Entertainment
15 Celebs Who Have An Estranged Relationship With Their Parents
Sometimes knowing a celebrity is not enough – we gotta know all about their family too! It makes our hearts warm to see their loving husbands, wives, children, and parents hanging out with them on a nice day, eating or having fun at Disneyland. We see how strong the bond between the members of the Kardashian clan is and envy how fab and fierce they all are, despite some very rocky turns in their relationships on and off screen. It is so cute to see pictures of Carrie Fisher with her also-celebrity mom Debbie Reynolds with the two of them on the red carpet (though for a time the two were known for their estrangement).
But not all celebrities are proud to know or be with their parents, or vice versa. It could be because of deeply rooted misunderstandings and conflicts stemming from childhood, or something more recent, brought on by snide remarks of one to the other. Conflicts of love, money, relationships – you name it! We see all over our social media feeds how one celeb fam is strong and adorable while the tabloid headlines show us that some parent-child relationships take a turn for the worse! Wanna know who they are? Well, check out these 15 celebs who have estranged relationships with their parents!
15. Eminem
Eminem is a household name and has been since the 1990s. He is up there as one of the rap greats, and there are not many people who don’t know his name. But before he was Eminem, his name was Marshall Bruce Mathers III, and he grew up living a really rough childhood. His father abandoned the family at a young age, and his mother Deborah raised him alone.
The infamous feud between the mother and son was highlighted by the rap lyrics Eminem wrote about her, which were not nice things indeed. Eminem’s mother later sued her son because of the lyrics – to the tune of around 10 million dollars. The two however seemed to have made up recently despite them being estranged for most of his career. Eminem released apologetic lyrics in his 2013 song “Headlights.”
14. Brie Larson
Brie Larson may have been one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars these past few years. From the critically acclaimed Room to the very much awaited first Marvel female-lead superhero film Captain Marvel, Brie Larson has flexed her acting skills and versatile talents. But did you know that her very moving performance in the movie Room was partly inspired by her own childhood experiences? Sad, but true!
It may not be well-known to many, but Brie Larson has had a difficult relationship with her parents. Her parents divorced when she was ten years old, as she stated in an interview. When she was 26, she said she had not spoken to her dad in about ten years! Brie was then quoted as saying that she believed her dad really didn’t want to be a parent after all.
13. Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan may just be one of Hollywood’s most troubled stars. Frequently caught up in drug and alcohol allegations, rehab stories, rumors of plastic surgery, and whatnot, Lindsay Lohan is already infamous by herself. And that’s not the end of the story! Who knew that her family also has its fair share of dirty laundry?
Known for her film The Parent Trap, Lindsay herself has lived through quite the fiasco with her parents. Apparently her father Michael was abusive to her mother Dina when Lindsay was still young; because of this, she generally refuses to speak to her father (save for an odd call or two.) On the other hand, Lindsay sees her mother as trying to use her for her fame. Even her own parents fess up to their part of the blame in all of Lindsay’s substance problems. Could this be the start of the road to reparation?
12. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson will always be in our hearts and minds, and he will forever be the King of Pop. He made popular and quintessential songs like “Thriller” and “Black or White.” His musical prowess and road to stardom may have stemmed from the atmosphere at home. After all, the household was always filled with music as their mother taught them religious songs. Their father, a frustrated musician, did everything he could to manage the Jackson kids.
This management was often a source of conflict between Michael and his father. Apparently their father, Joe, tried to control their careers even as adults, as well as being a harsh and overbearing manager when they were just young children. This treatment may have pushed Michael and the rest of the Jacksons to stardom, but it was kind of harsh. With all the drama Michael and Janet have been the subjects of during their adult lives, we can’t help but wonder if there’s a correlation to the way they were raised.
11. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is a name and face many will recognize. From her acting to her philanthropy to her romances, everyone wants to know all about Angelina Jolie. Many know her as Lara Croft, badass female adventurer; she’s also a wonder mom, beauty icon, and wife. Long the subject of tabloid speculation, we knew all about her troubles and her unusual relationship with ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton.
A relationship not many may know about, however, is her estranged relationship with her father Jon Voight. Angelina and her brother James were both estranged from him and had not spoken to him in a while. Despite this, both children remained very close to their mother who sadly died of ovarian cancer in 2007. Since her passing, it is reported that Angelina’s relationship with her father as thawed somewhat.
10. Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin remains a relatively well-known celebrity even after all these years out of the spotlight. And if people can’t quite remember who this boy is, maybe going back 20-something years would jog their memories. Yes, he’s the kid from the widely popular and hilarious Home Alone franchise, a staple on our television sets during the Christmas season. And it looks like Macaulay experienced similar parental neglect as a child.
Apparently, he became legally emancipated from his parents at just 14 years old. When his parents got divorced at around the same time (in 1995), they fought hard to get a piece of the money he had made as a child actor. Unsurprisingly, this left a bad taste in Macaulay’s mouth. Since the divorce Macaulay has remained estranged from his father, Kit Culkin.
9. Tori Spelling
Many people will know of Tori Spelling because of her role in 90210. Or maybe she is more well-known for her recent endeavors including her docu-series True Tori, or even her autobiography called Stori Telling, which debuted at number one when it came out. Regardless, she is one of those staple names on TV or in magazines, in no small part because her father, Aaron, was a famous Hollywood producer known for 90210. But who knew that she had such troubled relationships with her parents?
First, there was the whole issue of her marriage to Dylan McDermott, which was apparently not approved of by her parents. Then her father Aaron died, and of course, there was a kerfuffle related to the fortunes. She only got a small portion of the estate, but she was certain that she deserved much more. Her mother Candy has written at length about their estrangement, why Tori was essentially cut-out of the will, and how difficult it was not being able to talk to her. Reportedly, Candy did not even meet her son-in-law until her husband’s funeral!
8. Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore is a successful Hollywood actress with a string of amazing films under her belt, and her name resonates with many people. From E.T: the Extra-Terrestrial, to Charlie’s Angels and 50 First Dates, Drew is known for her charming and funny demeanor. She’s also a wonderful mom now! She sometimes posts videos showing her quick morning makeup tutorials or talking about her motherhood experience.
But her own experience with her mother has not been a very pleasant one, and this family feud may just be one of the more well-known in Hollywood. She filed for emancipation from her parents at just the age of 15. She explained in 2014 that while she wasn’t only feeling anger (“guilt and empathy and utter sensitivity” were also mentioned), they just couldn’t be in each other’s lives anymore. It takes a strong person to make such a tough decision!
7. Jennifer Aniston
One of the most well-known and highest-paid Hollywood actresses out there, Jennifer Aniston is a name many of us will not forget. This is thanks, in no small part, to her time as the iconic Rachel Green on the television show Friends. She’s also appeared in numerous comedy and romance films, which just makes us love her even more. Jennifer is also often the subject of tabloid rumors about her relationships, and has been ever since her divorce from Brad Pitt.
What not many may know, however, is that Jennifer actually has quite an icy relationship with her mother. It is hard to believe because so many people see her Rachel Green, who had many warm and loving relationships with other characters. But actors are not their characters, and Jennifer became estranged from her mother when the latter, Nancy Dow, wrote a book about their relationship called From Mothers and Daughters to Friends: A Memoir. Now this is something we will definitely not forget about Jen!
6. Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson, Hollywood royalty and blonde beauty, is also a regular on the silver screen. Notably, she stars mostly in rom-coms like Bride Wars, Almost Famous, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The latter of which she starred in alongside another rom-com regular, Matthew McConaughey. While she shares the film screen with many notable names, one person we’re sure she doesn’t share much with at all is her father.
Along with her brother, Oliver Hudson, Kate has been estranged from their father for years, after he publicly disowned them when they dissed him during Father’s Day. Moreover, her father divorced her mother Goldie Hawn when Kate was just two, and really expressed no desire to be a part of their lives. Seems like Kate doesn’t need her dad Bill anyway, as she considers Kurt Russell, her mother’s longtime lover, to be her dad! Sounds like things worked out in the end.
5. Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera is one of music’s most well-known names. With hugely popular and catchy pop songs like “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants,” she first rose to fame in the early 2000’s and her star has hardly fallen since. We also know she had feuds with other pop stars, such as Pink, during their simultaneous rise to fame. While the tabloids often focus on the feuds between young, hot, pop stars feuds between stars and their non-famous family members often go unreported.
But another feud not many might not know she had is with her own blood, specifically her father Fausto Aguilera. Christina’s parents divorced when she was just six years old. And in recent years she has opened up about the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. In an interview in 2012 Christina explained that while she briefly tried to let him into her life, she also realized that she felt he “[was] not necessary in [her] life.”
4. Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson, American Idol’s first winner, has really made her mark both in Hollywood and her fans’ lives. She has also made a mark on her husband’s life. She passionately sang her song “Piece by Piece” as a declaration of their love. As she teared up a little while singing, she revealed that part of her emotion stems from the absence of her father.
She told Ryan Seacrest that seeing her husband’s love for their daughter and his presence in her life was “hard to watch” but also “beautiful to watch.” Kelly then recalled her distant relationship with her father, which she tried to salvage to no avail. Kelly feels that her dad doesn’t “know how to properly love people” and this has been a difficult thing for her to live with.
3. Adele
Adele is one of the most talented artists to have graced the music scene, possibly in a generation. Her powerful and booming voice has made her unforgettable, unique, and widely popular, as well as earned her numerous awards and accolades for her work. Performances so filled with emotion are often fueled by real life experiences. Could Adele’s angsty and powerful lyrics also stem from her life experiences?
While we can discern the emotional turmoils of loves lost or missed from her singles, we may not all have heard of her cold relationship with her father, Mark Evans. The two have not been speaking. In fact, he left the family when Adele was just three years old, and the two have had a troubled relationship since then, understandably. She was heard saying that she doesn’t love her dad in her speech at the Grammy Awards just last year.
2. Heather Graham
Heather Graham, blonde beauty known for her roles in The Hangover and, more notably, Boogie Nights, is estranged from her parents. She has wanted nothing to do with them for about twenty years now. Heather officially cut her parents out of her life in 1997! But why, one may wonder?
Well, the answer lies in her very career. Her relationship with her parents came at the cost of her stardom. Her parents were very religious, very devout Catholics. Their devotion to their religion brought them into conflict when Hether wanted to do play the role of a porn star in Boogie Nights (the role launched her career). Her parents, in an interview with The Sun, recall how baffled and saddened they are by the rift, but how proud they are of their daughter and her success.
1. Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and she has been around for a while. There was a time when Meg was a constant in the press for her amazing acting talents in films like When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail, and also her very juicy personal relationships. One thing we may remember is her marriage to Dennis Quaid. For any of us who remember not being terribly fond of this relationship, we’re not alone.
Meg has been in an icy squabble with her mother Susan for decades now, all because of her relationship with Dennis. At one point her mother’s husband apparently dished about Dennis’ drug problems, and her mother openly commented on Meg’s rumored affair with Russell Crowe. Meg, in turn, did not invite her mother to her wedding with Dennis in 1991. Her mother was quoted as saying that “it’s painful business to be estranged from your child” and that she doesn’t stop thinking about her.