Macaulay Culkin Discusses His Estrangement from His Father and His Commitment to Supporting Kids

Macaulay Culkin is sharing insights about his complicated relationship with his father and former manager, Kit Culkin.

Kit, now 80, was at the helm of Macaulay’s career during the late 1980s and early 1990s when Macaulay, currently 45, emerged as a child star in blockbuster films such as Home Alone and Uncle Buck. At that time, Kit was often described as a challenging figure to work with, and Macaulay faced personal struggles with his father as well.

Macaulay and his seven siblings, including Oscar winner Kieran Culkin, became largely estranged from their father after their mother, Patricia Brentrup, gained custody of the children in 1997.

In a recent interview with Deadline on Wednesday, November 26, Macaulay reflected on his father’s impact on his career and their challenging relationship, especially when he was asked if he had ever confronted his dad about their past.

“He had seven beautiful kids, and now he’s got five beautiful grandkids. None of them want anything to do with him. Nothing. As far as I know,” Macaulay stated. “If my siblings want to maintain their relationships with him, that’s their choice. I have these wonderful kids at home, and I don’t want his wrongdoings affecting them.”

“That’s not how I operate, and that’s why he needed to go over there … he’s likely to be alone when he passes away, and I’ll think, ‘Yep, that’s what you deserve,’” Macaulay added. “I don’t need to express my thoughts to him; he is aware of his actions.”

Macaulay recalled a particular moment from his childhood when Kit raised his voice at him in front of a friend, describing how much it affected him: “I didn’t like that, but I had to deal with it. I took my lumps.”

He recounted how, later on, Kit asked why he had grown distant. Macaulay explained it was due to the embarrassment he felt in front of his friend. Kit insisted it hadn’t happened, but Macaulay emphasized, “It left a mark on me. And it did happen.”

“And you know what it was? It wasn’t denial. He performed mental gymnastics to erase those events as if they never occurred,” Macaulay elaborated. “I can bring him to therapy, and we could discuss this for decades, but there are certain things he will always dismiss. This is the person I’m dealing with. No, you stay over there. I’ll remain over here.”

As a father now, Macaulay emphasizes the importance of showering his two sons with affirmation to break the cycle of emotional strife he experienced growing up. (He shares sons Dakota, 4, and Carson, 2, with his fiancée Brenda Song.)

“I love my kids endlessly. I give them everything. There was a certain word that didn’t get used in my house that I now throw around frequently: proud,” he shared. “During one of his recitals, my kid was supposed to play the bug who retrieves the egg. He was so excited, but when the curtain opened, he froze and ran offstage in tears. I rushed to the back and said, ‘I’m so proud of you for even getting up there. That’s incredible, dude. You must have been so scared, but you did it anyway.’”

“What I give is unconditional support. That’s my philosophy: pride and acceptance,” Macaulay concluded.