Patrick Stewart spoke candidly about his practically non-existent relationship with his children in an emotional October 2023 interview with the Irish Independent.
The beloved actor, who died at 86 on October 28, admitted that putting his acting career ahead of his family had caused him significant grief.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not pained by the memory of my children, who they were and by a sense of responsibility that they became who they are in part because of me and my influence or lack of influence on them,” he said. “I always put my acting work first, before my family.”
He added: “I never thought that this would happen, but both my children are in their fifties, they’re not children anymore, they’re adults. And my relationship with them is practically non-existent.”
Stewart had acknowledged his shortcomings as a father before. In a 2009 interview with The Independent, he admitted he “could’ve done better as a parent, when [his] kids were little,” explaining that he had been “just obsessed with my work and everything else took second place.” At the time, the actor offered a more hopeful reflection: “My own children seem to have forgiven me.”
Indeed, celebrities may live in the spotlight, but the relationships behind the scenes can be far more complicated than fans realize. Fame, career pressures, and long-standing personal conflicts have led some stars to become estranged from their own relatives. Read through the following gallery to discover which celebrities have cut ties with their family members.