Move over everyone, there’s a new cool girl in town. Prime Video’s new movie Sitting in Bars with Cake is putting a new star on the map: Odessa A’Zion. Besides the fact that her name evokes indie goddess perfection, A’Zion’s signature wild curls and down-to-earth sense of humor put out an effortlessly fun vibe. She’s the human embodiment of a messy bun in the best way possible. I want to eat cake in a bar with her every night, please and thank you.
Her character Corinne (sometimes called solely by her last name Thompson in that laidback way only a cool girl can pull off) is just as free-spirited as her actress is IRL, even when her life takes an unexpected turn into uncharted territory. A’Zion’s performance shows off the range she’s built through projects like Hellraiser and Fam. Here are three things to know about A’Zion so you can tell your friends you knew her before she inevitably blows up.
A’Zion is a second-generation nepo baby.
A’Zion’s Hollywood connections are strong on both sides of her family tree. Her paternal grandfather, Percy Adlon, is a German director and her maternal grandfather, Don Segall, was a writer and producer. Her mother, Pamela Adlon, won an Emmy for her performance in King of the Hill. She also voiced Vidia in Disney’s Tinkerbell movies (for which she deserved a second Emmy, IMO). A’Zion’s father, Felix O. Adlon, is a screenwriter and producer.
A’Zion has two sisters named Gideon Adlon and Valentine “Rocky” Adlon, whose unique names fit perfectly with the Apples and Rebels of the celebrity baby name world. While Rocky tends to stay out of the entertainment industry, Gideon is also an actress.
She used to go by the name Odessa Adlon.
A’Zion’s full name is Odessa Zion Segall Adlon. She went by Odessa Adlon at the beginning of her acting career; she started being credited as Odessa A’zion in 2020 when she starred in Netflix’s short-lived show Grand Army. She hasn’t spoken publicly about why she adopted the stage name; maybe she wanted to avoid the nepo baby discussions as she prepared for more public recognition.
You definitely know A’Zion’s ex-boyfriend: Jaden Smith.
In 2018, A’Zion went to prom with her then-boyfriend, Jaden Smith (note: This is not the prom Smith wore an all-white Batsuit to). The couple reportedly broke up at the end of 2018. Smith told Apple Beat 1 Radio that his song “Fallen Part II” is about A’Zion. “I did really f*ck up in my relationship with Odessa, and this song is kind of like me being like, ‘Yo, I’m sorry,’ because I am sorry, and I’ve already said sorry to her a million times, but this is me saying sorry to her again,” he said.
A’Zion is currently rumored to be dating Outer Banks’ Drew Starkey.
A’Zion and Starkey met on the set of the Hellraiser reboot, where they played love interests. Fans suspected the pair took their relationship off-screen after A’Zion posted a hilariously sweet Instagram tribute to Starkey on his birthday. She was also spotted with Starkey at the Poguelandia Outer Banks experience to promote the show’s third season. Starkey’s pretty private online, but he follows both of A’Zion’s sisters on Instagram. Are they just friends or are they dating? That’s up to you to decide.
A’Zion is pretty active on social media.
You can follow A’Zion’s Instagram account at @odessaazion, as well are her clothing line’s page at @motherly.lovee, for regular updates on her life. She also loves to post hilarious videos on her TikTok account, @odessa.azion. I’ll fully support her if she ever decides to quit acting and pursue a life as a social media comedian full-time.