Sabrina Carpenter Has An Unexpectedly Famous Aunt (No, She's Not One Of The Carpenters)

Sabrina Carpenter's last name would have you believe she's either related to "Halloween" director, and horror icon, John Carpenter or one of the musical siblings behind the 1970s group The Carpenters. In reality, however, Sabrina isn't connected to any of these other famous Carpenters. But that doesn't mean she doesn't have any celebrity associations. During the "Espresso" hitmaker's December 2021 WIRED auto-complete interview, Sabrina shared that she's related to Nancy Cartwright, the voice behind Bart Simpson and loads of other characters from "The Simpsons." The former Disney star explained that Cartwright is her father's sister, making the legendary voice actor her aunt. The singer-songwriter gushed: "We work on kind of like different ends of the industry, but I've learned so much just from, like, observing her and she's so talented." 

Sabrina previously discussed her relationship with the "Kim Possible" voice star during a March 2021 appearance on Capital FM. In that chat, the "Skin" songstress revealed that Cartwright's celebrity status was "the coolest thing in the world" growing up. However, she didn't get to personally witness her aunt's talents for a while because the adults in her life barred Sabrina from watching "The Simpsons" until she was the appropriate age. The pop star also fondly recalled how Cartwright occasionally got their family a table at a packed restaurant by doing the Bart voice. Naturally, it didn't take long for people to assume that Sabrina had used her aunt's fame to get into more than just restaurants. 

When Nancy Cartwright spoke to Capital FM herself, in March 2021, she clarified that she wasn't biologically related to Sabrina Carpenter. Rather, "Her grandmother married my dad." The "Rugrats" voice actor noted that she only got to meet the "Nonsense" hitmaker as Carpenter neared adolescence. At the time, she was trying to make it big in showbiz after bagging a few smaller roles. Naturally, Cartwright wanted to help her young relative out, so she let the Carpenter family spend several nights at her home to help them get a better idea of life in Hollywood. Cartwright also assisted the "Feather" hitmaker professionally by opening the door for her at an acting agency. However, she stressed that the singer-songwriter only got by on her tremendous talents. Still, social media users weren't convinced that Carpenter hadn't used nepotism to further her career. 

In a discussion on the subreddit r/popculturechat, one frustrated commenter wrote: "It's this every time a 'new star is born' and they just happen to be related to someone already in the industry. Makes me wonder how many people that are more capable get snuffed because of the constant nepotism." Others took issue with their connection because of Cartwright's ties to Scientology. Some Redditors even speculated that the "Nonsense" singer had followed in her footsteps by joining the controversial religious organization. However, others came to Carpenter's defense with a screenshot of her denying the rumor.

Although it may seem like Sabrina Carpenter burst onto the scene out of nowhere, she has actually been working from a young age. Speaking to Student Pocket Guide in 2019, the "Please Please Please" hitmaker emphasized that becoming an actor and a singer were lifelong dreams of hers, and she couldn't imagine herself doing anything else. Likewise, in Nancy Cartwright's Capital FM interview, she recalled that Carpenter was extremely career-driven from a young age and had a razor-focused vision of becoming a Disney star in particular. After years of auditioning, picking up minor roles and a stunning transformation, Carpenter got her big break in Disney's "Girl Meets World" in 2014. Her music career took off around the same time as she signed a record deal with Disney's Hollywood Records. 

In the following years, Carpenter increased her stunning net worth by releasing songs and working on acting projects simultaneously. She didn't seem to mind the hard work that comes with a thriving career, as the "Hate U Give" star informed Student Pocket Guide: "I just try to sleep whenever I get the opportunity, which isn't often! I thrive on doing many different things and feeling creatively like I am using every outlet at my disposal." In 2020, Carpenter added a Broadway musical to her impressive roster by playing the part of Cady Heron in the onstage "Mean Girls" adaptation. Ultimately, it seems like Cartwright's Capital FM interview proclamation that Carpenter would be an EGOT winner might come true.