Sometimes we are given names that are either too hard to pronounce or too long to keep in their entirety. And if you are someone with a normal 9-5 job, that is completely fine. But, if you are someone in the entertainment industry who wants your name to be known by everyone, this may not be the best thing. That’s why many people choose to either shorten their full names or completely change them.
1. Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus legally changed her name back in 2008 from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Cyrus. The name Miley is a rendition of her childhood nickname “Smiley” in honor of her paternal grandfather.
2. Victoria Beckham
Prior to becoming known as the fashion diva, Victoria Beckham, back in the early days of the iconic group we love, Victoria Adams was the name used for her records. However, when the Spice Girls became rising stars, she changed her name to Posh Spice. Years later, she become the famous Victoria Beckham we know today.
3. Vin Diesel
At the age of 17, Mark Sinclair was a rather big guy. He even used to work as a bouncer at a nightclub called The Tunnel. Around that time he took the name Vin Diesel and started to shave his head regularly.
4. Rachel Weisz
Early in her career, she changed her name to Rachel Vyce, but when people told her that it was too difficult to pronounce, she changed it to Kenya Campbell. She decided to keep it that way for a while, but she soon realized that it sounded unpleasant. The actress then decided to stay with Rachel Weisz and made a lot of iconic movies.
5. Natalie Portman
It was in 1994 when a very young Neta-Lee Hershlag auditioned for Leon and landed her first role in a major production. While filming, the actress changed her name to “Natalie” and took her mother’s maiden last name. Apparently, she wanted to maintain her privacy because some scenes in the movie were polemical.
6. Alicia Keys
Her real name is Alicia Augello-Cook, but she changed it and decided to have her own different stage name with a special meaning behind it. She explained, “It’s like the piano keys, and it can also open a lot of doors,” and she ended up with the name Alicia Keys and broke multiple records in her career.
7. Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop, now known as Jamie Foxx, tried out a couple of different names when he first started doing open mic nights. When he’d sign up to the open mic lists, he used the names Tracy Brown and Stacy Green but eventually landed on Jamie Foxx.
8. Iggy Azalea
Her birth name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly, and she ended up with Iggy Azalea because she has a dog named “Iggy,” and it became her nickname. She came up with the surname Azalea, as she explained, “Because that is a street name that my mom and family live on, and it sounds very feminine, and I thought it would balance out Iggy being so masculine.”
9. Lana Del Rey
The singer’s real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, but she’s now known as Lana Del Rey. When she began singing, she went by the name, “Lizzy Grant,” and also performed as “Sparkle Rope Jump Queen” until she landed on Lana Del Rey.
10. Tom Hardy
Before becoming Tom Hardy, his birth name was Edward Thomas Hardy, and he only used his first name before deciding to go by his middle name instead. Even though the Internet was aware of his true identity, it was not widely publicized.
11. Blake Lively
After Blake became an actress she decided to take the surname of her mother, Elaine Lively as her stage name.
12. Aaron Paul
His full name is Aaron Paul Sturtevant, but when he went to auditions, no one could pronounce his surname, “Sturtevant,” so he had to change it so that everyone could say it, and then he shortened it when he entered Hollywood.
13. Lorde
Lorde changed her original name at the age of 12 when she was signed to a development contract with the Universal Music Group after an agent of theirs saw footage of her singing at a middle school talent show. Her real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor. The royalty hidden in the name Lord encouraged her in changing her original name, but she also added an “e” because she felt that Lord would be too masculine for a girl.
Preview photo credit Laurent VU/SIPA/Sipa Press Russia/East News, mileycyrus / Instagram
His Late Wife Left Him a Final Letter – The Secret Inside Led Him to a Paternity Test
Ten months after his wife passed away, a widower found the strength to open the last letter she wrote for him before she died. After reading her heartbreaking confession, he quickly decided to take a paternity test.
On November 29, 2021, a sad widower found comfort in the “Off My Chest” subreddit, sharing his deep sadness. He wasn’t looking for advice but received support from others who reminded him that it was okay to cry about what his wife had done.
The man and his wife had a happy four-year marriage. They loved their time together, and the birth of their son made them even happier. But life took a tragic turn for them.
His Late Wife’s Letter
The widower’s wife passed away ten months before he shared his story on Reddit. Heartbroken and feeling lost, he found the strength to keep going. Even in his sadness, he promised to be a caring father to his 4-year-old son.
As time went on, things began to feel a little more normal for him. His son became his whole world, and he couldn’t imagine life without their bond. During this time, he found the last letter his wife wrote for him. He had known about the letter but didn’t have the courage to read it until ten months later.
After finally reading the letter, he was in shock. It took him a long time to process what he had learned from her honest words.
In the letter, his wife revealed that she had gotten very drunk at her bachelorette party and had a one-night stand with a stranger. As a result, she became pregnant, and now he was left unsure if their son was really his, since this happened just days before their wedding.
Receiving Online Support and Putting His Life Back Together
“I am so incredibly sorry. I know how much this hurts. Your feelings are valid,” wrote one Reddit user. The widower thanked the person and said he planned to take a long drive to clear his mind and deal with his emotions.
“Driving can help. Just make sure to stay safe and enjoy the music,” another user suggested.
Meanwhile, he felt relieved to leave his son at his parents’ home but worried about how he would feel when they were together again. When his son came back home, the father was nervous about how to react.
Deep down, he loved his son, but he was scared that he would see him differently after learning the truth about his wife. When he saw his son, he quickly ran to him and hugged him tightly as if he hadn’t seen him in years. His son hugged him back, showing how happy he was to be with his dad.
The widower felt overwhelmed and almost cried in his son’s arms as he tried to come to terms with his wife’s betrayal. He was determined that his son would always be his son and that their bond would stay the same.
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