You surely know Mara Wilson. She’s a former child star known for starring in classic movies like Matilda, Mrs.Doubtfire, and the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street. Chances are, you’ve also heard of Ben Shapiro before. He’s an outspoken conservative political commentator, columnist, and host. But, did you know that these two are actually related? Despite being family, these public figures are not exactly on good terms. So, why don’t these famous cousins speak to each other?
Mara Wilson And Ben Shapiro Are Cousins
As surprising as it may be, Wilson and Shapiro are actually cousins on their maternal side. However, they aren’t exactly best buddies at family gatherings. While family bonds folks in certain ways, these two couldn’t be more different. For one thing, Wilson and Shapiro are both Jewish, yet their views on their community are very, very different. In the wake of a major violent hate crime that took place at a Hanukkah celebration in 2019, Shapiro tweeted his controversial opinion that every synagogue should “have at least an armed guard, and several qualified people with firearms.”
Wilson is always eager to talk about her Jewish heritage. But unlike her second amendment-loving cousin, left-leaning Wilson has made it very clear that she does not think more guns are the answer to problems.
In an interview with Jewish Currents, Wilson explained, “The Jewish community I grew up in was VERY politically conservative.” She went on to say, “In the past few years, I’ve found myself moving more and more to the left, and the more I’ve read about the leftist history of Judaism, the more I’ve felt that this was where I belong… I just think I have a lot of compassion for people, regardless of their political beliefs or where they’re from, and really just want justice and dignity and a future for the world. And I think Nazis should f*ck off. I guess that makes me a leftist Jew.”
Wilson And Shapiro Have Polar Opposite Political Views
As an adult, Wilson has mostly left the acting world to become a writer. She’s also well-known for her Twitter and never shying away from voicing her political opinions. Of course, Shapiro never shies away from these things either. And clearly, their views aren’t remotely aligned. Since they’re both very active on Twitter, things tend to get messy. Wilson even once liked a tweet by Padma Lakshmi that poked fun at Shapiro. Wilson has voiced her opinions on ICE, abortion, and Donald Trump. These opinions have pushed some of Wilson’s more conservative followers to call her “too political.” While he hasn’t made a statement on it, it seems pretty likely that Shapiro agrees.
With self-assured, informed folks like this on such opposite sides and in the same family, it’s scary to think about how the Wilson-Shapiro Thanksgiving dinner conversation might go. However, Wilson has made it pretty clear that these two don’t spend any time together—including the holidays. In 2019, she tweeted, “Growing up is great because you get to choose which relatives you want to spend time with and which ones to cut out of your life without any regret.” We’re guessing that that’s one thing Wilson and Shapiro can agree on.