From Meghan Markle to Mariah Carey: the messiest family feuds unveiled

In her memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, Mariah Carey shares the harrowing experiences she endured at the hands of her late older sister, Alison. From feeding her drugs to violently attacking her, Alison’s actions left deep scars. Despite the distance and the lack of contact, the news of Alison’s death, coinciding with their mother’s, adds a layer of sorrow to the already painful loss.

Meghan Markle’s relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, was once close, but it unraveled in the lead-up to her wedding to Prince Harry. Despite their bond during her childhood, Thomas’s decision to stage paparazzi photos and sell personal information about Meghan to the press created an irreparable rift. Meghan’s heartfelt letter pleading with him to stop only added to the tension when he sold it to tabloids. Since then, Thomas has frequently spoken out against Meghan in the media, criticizing her decisions and their strained relationship.

Keanu Reeves, the enigmatic star of John Wick, has lived with the scars of a fractured family since childhood. When Keanu was just three years old, his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., walked out on the family, and by the time Keanu was 13, Samuel had completely disappeared from his life. Reflecting on the absence of a father figure, Keanu told The Guardian, “I think it’s definitely traumatizing, but it’s hard to know how [it affected me] because I don’t know what the other life would have been, you know what I mean?”

Samuel made a brief attempt to reconnect in the mid-90s, but Keanu chose not to respond. When asked why, Keanu simply said, “I just didn’t.” Samuel passed away in 2018 at the age of 76, leaving behind an unhealed relationship.

Macaulay Culkin, who captured the world’s heart as the precocious child star of Home Alone, experienced a turbulent relationship with his father, Kit Culkin. On WTF With Marc Maron in 2018, Macaulay revealed that his father was abusive both mentally and physically, casting a dark shadow over his childhood stardom. “[He said] ‘Do good or I’ll hit you,’” Macaulay recalled. “He was a bad man. He was abusive, physically and mentally — I can show you all my scars if I wanted to.”

The tension between them was further fueled by Kit’s jealousy over Macaulay’s success. “Everything he tried to do in life, I excelled at before I was 10 years old,” Macaulay shared. At just 14, Macaulay made the bold decision to retire from acting after Richie Rich, a move that led to a bitter legal battle over his earnings. “I learned how to read court papers at 14,” he told Vanity Fair.

Kelly Rowland’s story of reconciling with her estranged father, Christopher Lovett, is one of courage and healing. For most of her life, Kelly had no contact with her father. However, in 2018, she decided to bridge that gap, sharing the emotional journey on Instagram. “This was the day I met Christopher Lovett, my biological father,” Kelly wrote alongside photos of their reunion. “This was honestly one of the most pivotal moments in my life! After 30 years of not seeing him, not speaking to him…what would THAT mean, for me, my family, my psyche?”

Kelly recounted the anxiety she felt as she approached the meeting, feeling like the abandoned 8-year-old girl she once was. But as they finally came face to face, she felt an unexpected sense of peace. “I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, listen,” she shared. Despite her initial reservations, Kelly found herself opening up to her father, leading to a relationship that has grown stronger each day. “I Love you Daddy, and love being your little girl…even at 39!” she concluded, celebrating their newfound bond.

Jennifer Aniston’s relationship with her mother, Nancy Dow, was as complicated as it was public. Their struggles came to light in Nancy’s 1999 tell-all book, From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir. In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, Jennifer revealed, “She was critical. She was very critical of me. Because she was a model, she was gorgeous, stunning. I wasn’t. I never was. I honestly still don’t think of myself in that sort of light, which is fine. She was also very unforgiving. She would hold grudges that I just found so petty.”

Jennifer described how her mother’s harshness and inability to let go of grudges strained their relationship. A particularly painful memory involved Jennifer raising her voice for the first time, only for Nancy to laugh at her. Despite these challenges, Jennifer managed to reconcile with her mother before Nancy’s passing in 2016, a testament to the enduring complexity of their bond.

Matthew McConaughey’s relationship with his mother, Mary, took a nosedive when fame entered the picture. As Matthew’s star rose, so did his mother’s enthusiasm for the spotlight, which often clashed with his need for privacy. “Mother wasn’t answering the phone. A fan of my fame was answering the phone,” Matthew revealed on Red Table Talk. The final straw came when Mary allowed reporters into his childhood home for a TV special without his permission, leading Matthew to cut off contact for eight years.

 Demi Lovato’s song “Father” from her 2015 album Confident offers a raw glimpse into her complicated feelings towards her estranged father, Patrick, who passed away in 2013. Demi described her father as abusive, yet acknowledged his desire to be a better person. “He was mean, but he wanted to be a good person,” she shared in a YouTube video. Despite their difficult relationship, Demi’s father expressed gratitude for her stepfather’s role in her life, a sentiment that left her with conflicted emotions.

Drew Barrymore’s childhood was anything but typical. By the age of 14, after years of struggling with addiction and a turbulent relationship with her mother, Drew emancipated herself from her parents. In a 2014 interview with Marie Claire, Drew expressed empathy for her mother but acknowledged that they could not be in each other’s lives. “It’s the hardest subject in my life. I’ve never just been angry with her. I’ve always felt guilt and empathy and utter sensitivity. But we can’t really be in each other’s lives at this point.”

Drew’s resolve to break the cycle of her upbringing has been evident in how she raises her own children, vowing never to repeat her parents’ mistakes.

Rihanna’s relationship with her father, Ronald Fenty, has been marked by betrayal and estrangement. In a 2011 interview with Vogue, Rihanna opened up about her father’s actions, including selling stories about her to the press and lying about their relationship. “My dad went to the press and just told them a bunch of lies,” she said, reflecting on the hurt and disbelief she felt. In 2019, Rihanna took legal action against her father for using their last name, Fenty, in business dealings without her consent.

Adele’s strained relationship with her father, Mark Evans, has been a recurring theme in her life. Although she occasionally visited him during her childhood, they were never close. After years of distance, Evans’s decision to sell stories about Adele to the press sealed the fate of their relationship. While accepting a Grammy in 2017, Adele expressed her love for her manager, Jonathan Dickins, saying, “I love you like you’re my dad. I don’t love my dad, that’s the thing.”

Christina Aguilera’s childhood was marred by the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, Fausto Aguilera. Despite briefly allowing him back into her life as an adult, Christina ultimately decided that he wasn’t necessary in her life. “I let him back into my life briefly but I soon realized that he is not necessary in my life,” she told Latina magazine, reflecting on the difficult decision to keep her distance.

Kate Hudson and her brother, Oliver, were raised by their mother, Goldie Hawn, and her longtime partner, Kurt Russell, after their biological father, Bill Hudson, left when Kate was just a year old. In 2015, Bill publicly disowned Kate and Oliver, declaring them “dead to me.” Despite the harsh words, Kate has chosen to focus on forgiveness, telling Howard Stern in 2016, “I think forgiveness in any aspect is something that is complex. It is the greatest tool to be able to separate that attachment.”

Heather Graham has been estranged from her once-close parents since the release of Boogie Nights in 1997. The film’s content reportedly clashed with her parents’ Catholic values, leading to a rift that has yet to be healed. Despite their public claims of not knowing why Heather cut ties, the actress has remained private about her family matters.