Vanessa Williams' Daughter Jillian Hervey Grew Up To Be Gorgeous Like Her Mom

Vanessa Williams has spent decades receiving praise for her natural talent and beauty visible on and off screen. Between her signature golden brown tresses, green eyes, and being hailed as the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America, Williams highlighted some of the things people found attractive in the '80s. Adding to her long line of beauty-driven accolades throughout her time in Hollywood, Williams' undeniably captivating features were passed down to her four children, especially her daughter Jillian Hervey. 

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While they're not one of the mother-daughter duos in Hollywood with matching tattoos, Hervey is often a talking point for how much she looks like her famous mom, taking after her musical side as well. Celebrated as a vocalist for the R&B duo Lion Babe, Hervey frequently receives comparisons to her "Soul Food" star mom, thanks in part to her honey brown curls, defined cheekbones, and success in music.

If there's one thing the "Party Life" singer admits to taking after her mother, it's Williams' bold and fierce demeanor. "If people call me a diva, I say, 'I got it from my mama,'" she said at the VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night event while introducing her mom (via ET). Hervey even wore her mother's dress to the 2016 event, sharing the look on Instagram with a heartfelt caption that gave "A salute to the woman who I have never seen nervous. Divas don't do fear, they harness it and make it celebratory!"

Vanessa Williams and Jillian Hervey opened up about their milestone Mother's Day in 2022. It was Hervey's first official Mother's Day after welcoming her son in December, and Williams' first time celebrating the holiday as a grandmother. "Just seeing how much he changes every day, and bonding with him — I think it's been so special and rare to have this pace of life right now. So I'm just trying to savor it all," Hervey told Essence. Williams praised her daughter's motherhood skills, highlighting the maternal qualities her daughter showcased well before becoming a mom. "She's always been very caring and attentive. She's a great cook and baker, and she loves to entertain and host, so I knew she was going to be a great mother," Williams said.

While already close, Hervey and Williams credit Hervey's becoming a mom herself as a life change that only strengthened their bond. Following the birth of her grandson, Williams made herself available to her daughter through frequent FaceTime calls and texts, as well as weekly visits despite her busy schedule. "She knew that I was there for any questions and if she needed me to jump in for anything," Williams shared. 

Another thing that brings them together is their music careers. When releasing her first album in 15 years in 2024, Williams tapped her daughter for the track "BOP!," which they discussed on an October episode of the "Tamron Hall Show." Williams wore an all-black ensemble (showing how to upgrade your LBD with some accessorizing) and the resemblance to her daughter was striking. "Like mother, like daughter!" the show captioned a humorous TikTok Hervey and Williams recorded, where Hervey used a voiceover to say, "Thank you. I look just like my mommy."