Macaulay Culkin Explains Why He Has a ‘Complicated Relationship’ With Father’s Day
Written by Rtradio on June 6, 2024
Macaulay Culkin is opening up about his “complicated relationship” with fatherhood. The 43-year-old actor took to Instagram to share how becoming a father to two sons with his longtime partner, 35-year-old Brenda Song, has changed his outlook on Father’s Day after the difficulties he faced with his father, Christopher “Kit” Culkin.
“If you know a little about me, then you’d know I’ve had a complicated relationship with Father’s Day in the past,” Culkin captioned his Instagram post on Wednesday.
Culkin explained that despite his convoluted relationship with his father, he’s decided to “reinvent the wheel” since he started his family with Song. “Other than getting an hour or two of extra sleep, I try to make the day a celebration of my boys more than me,” the Home Alone star shared. “After all, they are the ones who made me a father (no offense to Brenda).”
“In our house Father’s Day isn’t held in as high regard as birthdays or Christmas but it does mop the floor of such holidays as St. Patrick’s day, Valentine’s Day and the 4th of July. I try to do fun things for the boys on Father’s Day. It’s a special day,” he added.
“Father’s Day isn’t for me,” he concluded the post, “it’s for the people that make me feel like a father.”
The former child star has been vocal about how once he began to find fame as a child star, the patriarch — who acted as his manager alongside his mom, Patricia — was constantly making unreasonable demands.
“I was making God-knows-how-much money, and Kit was making me sleep on the couch, just because he could,” Culkin told New York Magazine in 2001. “Just to let you know who’s in charge and just to let you know if he doesn’t want you to sleep in a bed, you’re not going to sleep in a bed.”
In a conversation with Marc Maron in 2018, Culkin claimed that his father had been abusive “even before the fame stuff.” He alleged that Kit was abusive “physically and mentally” after developing resentment over Culkin’s career.
“He was jealous,” he explained. “Everything that he tried to do in his life I excelled at before I was 10 years old.”
Culkin emancipated himself from his parents at age 16. The actor waged a lengthy legal battle against his parents over the handling of his $17 million fortune. A Manhattan Supreme Court judge eventually placed the Culkin family’s attorney, Billy Breitner, in charge of the actor’s money until he turned 18.
Meanwhile, Culkin and Song have been romantically linked since 2018. The couple, who have remained intensely private about their life together, welcomed their first son, Dakota, in April 2021, and their second son, whose name has not been publicly revealed, in December 2022.
Culkin first spoke about his desire to have kids with the former Disney star in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast back in August 2018.
“I’m gonna make some babies,” Culkin said, when asked if he wants children. “This one’s a good one, so I’m probably going to put some babies in her in a little bit. I mean, we’ve definitely been practicing.”
When Culkin received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last December, he told ET that having his boys present to witness his big day was “the whole reason to do this.”
“It’s the reason pretty much to do anything now,” he marveled. “We always talk about how we don’t remember our life before our kids — it’s a dream or a distant kind of concept, not a reality. I love the fact that my boys can come here and see a dog pee on my name.”
Following heartfelt speeches from Catherine O’Hara — who played his character’s mother in Home Alone — and fellow former child actor Natasha Lyonne — who praised Culkin as a “loving patriarch to your beautiful siblings” — Culkin himself stepped up to the podium, thanking Song for her love and support.
“Lastly, but not leastly, I’d like to thank Brenda,” he said as he concluded his remarks. “You are absolutely everything. You’re my champion. You’re the only person happier for me today than I am.”
“You’re not only the best woman I’ve ever known, you’re the best person I’ve ever known,” he continued. “You’ve given me just all my purpose, you’ve given me family. After the birth of our two boys you’ve become my three favorite people. I love you so much.”
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