Dakota Johnson Shares Insights on Don Johnson’s Decision to Cut Her Off for Forgoing College
After Dakota Johnson decided that college was not for her, her father, fellow actor Don Johnson, cut her off financially.
“I didn’t get in [to The Juilliard School], and my dad cut me off because I didn’t go to college,” Dakota, 35, shared with Elle UK in a profile published on Wednesday, May 14. “So, I started auditioning. I think I was 19 when I landed a role in The Social Network, followed by some smaller jobs.”
Dakota, the daughter of Doctor Odyssey star Don, 75, and former partner Melanie Griffith, has siblings from both parents’ previous relationships. With a strong inclination to emulate her parents in acting, Dakota focused solely on Juilliard in New York City and did not consider other schools.
Instead, she remained in Los Angeles, pursuing roles and auditions.
“For a couple of years, it was tough to make ends meet,” she confessed to Elle. “There were moments I would go grocery shopping with no money in my account or struggle to pay rent, and I had to ask my parents for financial support.”
Dakota expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’m very thankful my parents could help me, but it was far from enjoyable. The auditioning process is, as you know, absolutely dreadful.”
Don has previously stated that he enforces a family rule where his children can only remain “on the payroll” if they are enrolled in school.
“In our family, we have a guideline that if you stay in school, you can stay on the payroll,” he mentioned on a 2021 episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers. “I approached Dakota towards the end of high school and asked, ‘Would you like to visit some colleges?’ She responded, ‘Oh, no. I’m not going to college.’”
He added, “I said, ‘Fine, but that means you won’t be on the payroll anymore.’”
When Don originally questioned how Dakota would manage her finances independently, she assured him, “Don’t worry about it.” Just three weeks later, she secured her debut role in the film The Social Network.
“And the rest is what you might call cinema history,” Don reminisced about his daughter, who later starred in projects like 50 Shades of Grey, Madame Web, and the upcoming The Materialists. “She doesn’t usually reach out for advice. Most of the time she calls to tell me, ‘I’d love to see you, but I’m juggling three projects at once.’”
