Gracie Abrams Reveals How Her Famous Dad J.J. Abrams Reacted to Her Rise to Stardom: ‘What in the World?

Gracie Abrams Reveals How Her Famous Dad J.J. Abrams Reacted to Her Rise to Stardom: 'What in the World?

‘The Secret of Us’ singer is the daughter of ‘Star Wars’ director J.J. Abrams and actress Katie McGrath

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: (EXCLUSIVE ACCESS, SPECIAL RATES APPLY) Director J.J. Abrams (R) and Gracie Abrams attend the 2016 MTV Movie Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 9, 2016 in Burbank, California. MTV Movie Awards airs April 10, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Gracie Abrams‘ parents weren’t ready for her sudden rise to fame.

Having opened a whopping 49 Eras shows for Taylor Swift, and appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Gracie, 25, is proving her stardom isn’t reliant on nepotism.

“They’re like, ‘What in the world?’” she revealed to Nylon, describing her parents’ reaction to her growing popularity. “But it’s really sweet,” the “Close To You” singer added.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 13: Singer, Gracie Abrams performs during iHeartRadio z100's Jingle Ball 2024 Presented By Capital One at Madison Square Garden on December 13, 2024 in New York City.
Gracie Abrams in New York City.Kevin Kane/WireImage

Mom Katie McGrath and dad J.J. Abrams threw their support behind Gracie as she took to the stage recently at Madison Square Garden in New York City. J.J. Abrams was swarmed by fans asking for selfies — not because of his major sci-fi productions but because he’s Gracie’s dad.

She admits both of her parents have been influential throughout her pursuit of a career in the entertainment industry.

The singer said her mother, Katie McGrath who is the co-CEO at Bad Robot Productions, is, “The toughest person I know, and not a softie.”

“The way that she treats people is how I want to treat people, and for me to see her be that way towards this community that cares so much about the music…” she said, after watching her mother interact with her listeners at the concert in New York.

“Her support and encouragement of my writing my whole life is the reason that I’m doing any of this now,” Gracie added.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Katie McGrath and Gracie Abrams attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Gracie Abrams and her mom Katie McGrath.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

The Risk singer previously gushed about her mom to Glamour magazine saying, “I admire her wholeheartedly. As I’ve gotten older, I just wanted to be more and more like her. To see her fearlessness in these spaces is something that inevitably has guided me as a woman.”

As for her storytelling father, Gracie said her dad’s work has paved the way for her.

“There’s a privilege in having even grown up around the knowledge of what the entertainment world looks like at all,” she told iHeartRadio Canada, while reflecting on her start in songwriting.

“I feel really lucky that I grew up in a house where there was an adult in my life who was telling stories all the time,” she continued. “To know that that doesn’t have to end when you’re a kid.

“Whether or not that was on my mind when I was writing songs because it definitely wasn’t.

“I think that having that in my childhood solidified my love and appreciation for storytelling … and influenced the fact that I did it all the time.”

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