While Greta Thunberg continues to make global headlines for her climate activism, her younger sister Bea Ernman is steadily forging a very different path — one that swaps protests for performance.
This week, Greta found herself once again at the center of controversy after joining the crew of the "Freedom Flotilla," a mission aiming to reach Gaza. The Israeli Navy intercepted the vessel, ultimately deporting her from the country. In the aftermath, Greta accused Israeli authorities of "kidnapping" her. Yet, far from the turmoil, Bea was busy sharing snapshots from her latest glamorous photo shoot on Instagram.
Though she was born Beata Thunberg, Bea has chosen to step away from the famous surname, adopting her mother’s maiden name instead. With her bold red lace bodysuits and artistic flair, it’s hard to connect her online presence to that of her activist sibling. Bea’s social media rarely hints at any family ties to Greta, showcasing instead her own rising career as a singer, mode and actress.
Bea, who turns 20 later this year, is the daughter of Swedish opera singer Malena Ernman and film producer Svante Thunberg. From a young age, she gravitated toward the performing arts, a passion that saw her perform on Swedish primetime TV's "Bingolotto" at just 13 years old. That same year, she landed a role as young Edith Piaf in a musical where her mother also starred. "I have been dancing and singing for as long as I can remember," she said at the time.
Though Greta's activism catapulted the family into the international spotlight, it also came at a personal cost for Bea. The younger Ernman was repeatedly targeted because of her sister's fame. “She is 13 years old and she has been subjected to systematic bullying, threats and harassment," Greta once shared with Swedish media. "The people who write threats and hate to me do it to the whole family, even to her."
Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bea has nevertheless grown into a confident young artist with over 10,000 followers on Instagram. Greta, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, has previously praised "my super talented sister" on social media.
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Despite charting a separate course, Bea doesn't shy away from incorporating strong messages into her work. In her single "I Found Your Father's Gun," she delivers a powerful critique of how society objectifies women:
"When people objectify girls, they reduce us to body parts — They treat us like multiple girls add up to one man. So in this song, I use their own language against them. I objectify him by sexualizing his father, to expose the absurdity, the cruelty and the double standard, associating him with another man, to flip it, as if 10 men were treated like 1 girl. Beneath the metaphor is something real: Men need to stop taking advantage of girls who are too young to fight back. This song is what it sounds like when we do. When the object speaks. Twice as brutal as the offense itself, right? Right."
While Greta was busy being deported from Israel, Bea was unapologetically commanding attention in her own way, miles from the political storm — but no less bold in her convictions.