11 Celebrities Who Have Complicated Relationships with Their Children

Mar. 15, 2025

Brad Pitt, Elon Musk and Rory Feek.Photo:Getty(3)

Getty(3)

Fame can complicate parent-child dynamics.

See why these 11 celebrities have developed complicated relationships with their kids, includingBrad Pittand his four adult children andTom Cruiseand his daughterSuri, whom he had with ex-wifeKatie Holmes.

01of 11Rory FeekRory Feek; Hopie and Heidi Feek.Getty;Rory Feek/InstagramIn an interview with PEOPLE in August, Heidi and Hopie Feek said thatthey were considering legal action against their fatherRory Feek, claiming he had cut them off from contacting their 10-year-old sister Indiana. They detailed how Rory canceled Indiana’s visits to them in Alabama, limited the time they had with her and eventually, stopped responding to texts.Heidi also expressed concerns about Indiana’s safety, alleging she was left unsupervised and wandered into traffic.“Instead of addressing the danger she was in, my dad used this traumatic incident to create content that boosted his public image,” she says.Rory responded on Aug. 31 with a blog post titled"love, dad"that said her claims “broke” his heart and that Indiana “has never been more loved or better cared for than she is right now.“A few weeks later, he wrote another blog post,“canceled,“which detailed hisattempt to visit Heidi and Hopie in Alabamato smooth things over. When he arrived at their front door, nobody answered, despite their cars sitting in the driveway.“There are things that my older daughters and I need to work out together,” he wrote. “Right now we’re at an impasse on how that’s ever going to happen.”Heidi told PEOPLE after the incident that although she wasn’t home, her husband and Hopie were. Upon realizing that Rory had showed up unannounced, Hopie began having a panic attack.“Regardless of the intention, it came off as intimidating. We’ve set really clear boundaries. We have such a hard time communicating with him and feeling heard that we really don’t feel like it’s possible without a third party,” said Heidi.

01of 11

Rory Feek

Rory Feek; Hopie and Heidi Feek.Getty;Rory Feek/Instagram

Getty;Rory Feek/Instagram

In an interview with PEOPLE in August, Heidi and Hopie Feek said thatthey were considering legal action against their fatherRory Feek, claiming he had cut them off from contacting their 10-year-old sister Indiana. They detailed how Rory canceled Indiana’s visits to them in Alabama, limited the time they had with her and eventually, stopped responding to texts.

Heidi also expressed concerns about Indiana’s safety, alleging she was left unsupervised and wandered into traffic.

“Instead of addressing the danger she was in, my dad used this traumatic incident to create content that boosted his public image,” she says.

Rory responded on Aug. 31 with a blog post titled"love, dad"that said her claims “broke” his heart and that Indiana “has never been more loved or better cared for than she is right now.”

A few weeks later, he wrote another blog post,“canceled,“which detailed hisattempt to visit Heidi and Hopie in Alabamato smooth things over. When he arrived at their front door, nobody answered, despite their cars sitting in the driveway.

“There are things that my older daughters and I need to work out together,” he wrote. “Right now we’re at an impasse on how that’s ever going to happen.”

Heidi told PEOPLE after the incident that although she wasn’t home, her husband and Hopie were. Upon realizing that Rory had showed up unannounced, Hopie began having a panic attack.

“Regardless of the intention, it came off as intimidating. We’ve set really clear boundaries. We have such a hard time communicating with him and feeling heard that we really don’t feel like it’s possible without a third party,” said Heidi.

02of 11Brad PittBrad Pitt; Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt attend the “Unbroken” Los Angeles premiere on December 15, 2014 in Hollywood, California.JB Lacroix/WireImageA source close toBrad Pitttold PEOPLE in July that he has"virtually no contact"with his adult children — whom he shares with ex-wifeAngelina Jolie—Maddox,Pax,ZaharaandShiloh. He still has visitation rights to see his minor children,VivienneandKnox; Jolie “has the kids most of the time, but per their agreement, he has visitation with the younger kids,” the insider said.Shilohfiled to drop “Pitt"from her surname in June, a decision of which Pitt was"aware and upset."(ZaharaandViviennehave also indicated that they don’t use the last name Pitt publicly.)“The reminders that he’s lost his children are of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad,” the insider added.

02of 11

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt; Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt attend the “Unbroken” Los Angeles premiere on December 15, 2014 in Hollywood, California.JB Lacroix/WireImage

JB Lacroix/WireImage

A source close toBrad Pitttold PEOPLE in July that he has"virtually no contact"with his adult children — whom he shares with ex-wifeAngelina Jolie—Maddox,Pax,ZaharaandShiloh. He still has visitation rights to see his minor children,VivienneandKnox; Jolie “has the kids most of the time, but per their agreement, he has visitation with the younger kids,” the insider said.

Shilohfiled to drop “Pitt"from her surname in June, a decision of which Pitt was"aware and upset."(ZaharaandViviennehave also indicated that they don’t use the last name Pitt publicly.)

“The reminders that he’s lost his children are of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad,” the insider added.

03of 11

Elon Musk

Justin Sullivan/Getty

Speaking toNBC Newsin July, Wilson said, “I think he was under the assumption that I wasn’t going to say anything and I would just let this go unchallenged … Which I’m not going to do, because if you’re going to lie about me, like, blatantly to an audience of millions, I’m not just gonna let that slide.”

In August, Wilson described her dad as"a serial adulterer"and a liar, refuting what she saw as an attempt to pose as a “caring paternal father.”

“You single-handedly disillusioned me with how gullible we are as a species,” she wrote in a series ofThreadsposts, “because somehow people keep believing you for reasons that continue to evade me.”

04of 11Kate GosselinCollin Gosselin/Instagram; David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via GettIn September 2024,Collin Gosselinaccused his motherKate Gosselinof abuse that began when he was 8 or 9 years old. He alleged toThe Sunthat Kate"became physically aggressive, verbally, very abusive with the things she would say"and kept him contained in a basement room with a camera and mattress for most of the day.Kate sent Collin to a Fairmount Behavioral Health System institution in Philadelphia in 2016 for what she later claimed to be “unpredictable and violent behavior.“He alleged in an interview withEntertainment Tonightthat because Kate institutionalized him,he was dischargedfrom the Marines before he graduated from training camp.PEOPLE reached out to Kate and her attorney for comment on the abuse allegations, and her attorney toldThe Sunthat he didn’t believe that Kate had done anything to “intentionally harm” her son and that “she did what she did to protect herself and her family” from what he called “troubled behavior.“Hisolder sisterMadelynspoke out against himin July 2023, alleging that Collin had physically threatened her and her immediate family “as recent as last year” and stating, “I will never allow someone who has exhibited hateful and even violent behavior toward others based on their racial identity, gender identity, or religious beliefs to be in my life.“Kate doubled down on her belief that Collin was mentally ill andtold PEOPLEin an exclusive statement in 2023, “For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs.”

04of 11

Kate Gosselin

Collin Gosselin/Instagram; David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via Gett

In September 2024,Collin Gosselinaccused his motherKate Gosselinof abuse that began when he was 8 or 9 years old. He alleged toThe Sunthat Kate"became physically aggressive, verbally, very abusive with the things she would say"and kept him contained in a basement room with a camera and mattress for most of the day.

Kate sent Collin to a Fairmount Behavioral Health System institution in Philadelphia in 2016 for what she later claimed to be “unpredictable and violent behavior.”

He alleged in an interview withEntertainment Tonightthat because Kate institutionalized him,he was dischargedfrom the Marines before he graduated from training camp.

PEOPLE reached out to Kate and her attorney for comment on the abuse allegations, and her attorney toldThe Sunthat he didn’t believe that Kate had done anything to “intentionally harm” her son and that “she did what she did to protect herself and her family” from what he called “troubled behavior.”

Hisolder sisterMadelynspoke out against himin July 2023, alleging that Collin had physically threatened her and her immediate family “as recent as last year” and stating, “I will never allow someone who has exhibited hateful and even violent behavior toward others based on their racial identity, gender identity, or religious beliefs to be in my life.”

Kate doubled down on her belief that Collin was mentally ill andtold PEOPLEin an exclusive statement in 2023, “For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs.”

05of 11Tom CruiseStuart C. Wilson/GettyTom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed their daughter Suri in 2006, but the couple split in 2012 after five years of marriage. Since then, Suri has lived with Holmes in New York City, andhas not been seen publicly with Cruise in nearly a decade.Though it’s unclear the exact status of Suri’s relationship with her father, in 2024, when she graduated from high school in New York City, the graduation program listed her name as"Suri Noelle” instead of “Suri Cruise,” andCruise remained in London that weekend to attend Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

05of 11

Tom Cruise

Stuart C. Wilson/Getty

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed their daughter Suri in 2006, but the couple split in 2012 after five years of marriage. Since then, Suri has lived with Holmes in New York City, andhas not been seen publicly with Cruise in nearly a decade.

Though it’s unclear the exact status of Suri’s relationship with her father, in 2024, when she graduated from high school in New York City, the graduation program listed her name as"Suri Noelle” instead of “Suri Cruise,” andCruise remained in London that weekend to attend Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

06of 11Billy Ray Cyrus from Miley CyrusJohn Shearer/BBMA2017/GettySince Billy Ray Cyrus and longtime wife Tish Cyrus announced their divorce in 2022, there have beenrumors of a rift within the familythat includes the couple’s five kids, Miley Cyrus, Noah Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus, Trace Cyrus and Braison Cyrus. (Billy Ray has another son,Christopher Cody Cyrus, from a previous relationship who has remained out of the spotlight.)In February 2024, while accepting the Grammy for record of the year, Mileymade no mention of her dad, pointedly joking, “I don’t think I forgot anyone. But I might have forgotten underwear. Bye!“That summer, Miley opened up about her relationship with her parents onMy Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Lettermanand shared that while she has a “lot of love” for her dad, in terms of how both parents impacted her career, said they “can’t be weighed on the same scale.““I mean, honestly, my mom is my hero,” she said elsewhere in the conversation.When Letterman asked directly about the rumored strife, saying “There’s not estrangement here with your father, it’s just the way things are played?” Miley responded: “Yeah, I think, what is so beautiful is that my parents, they served their children, and I know this. My parents served us and sacrificed so much for us. Anything we dreamed of, they made possible.”

06of 11

Billy Ray Cyrus from Miley Cyrus

John Shearer/BBMA2017/Getty

Since Billy Ray Cyrus and longtime wife Tish Cyrus announced their divorce in 2022, there have beenrumors of a rift within the familythat includes the couple’s five kids, Miley Cyrus, Noah Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus, Trace Cyrus and Braison Cyrus. (Billy Ray has another son,Christopher Cody Cyrus, from a previous relationship who has remained out of the spotlight.)

In February 2024, while accepting the Grammy for record of the year, Mileymade no mention of her dad, pointedly joking, “I don’t think I forgot anyone. But I might have forgotten underwear. Bye!”

That summer, Miley opened up about her relationship with her parents onMy Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Lettermanand shared that while she has a “lot of love” for her dad, in terms of how both parents impacted her career, said they “can’t be weighed on the same scale.”

“I mean, honestly, my mom is my hero,” she said elsewhere in the conversation.

When Letterman asked directly about the rumored strife, saying “There’s not estrangement here with your father, it’s just the way things are played?” Miley responded: “Yeah, I think, what is so beautiful is that my parents, they served their children, and I know this. My parents served us and sacrificed so much for us. Anything we dreamed of, they made possible.”

07of 11Cher from Elijah Blue AllmanRon Davis/GettyCher’s youngest son, Elijah Blue Allman, has long had a complicated relationship with his famous mom.“He and I have such a bizarre relationship. We’ve had so many strange moments,” Cher said during an appearance onDr. Philin 2004.” I don’t really understand him. Somehow Elijah and I kind of talk through osmosis.”In December 2023, though, Cherfiled for a temporary conservatorshipover  Elijah’s estate due to his alleged substance abuse and declining mental health. Earlier that year, the two had made headlines when amid divorce proceedings, Elijah’s wife Marieangela King alleged that Cher had hired four men to kidnap her son from a New York City hotel room in 2022.Cher told PEOPLE in 2023 of the allegations, “That rumor is not true.”Cher and her son later reached a private agreement, and Cher voluntarilydismissed her petition for conservatorshipin September 2024.

07of 11

Cher from Elijah Blue Allman

Ron Davis/Getty

Cher’s youngest son, Elijah Blue Allman, has long had a complicated relationship with his famous mom.

“He and I have such a bizarre relationship. We’ve had so many strange moments,” Cher said during an appearance onDr. Philin 2004.” I don’t really understand him. Somehow Elijah and I kind of talk through osmosis.”

In December 2023, though, Cherfiled for a temporary conservatorshipover  Elijah’s estate due to his alleged substance abuse and declining mental health. Earlier that year, the two had made headlines when amid divorce proceedings, Elijah’s wife Marieangela King alleged that Cher had hired four men to kidnap her son from a New York City hotel room in 2022.

Cher told PEOPLE in 2023 of the allegations, “That rumor is not true.”

Cher and her son later reached a private agreement, and Cher voluntarilydismissed her petition for conservatorshipin September 2024.

08of 11

Anthony Hopkins from Abigail Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins and Abigail Hopkins.Getty(2)

Getty(2)

Anthony Hopkins shares one daughter, Abigail, with his ex-wife Petronella Barker.The actor reportedly left when Abigail was a toddlerthough the two had a brief reconciliation in the 1990s and she made a few small cameos in his filmsShadowlandsandThe Remains of the Day.In the years since, though, the two lost touch.

In 2018, when asked in an interviewRadio Timesif Abigail had made him a grandfather, Anthony said “I don’t have any idea.”

“People break up,” he said, perThe Telegraph. “Families split and, you know, ‘Get on with your life.’ People make choices. I don’t care one way or the other.”

“You know, I did the best I could, but you know, okay, I think if somebody doesn’t want to be part of my life, fine. Go and do whatever you want,” he told the outlet. “I wish her well and all that, but I don’t want to talk about my daughter. Those things are over.”

Abigail hadpreviously spokenabout her relationship with her father sharing that she’d see him “maybe once a year” as a child.

“There is a little bit of sadness, but I have to get on with my life,”  she said in a 2006 interview withThe Telegraph. “It has always been like that. See him, and then not.”

At the time she said she would “possibly” be open to it, but it “would have to be a two-way thing.”

“I don’t know how I would feel about it,” she added. “We have never really been close. We’ve never discussed big life issues. Because, well, our relationship was always so sporadic. I’ve never felt I could discuss those sort of things with him.”

09of 11

Woody Allen from Dylan and Ronan Farrow

Woody Allen; Dylan and Ronan Farrow.Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty; Bruce Glikas/Getty

Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty; Bruce Glikas/Getty

RonanandDylan Farrowhave both spoken out against their father,Woody Allen, in the years after his dramatic split from their momMia Farrow. In a 2014 op-ed published inThe New York Times, Dylan publicly addressed accusations that Allen sexually abused her as a child for the first time. The piece came out after her father’s latest Oscar nomination, and Dylan called out the industry for refusing to acknowledge his allegations of sexual abuse and assault.

Two years later, Ronan penned an article inThe Hollywood Reportercoming out in full support of his sister. The guest column raised concerns over journalists avoiding tough questions about sexual misconduct allegations in fear of retribution from powerful publicists.

Allenmaintainsthat the allegations were baseless. In a 2021 interview withVariety, he cites how two “major” investigations looked into the situation and “came to the exact same conclusion” that there was “no merit to these charges.”

When asked if he had seen Dylan or Ronan recently, he answered: “No. Always willing to but no, no….”

Farrow is also estranged from her daughter Soon-Yi,with whom Allen had an affair in the early 1990s that led to his divorce from Farrow. “He’s weaponized two of my children that he’s turned against me,” she said, referring to Soon-Yi and her and Allen’s son Moses, who backed Soon-Yi’s claim that Mia was abusive to them. (Soon-Yi responded that Mia, Dylan and Ronan are sharing a false narrative about Allen.)

10of 11Eric Roberts from Emma RobertsGregg DeGuire/WireImageEric Robertscouldn’t wait to welcome little Emma with exKelly Cunningham. However, theFracturedactor admitted he simply wasn’t ready for the massive responsibilities that came with fatherhood.“I loved my little daughter with the strength of Hercules, despite my own weaknesses,“the actor wrote in his memoir,Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far. “However, I couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent! I’m still not a father figure.“Roberts' addiction struggles led to him losing custody of his daughter, and their relationship still is strained;he recently said he’s not supposed to talk about her publicly. But he has also shared that he is proud of her career and her role as a mother to her son, Rhodes.

10of 11

Eric Roberts from Emma Roberts

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Eric Robertscouldn’t wait to welcome little Emma with exKelly Cunningham. However, theFracturedactor admitted he simply wasn’t ready for the massive responsibilities that came with fatherhood.

“I loved my little daughter with the strength of Hercules, despite my own weaknesses,“the actor wrote in his memoir,Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far. “However, I couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent! I’m still not a father figure.”

Roberts' addiction struggles led to him losing custody of his daughter, and their relationship still is strained;he recently said he’s not supposed to talk about her publicly. But he has also shared that he is proud of her career and her role as a mother to her son, Rhodes.

11of 11King Charles from Prince HarryJeff J Mitchell - WPA Pool/GettyPrince Harryhas had a difficult relationship with his familysince leaving London in 2020, which he said he did in an effort to protect his wife Meghan Markle and children from the U.K. press.And while his relationship with his father had improved slightly after the two met in February following theKing’s cancer diagnosis, a sourcetold PEOPLEthat the pair were no longer speaking back in July.“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ " said a friend of Harry’s. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.“The Duke of Sussex has been fighting for the reinstatement of security for his family for more than four years and believes Charles has the power to help make that happen. However, a palace source told PEOPLE the notion that Charles has any influence over Harry’s security is “wholly incorrect.”

11of 11

King Charles from Prince Harry

Jeff J Mitchell - WPA Pool/Getty

Prince Harryhas had a difficult relationship with his familysince leaving London in 2020, which he said he did in an effort to protect his wife Meghan Markle and children from the U.K. press.

And while his relationship with his father had improved slightly after the two met in February following theKing’s cancer diagnosis, a sourcetold PEOPLEthat the pair were no longer speaking back in July.

“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ " said a friend of Harry’s. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”

The Duke of Sussex has been fighting for the reinstatement of security for his family for more than four years and believes Charles has the power to help make that happen. However, a palace source told PEOPLE the notion that Charles has any influence over Harry’s security is “wholly incorrect.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com