 

‘I have a husband, two step-kids and a life; I have to go home and cook dinner. I ride horses on the weekends. You find the thing that helps you relax and if you don’t have it, you have to look for it,’ she told Net-a-Porter’s PORTER magazine.

Many of the couple’s public appearances during their eight year relationship revolved around Mary-Kate’s love of horseback riding, which saw her compete in several competitions.

However in April 2020 it emerged Mary-Kate had petitioned for divorce from the French mogul – however due to the pandemic, New York courts were not accepting divorce filings unless in case of an emergency. 

Amid reports of a bitter property battle between the pair, Mary-Kate requested an emergency order to speed up the divorce proceedings, citing she feared she would be kicked out of her NYC apartment – but her request was denied as it was deemed ‘not essential’. 

PEOPLE later reported that the couple split because they could not see eye to eye – particularly on the issue of having children.

A source told the magazine: ‘A few years ago, having a baby was not a priority for her. This has changed.’

The couple’s divorce was finalised in January 2021 with a source telling Entertainment Tonight that, despite the property row at the beginning of the split, the couple had managed to settle ‘amicably’. 

Meanwhile Ashley, who is just as secretive as her twin sister, has become a mother after keeping her pregnancy away from prying eyes. 

The fashion titan, who is married to Louis Eisner, welcomed son Otto into the world in 2023 – a surprise to her fans who’d had no idea she was pregnant.

In an indication of just how secretive the sisters are nowadays, Entertainment Tonight revealed that Ashley had kept her pregnancy secret from even some of her close friends.

A source told the programme that Ashley had played clever tricks with her outfits so as not to arouse suspicion that she was expecting a child.

Luckily, her signature look – black, loose clothing – served her well in being able to conceal her bump while out and about in public. 

While Ashley settles into family life, it’s not known if Mary-Kate is dating since her split from Olivier – which is likely exactly how she wants things to remain.

Perhaps her comments to PORTER magazine in 2017 summed it up best when she joked that she and Ashley find it ‘hard to do photoshoots’ nowadays.

In a stark contrast from how their early careers played out, Mary Kate said: ‘We’re used to being on the other side of the camera.’

And, after spending their childhoods and teenage years in the limelight while dealing with intense scrutiny, Ashley’s comments about social media seem even more poignant.

‘We don’t dive into that world… We’ve stayed quite sheltered.’