“Macaulay Culkin Unveils Dark Family Secret: Why He Believes His Father Has Been Holding a 30-Year Grudge”

Macaulay Culkin, a name that instantly transports us back to that iconic Christmas classic Home Alone, has recently laid bare the complexities of his familial ties, particularly with his estranged father. Can you imagine being Hollywood’s favorite child star yet feeling such a profound isolation at home? In a candid conversation on the podcast Sibling Revelry with Kate and Oliver Hudson, Culkin revealed that he hasn’t spoken to his father in nearly 30 years—a startling admission that brings to light the turmoil that can sometimes lurk behind the glitzy facade of Hollywood. His father’s significant absence in his life isn’t just a casual lack of contact; it’s a profound estrangement fueled by years of heartache, resentment, and painful memories. The actor’s reflections not only reveal the darkness that can lie beneath childhood fame but also hint at how these experiences shape our own parenting styles—something Culkin seems acutely aware of. With his own kids now in the picture, he’s determined to break the cycle. If you want to dive deeper into Culkin’s story and his revealing insights, LEARN MORE.

Macaulay Culkin has opened up about his relationship with his father, who he says he hasn’t spoken to in 30 years.

The Home Alone star is undoubtedly one of the most famous child actors in history, with many associating him with his role in Home Alone as Kevin McCallister.

However, Macaulay isn’t the only one with acting chops, as two of his brothers, Kieran and Rory Culkin, also took to the acting industry, and their parents, Christopher ‘Kit’ Culkin and Patricia Brentrup, managed their sons’ careers.

His parents separated in 1995, which caused some tension in the household and also led to the actor ‘wiping’ his parents’ names off his trust fund, which was worth $50 million.

While he’s maintained a relationship with his mother, Culkin has been estranged from his father since he was a teenager, PEOPLE reports.

Culkin has always been open about his difficult relationship with his dad, which he spoke about recently on Monday (31 March) with Kate and Oliver Hudson on their podcast, Sibling Reverly.

Macaulay Culkin with his father, Kit Culkin, in 1993 (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

“I haven’t spoken to him in what would be about 30-something years. Oh, he deserves it, too. He’s a man who had seven kids, and he has four grandkids, and none of them want anything to do with him.” he said.

“As a man myself, I would know that I f****d up, I really must have done something wrong… I have more than an inkling that he does not feel that way. Like, we’re wrong, and he’s right — he’s one of those kind of like narcissistic, crazy people.”

He also shared his belief that his fame had led to his father ‘resenting’ him due to his desire to be an actor, as he claims he ‘took a big brunt of it’.

Macaulay said: “Right off the bat, I instantly got the lead stuff in the ballet company, I instantly booked all these things, I think he resented me for that. I think he kind of hated me a little bit for that, so I think that’s why he was a little bit harsh with me.”

He then went on to call his father ‘the worst person I’ve ever known in my life’, adding that his experience had shaped how he is with his two sons, who he shares with fiancée, Brenda Song.

Culkin said his experience with his father shaped his own decision as a parent to his two sons, who he shares with Brenda Song (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

“It’s one of my earliest memories of him was [thinking], ‘When I grew up, this is how I’m not gonna be with my kids,” he continued. “Now that I have kids of my own, it’s like, you know, it kicks up some dust. I kinda go, you know, like, I can’t believe he was like that. He had all these lovely kids. It’s crazy.”

Culkin has previously accused his father of being ‘physically and mentally’ abuse, telling Marc Maron on his podcast in 2018: “He was a bad man. He was abusive, physically and mentally — I can show you all my scars if I wanted to.”

In a 2001 interview with New York Magazine, Macaulay further claimed that his dad was ‘always abusive, but it didn’t get really, really, really bad until later on’.

PEOPLE reports that Kit’s late partner, Jeanette Krylowski, denied that he was abusive to any of his children.