Gene Simmons is undoubtedly one of the most popular and influential musicians in modern history. His humble upbringing and musical talent have taken him from selling wild fruits on the streets of Israel to touring around the world with his band (although his recent tour was postponed due to a positive covid test), Kiss.
These opportunities have awarded him and his family a great fortune in their lives, as was depicted in the A&E reality TV show Gene Simmons Family Jewels. But since the show's conclusion in 2012, what has his son Nick Simmons been up to?
Updated on January 31, 2023: Nick Simmons has been out of the headlines over the last few years, having exited Hollywood after acting in the TV show Awkward. In 2016. Simmons has taken this opportunity to travel the world, posting updates about his recent adventures in Asia and Australia on Instagram.
Simmons also stepped up to sing alongside his dad at his last tour show in Australia back in September, jamming along to one of his favorite songs. Besides this guest appearance, Nick was invited to the Where My Moms At? podcast to talk with Christina Pazsitzky in October last year.
Who Is Nick Simmons?
Born January 22, 1989, to Gene Simmons and his longtime partner Shannon Tweed, Nick Simmons lived a life of privilege and luxury. His little sister, Sophie, recalls the two of them growing up and being a part of their father's glamorous rock n roll lifestyle.
In an interview with People, she's quoted saying, “I’ll say, ‘I love Christina Aguilera’ and he’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, you met her. You were 10.’ Like, what? I don’t remember! No one expressed to me the importance of these people when I was younger. They were just like, ‘This is our friend.’ ”
From the years 2006-2012, Nick and his family were stars in the reality television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which depicted their day-to-day lives. In an interview with Q Magazine, Gene Simmons relayed the idea of his show being similar to another show that was very popular at the time.
"It is very much like The Osbournes, but I believe that people will see us on television and see how I run things and the rules I make, and they'll think, 'Put that guy in charge!'" The show has received a 5.7/10 on its IMDB page, and saw Gene Simmons receive a nomination for a People's Choice Award in 2012 for Favorite TV Celebreality Star. For its 6-year run, Nick Simmons and his family's lives were broadcast for the whole world to see. This is worlds different from the relatively private life he now lives.
Nick Simmons' Career As A Writer
During production of the reality show, Nick Simmons attended Pitzer College in Claremont, California. In 2011, he graduated with a degree in English Literature. He's a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has done voice over work for Cartoon Network's late night sketch comedy stop-motion animation show Robot Chicken. He has also had some success writing and creating comic books.
In August 2009, he released the first issue of his original comic called Incarnate. The comic tells about a character named Mot, a human-like creature that is nearly immortal who wishes to find a way to die honorably. The comic was published by Radical Comics and only released 3 issues before a controversy halted production.
In February 2010, Nick Simmons was accused by critics of plagiarism. According to Incarnate's Wikipedia, Simmons's comic allegedly copied several aspects of past published Manga, the most notable Manga being the critically acclaimed Bleach. He was also accused of copying from amateur artists from the online art community DeviantArt. He was caught allegedly plagiarizing character designs, fight scenes, plot segments, dialogue, poses and expressions.
In March 2010, after being called out, he released a statement to the comic blog Comics Worth Reading. He's quoted saying, "Like most artists I am inspired by work I admire. There are certain similarities between some of my work and the work of others. This was simply meant as an homage to artists I respect, and I definitely want to apologize to any Manga fans or fellow Manga artists who feel I went too far.
My inspirations reflect the fact that certain fundamental imagery is common to all Manga. This is the nature of the medium. I am a big fan of Bleach, as well as other Manga titles. And I am certainly sorry if anyone was offended or upset by what they perceive to be the similarity between my work and the work of artists that I admire and who inspire me."
The following year, the New York Times reported that Radical Comics was "forced to stop production" after the allegations. Since the controversy over his comic series, Simmons has found work writing for the Huffington Post and living a relatively quiet life in Los Angeles. As of this writing, it's not clear if he plans to create another comic series. Whatever else he decides to do in the future, his fans will be sure to follow up on his every move.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoZmkYrWivM%2BepZ6cXam8brrInKJmq5miurC60madq6edYrSmusRmqqKlnaS7tHnFmqSipKlit6bDxKWqaA%3D%3D