A former US ambassador, film producer and author Nicole Avant grew up with Hollywood royalty. Her father, Clarence, was a well-known music mogul and her mother, Jacqueline, an art collector and philanthropist. Her parents have been widely described as having helped shape Black American culture.

Avant, 56, married to Netflix boss Ted Sarandos, released her memoir, Think You’ll Be Happy: Moving through Grief with Grit, Grace and Gratitude, in 2023. The book detailed her mother’s murder in 2021 and how her family tackled the grief. It was her father who encouraged her to write the book, according to Town & Country magazine, telling her, “You cannot give your power away to somebody. If you don’t write your book because of what this man just did to our family, then he wins again.”

From supporting Barack Obama before he was popular, to finding the courage to write about her mother’s death, get to know Nicole Avant.

Nicole’s father Clarence, former head of Motown Records, was also known for fighting for equal rights for African-American artists. Her mother Jacqueline was a well-known philanthropist and art collector.

According to Town & Country, Nicole was raised in Beverly Hills, spending her childhood playing tennis and celebrating her birthday by going to glitzy events, such as jazz musical Sophisticated Ladies, starring Gregory Hines.