It might seem like celebrities have it all, but they’re not perfect. Despite the money they make and all the charitable work they do, they have their flaws. Just like us, they have complicated family dynamics. Some are even tragically estranged from their children. Having a celebrity as a parent comes with its difficulties—some of these stars have done and said shocking things that justify the rift in the relationship. Here are the most famous celebs who are estranged from their kids.
Caitlyn Jenner
When Jenner first came out as trans in 2015, she had the support of the whole Kardashian family behind her. But as the years went on, family drama ensued. Khloe claimed that Caitlyn Jenner came out to E! before telling her family.
Jenner also wrote the infamous “The Secrets of My Life,” where she criticized Kris. The rift worsened as the former Olympic athlete became more right-wing, and in a 2017 appearance on “Good Morning Britain,” she shared with the world that they were estranged, calling Kim’s absence “a big loss.”
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s divorce was as iconic as their marriage. They divorced when Suri was very young, and Cruise hasn’t been present in her life since.
A source says that Tom Cruise has opted out of seeing Suri for 11 years and decided to see Taylor Swift on her Eras tour rather than attend his daughter’s high school graduation. Suri has even given up her dad’s last name, choosing instead to go by Suri Noelle.
Brad Pitt
When the once-glamorous Brangelina split, it had irreparable repercussions on their numerous adoptive and biological children. According to court papers, Pit physically abused Jolie on a plane that the entire family was on, grabbing her by the head, shaking her, and pushing her around before punching the ceiling of the plane. Pitt was also abusive towards the children, choking one of them and hitting another in the face.
Because of the alleged abuse, Pitt doesn’t have contact with the Jolie-Pitt children. Their son Jax wrote a scathing Instagram caption in 2020: “You time and time again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person.” Meanwhile, Shiloh has dropped her dad’s last name.
Elon Musk
The billionaire is openly transphobic, even though his daughter Vivian Wilson is trans. On a right-wing podcast, he claimed he was “tricked into signing documents” and went on to deadname and misgender Vivian multiple times.
He called being transgender “evil” and added he considered Vivian dead, “killed by the woke mind virus.” Vivian spoke out about their estrangement and added that Musk was abusive towards her when she was a child.
Mia Farrow
Farrow’s daughter Soon-Yi Previn was in the news for having a shocking affair with her stepfather, Woody Allen, which led to an estrangement with her mother, but that’s not the end of the story.
Previn claims that she was abused by her mother when she was a child, telling Vulture that Farrow often slapped her, adding, “She would also tip me upside down, holding me by my feet, to get the blood to drain to my head,” Farrow’s other adopted child confirmed these allegations.
Woody Allen
Woody Allen’s affair with his stepdaughter led to multiple estrangements. Ronan and Dylan Farrow don’t speak to their father. In a documentary, Ronan said that his father attempted to make him speak out against his sister, who accused the filmmaker of abuse, saying he wouldn’t pay for Roman’s college otherwise.
However, he always stood by his sister, who said Allen did strange things like climb into her bed when she was a child and make her suck his thumb. They haven’t had contact since the scandal.
Anthony Hopkins
You may recognize this Welsh actor from playing Hannibal Lecter in ”The Silence of the Lambs,” but the star also has three marriages under his belt. When he left his second wife, he left their daughter too.
She spoke to The Telegraph, saying that they haven’t been close, and contact has been “sporadic” and void of serious conversations. When Radio Times asked him if he was a grandfather, Hopkins had no idea and shockingly said, “I don’t care one way or the other.”
Rob Schneider
You may not know that singer Elle King, who released the popular song “Ex’s and Oh’s,” has a famous dad—Rob Schneider. In an interview with People, she said that her father being a “workaholic” was why they didn’t have a strong relationship and were estranged.
After King skyrocketed to fame, she reconciled with Schneider. But in 2024, the pair had a falling out once again because of homophobic and transphobic statements with an overall anti-gay philosophy. Many family members refrain from speaking due to differences in political opinions, a situation that King can empathize with.
50 Cent
50 Cent, otherwise known as Marquise Jackson, has been in a long-running feud with his son, Marquise Jackson. The two frequently make jab at each other on social media and have done so for years. In 2017, Marquise opened up in an interview about what it was like trying to make it as a rapper when his dad was one of the most well-known rappers alive.
Marquise said he couldn’t remember the last time he and his father spoke. Apparently, many of their arguments have been over how much money Marquise thinks his father should give him each month. Speaking with XXL, 50 Cent said he “used to” love his son.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan has a daughter, but he has never been involved in her life. After years of secrecy, he finally admitted it to the public and offered to be present in his child’s life. But Yi-Lei responded, saying, “I will be the father and the mother. He doesn’t need to bear any responsibility.”
His daughter, now known as Etta Ng, revealed to the tabloids that Chan was her biological father, but he was not involved in her life. She stated that she would “never regard him as a father” and has “never wished to see him.”
