Family relationships can certainly get complicated, and not even celebrities are immune to that truth. But when celebs are estranged from their family, many times it becomes public knowledge, and that certainly can't be easy — like having family drama isn't hard enough!
From celebrities who have emancipated themselves from their parents (like Ariel Winter) to stars such as Jennifer Aniston who simply couldn't make peace with their mothers, there's a huge range of reasons why these celeb family ties broke apart. Some of the stories behind their estrangements are heartbreaking, but it does seem to be a positive decision for many of these stars — albeit a difficult one.
Here are 17 celebrities who are estranged from their family members. As much as some of us would love to believe that blood is thicker than water, others can't help but realize that their lives are easier without their family members in it.
Ryan Lochte
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte now has children of his own, but his relationship with his own mother isn't in the best place. In fact, he hasn't spoken to his mom since he first found out that he was going to be a dad.
"Later on in life, when I told her that she was going to be a grandma, she said some very, very hurtful things that kind of ended our relationship," Ryan said during an interview with journalist Graham Bensinger.
Ariel Winter
As People reported, when former Modern Family star Ariel Winter was a teenager, the Department of Family and Child Services was able to determine that Ariel's mom, Chrisoula Workman, had been emotionally abusive toward her. This led to her emancipation in 2015 after her older sister, Shanelle Gray, had held custody of her.
Macaulay Culkin
After growing up in the spotlight, actor Macaulay Culkin was able to sue his parents at age 15 so they wouldn't be able to control his finances anymore. He later told comedian and podcaster Marc Maron that his father had been abusive.
"Everything he tried to do in life, I excelled at before I was 10," Macaulay said, accusing his father, Kit, of being jealous of him.
Meghan Markle
Once she became a part of the royal family, Meghan Markle kissed her relationship with the rest of her family goodbye — especially when it came to her father, Thomas Markle. Thomas famously allowed paparazzi to photograph him, hoping to rehab his image before Meghan married Prince Harry, and since then, he's never stopped talking to the press about his daughter, who hasn't seen him in years.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has never tried to hide the fact that their relationship with their father, Patrick, who died in 2013, was a complicated one.
"I spent many years on this holiday wondering whether or not I should call him," Demi wrote on Instagram on Father's Day in 2021, reported People. "Take it from me, if you can, make the call. It's complicated, and I wish it were different, but this made me into the person I am today."
Rihanna
Rihanna hasn't been close with her father, Ronald Fenty, in years, and in 2011, she opened up to Vogue about the situation. "It's really strange," she told the magazine. "That's the only word I can think of to describe it because you grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness' sake!"
She continued: "And then he does something so bizarre that I can't begin to wrap my mind around it. You hear the horror stories about people going behind people's backs and doing strange things, but you always think, 'Not my family. My father would never do that to me.'"
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore was thrust into the spotlight at a young age, partially because of child stardom, and partially because her father, John Barrymore, was so famous himself. The two didn't have a good relationship while he was alive, and it's something Drew opened up about in an Instagram post on Father's Day in 2020.
She wrote: "I think I would have liked to have a dad who didn't look so out there. Or who stayed. Or was capable of anything really. But his wildness runs through me. His gifts are here. His demons to overcome are mine to break!"
Adele
Adele has said that she stopped speaking to her father, Mark Evans, when she was a child, and in 2017, she made how she feels about him very clear when she accepted her Grammy for "Hello" and revealed that she considers her manager, Jonathan Dickins, a father figure in her life.
"I owe you everything," she told Jonathan. "We've been together for 10 years, and I love you like you're my dad. I don't love my dad — that's the thing — so it doesn't mean a lot, but I love you like I would love my dad!"
Leighton Meester
In 2011, former Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester sued her mother, Constance Meester, for misusing funds that Leighton had sent her to pay for her brother's medical care. According to People, the court documents stated that Leighton's mother used the money for things like cosmetic procedures and personal purchases.
Mischa Barton
Speaking of celebrities who have sued their parents, Mischa Barton also falls into that category. The former OC star sued her mother, Nuala Quinn-Barton, in 2015 for allegedly stealing her money to buy a $7.8 million home, according to Belfast Telegraph.
"From the outset, Nuala positioned herself to siphon her daughter's hard-earned money by purportedly acting as her talent manager, a role for which Nuala had absolutely no experience or training," Mischa's lawyer wrote in the lawsuit.
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera's dad wasn't in her life, and as she told Latina magazine in 2012, she's fine if it stays that way, especially after she once gave him a chance to be around her again.
"I let him back into my life briefly, but I soon realized that he is not necessary in my life," she said, reported HuffPost.
Jennifer Aniston
Though they were able to mend things before her death, Jennifer Aniston was estranged from her mother, Nancy Dow, for years.
"She had a temper," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I can't tolerate that. If I get upset, I will discuss [things]. I will never scream and get hysterical like that. [But] I was never taught that I could scream. One time, I raised my voice to my mother, and I screamed at her, and she looked at me and burst out laughing. She was laughing at me [for] screaming back. And it was like a punch in my stomach."
Kate & Oliver Hudson
Though siblings Kate and Oliver Hudson have always been close to their mom, Goldie Hawn, it's not the same for their dad, Bill Hudson. In fact, Bill told the Daily Mail in 2015 that he had disowned them.
"I say to them now, 'I set you free,'" he said. "I had five birth children and I now consider myself a father of three. I no longer recognize Oliver and Kate as my own. [Oliver] is dead to me now, as is Kate."
Heather Graham
Though Heather Graham has never publicly shared why her parents are no longer in her life, they told The Sun (via Hollywood.com) that her 1997 film Boogie Nights is what caused the rift in their relationship, since Heather reportedly thought they wouldn't approve.
"Up until Boogie Nights we were a close, happy family," her dad said. "Then the movie came out, and everything changed. It is safe to say that movie destroyed our relationship — that film is the anniversary of when Heather decided to take a break from us."
Jordan Rodgers
Former Bachelorette star Jordan Rodgers made it clear on the show that he and his brother, NFL player Aaron Rodgers, are no longer close, and later, their father, Ed, briefly spoke about the rift in an interview with The New York Times.
"One in the news is enough for us," he said. "Fame can change things."
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins and his daughter, Abigail, are no longer in each other's lives, and as he told Radio Times, he's accepted it. He said: "People break up, families split and, you know, get on with your life. People make choices. I don't care one way or the other."
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts and her famous brother, Eric Roberts, aren't exactly close anymore — something he told Vanity Fair was likely due to his drug addiction.
"I was exhausting to be around: complainy, blamey, unable to enjoy enjoyment," he told the magazine (via E! News). "Everyone in my world needed a break sometimes, and that must have included Julia."
