Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Macaulay Culkin shot to fame in the late 80s with his appearance inRocket Gibraltar. Managed by his father Kit Culkin, his acting career seemed to be on a constant rise ever since, with movies like Uncle Buck, Home Alone, Richie Rich, and more. The father-son duo were also spotted many times in public appearances and award shows having a good time back then.
However, according to the former child star, things were not as great as they appeared. Culkin has claimed many times throughout the years that his father was abusive. Not only towards him, but also his other siblings, most of whom were also child stars, and even towards his mother.
In an interview back in 2018, Culkin claimed that the abuse was so severe that he still carried scars from it. This is what, according to him, led to his father being estranged from him since his parents split back in 1995.
Macaulay Culkin claimed his father was abusive
Macaulay Culkin‘s mother Patricia Brentrup and father Kit Culkin met in 1974 in Sundance, while the latter was managing traffic at a construction site. Brentrup claimed in an interview in 1991 that their whirlwind romance started right after, and they never felt the need to officiate their relationship. They had seven children together, all child actors, including Macaulay Culkin, andKieran Culkin.
Back then the family seemed happy enough, apart from their financial struggles beforeMacaulay Culkin’s acting careertook off. But the reality, according to theHome Alonestar, was quite different. He has alleged many times over the years that his father was both mentally and physically abusive. Culkin claimed in an interview with theNew York Magazinein 2001, that although Kit Culkin was always abusive, it became worse when his acting career was at its peak.
“Home Alone” Movie Payouts: Macaulay Culkin Earned More Than 40x for Home Alone 2 Than What He Did for the First Movie
His father, a former actor, would allegedly refuse to let the child star take a break from acting even after knowing how exhausted he was. According to Culkin, it clicked in his brain when it became a repeating pattern, and there was nothing he could do to make it stop.
The actor also alleged that even whenhe was making millions, his father would prevent him from sleeping on a bed as a way of exerting power over him. He further alleged in the interview,
He beat our spirits down… You really just had to be there to see what kind of a man he was.
In 2018, appearing in an episode ofWTF with Marc Maron, the actor again spoke of the alleged dark period in his life. He claimed that his father was a really bad person, and in fact, he is happy to be distanced from him.
He was abusive, physically and mentally…I can show you all my scars if I wanted to.
The actor claimed that he hasn’t seen or talked to his father ever since his parents split in 1995. Allegedly the custody battle turned bitter, and Patricia Brentrup was having trouble keeping the family afloat due to the legal fees. The actor, who was 16 at the time, claimed that they were about to be evicted from their apartment as their mother was incapable of paying the rent amidst all the expenses.
Macaulay Culkin: “Do you wanna talk about your dead friend?” on His Sad Interaction With James Franco Over Michael Jackson and Disgusting Allegations Against Him
He decided to take his parents’ names off his trust fund to gain access to his finances and help his mother in that dicey situation. According to Macaulay Culkin, once he removed his father’s name from the documents, Kit Culkin did not show up to the final hearing, and he became estranged shortly after that.
Macaulay Culkin is reinventing fatherhood
The Home Alone actor’s alleged complicated relationship with his father has left an imprint on him. For the longest time, he had no association with the word ‘father’ after the split of his parents. However, now at 44, he is a dad of two young sons, whom he shares with his fiancée Brenda Song.
According to him, he wants to reinvent what it means to be a father to his sons. In an emotional post on Instagram on Father’s Day, the actor claimed that he tries to celebrate the day by making it fun for his kids. He further stated that the day is not exactly for him, but for the ones who made him a father. He also gave a shout-out to the PR company that sent him aStar Wars-themed Father’s Day package that was filled with things for the children to enjoy.
A post shared by Macaulay ‘Instagram’ Culkin (@culkamania)
Macaulay Culkin’s father Kit Culkin left the spotlight after the messy custody battle and reportedly moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. He suffered a stroke there in 2014, which took him months to recover from. In an interview withDaily Mailin 2016, he claimed that he no longer considered Macaulay Culkin his son, and he had made peace with the fact that he would never see his children again.
“Michael” Cast and Budget: Who Is Playing Michael Jackson in One of the Most Expensive Biopics Ever Made in Hollywood?
His longtime partner Jeanette Krylowski was the only one with him during this time, according to the report. However, after she passed away in 2017, he seems to have moved out of that place.
Anushree Banerjee
Articles Published :595
Anushree Banerjee is an Anime Writer at FandomWire with over 550 published articles. She has a post-grad in English and years of experience working with some of the biggest companies on the pop culture, and anime scene, such as, Sportskeeda, Pinkvilla, and MovieWeb. Staying on top of everything anime consumes her days, while bingeing on everything horror, and thriller keeps her up at night. Be it superhero flicks from Marvel and DC, or Shonen, and Seinen, like Bleach, The Apothecary Diaries, and Attack on Titan, she can probably state facts about them faster than she can recite her home address.
