Even though Macaulay Culkin rose to fame as a child, his career took a turn for the worse when his parents divorced and started arguing about who would be in charge of Macaulay Culkin’s wealth and profession.
Macaulay Culkin let a lawyer handle the matter and took his parents’ names out of his foundation trust. His father declared years later that Macaulay Culkin was no longer his son.
On August 26, 1980, Macaulay Carson Culkin was born in New York. He is the son of Patricia Brentrup and former Broadway performer Christopher Cornelius “Kit” Culkin. But his parents have never tied the knot.
The third of seven children is Macaulay. Along with his sister Quinn, he has two brothers who are also actors: Kieran and Rory. At the tender age of four, Macaulay made his stage debut in the musical performance of “Bach Babies.”
As a young age, he started pursuing the performing arts. He trained at Balanchine’s American Ballet School and had several television commercial appearances.
In 1988, he made his screen debut in the drama “Rocket Gibraltar.” The next year, he made appearances in “See You in the Morning” and “Uncle Buck.”
His breakthrough performance was as Kevin McCallister in the comedy “Home Alone” in 1990. Due to the film’s widespread success, Macaulay overnight rose to prominence.
He received nominations for a Golden Globe, an American Comedy Award, and a Young Artist Award for his performance. He returned to the role in the global hit “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” in 1992.
He starred in multiple popular movies, including “My Girl” (1991), “The Good Son” (1993), and a motion picture adaptation of “The Nutcracker” (1993).
He starred in “Getting Even with Dad,” “The Pagemaster,” and “Richie Rich” the following year. He wanted to lead a regular life after becoming weary of acting after the last movie.
His parents divorced in 1995, sparking a protracted custody dispute that lasted for two years. At this time, Macaulay—who was now the highest-paid child star—made the decision to hold off on accepting any additional jobs until after his parents’ custody battle was resolved.
After being together for more than 20 years, Macaulay’s parents, Kit and Brentrup, separated in 1995 when he was just 14 years old.
His managers were also the actor’s parents. They began bickering after their split over how to raise their kids and handle Macaulay’s rising profession.
Kit and Brentrup received a 15% commission on Macaulay’s profits while overseeing him. Macaulay’s profits were expected to be $50 million by 1990.
Because Kit was allegedly abusive, unfaithful, and had abandoned Macaulay and his siblings, Brentrup petitioned for temporary custody of Macaulay and his siblings in June 1995.
She was worried that Kit’s actions might turn off prospective workers who wished to resume working with their kids. But Kit wanted co-management and joint custody with Brentrup, while Brentrup asked for sole custody.
Kit was accused by the producers of blackmail, extortion, and harassment. He had such a terrible reputation that people referred to him as the “Stage Father from Hell.”
In “The Good Son,” Kit had threatened to cut Macaulay from the follow-up film “Home Alone” unless he was given a significant role. Producers and filmmakers reconsidered hiring Macaulay and his siblings after learning about the controversy involving his father.
Macaulay disclosed that he and his siblings declined to accompany their father throughout the custody dispute. He believed his father to be a pitiful individual.
Macaulay, watching his parents battle in court, acted impartially and decided to take Kit and Brentrup out of his trust fund. He said:
“I found an executor, someone who would handle my finances, and I legally removed my parents’ names from my trust fund.”
He feels that this decision pushed their custody battle to a much quicker conclusion, even though the press has misconstrued it. Take note that in the end, custody went to Brentrup.
Following the protracted struggle, Macaulay’s father—who passed away in January 2014 while preparing dinner—had nothing nice to say about him. He declared:
“I no longer consider him to be a son.”
Following their split, Kit made the decision to relocate to the west with his girlfriend Jeanette Krylowski. In addition, he accepted that he would never see his kids again.
Macaulay’s fatherhood began on April 5, 2021. Dakota Song Culkin is the son he and his fiancée Brenda Song welcomed into their family in Los Angeles.
Dakota, Macaulay’s sister, passed away in an automobile accident on December 9, 2008, at the age of 29. Their son bears her name. On the “Changeland” set in Thailand, Macaulay and Song first got together.
Macaulay announced that he and the former Disney Channel actress were prepared to start a family a year after they first started dating. In 1998, he wed actress Rachel Miner before he began dating Song. In 2002, following two years of separation, they got divorced.
We’ve seen more of Macaulay’s return to the spotlight in recent years. He declared on Twitter in October 2021 that he will not be part of the Disney+ revival of “Home Alone.”
Macaulay wore a colorful costume when she walked the Gucci Love Parade runway in November 2021 on Hollywood Boulevard.
He was dressed in vibrant floral bomber jacket over Hawaiian shirt and wide-leg camel beige slacks. Macaulay flashed his cream-colored Gucci double G leather belt, hands tucked into his pockets.
He accessorized his retro vacation ensemble with caramel-colored, 1970s-style sunglasses and clogs.
Although it’s common for fans to see their idols walk the catwalk, Macaulay surprised them by sharing the podium with Jodie Turner-Smith and Jared Leto.
I Invited My Friend Over, and His French-Speaking Skills Uncovered a Shocking Family Secret
When Chad’s French in-laws come over, he invites his friend, Nolan, along — to keep him company while Camille and her parents converse in French. While they have dinner, Chad discovers that Nolan understands French and reveals a family secret.
My wife, Camille, is as French as they come. We met at college when she was an exchange student studying International Politics, and we’ve been together ever since.
Camille’s parents live in France but visit us twice a year. I’ve learned a few odd words and phrases in French, but the language has yet to stick with me.
Other than mon chéri or various dishes from French cuisine, I don’t know much. Now, my in-laws are around, and it’s only been four days.
So, I decided to invite my friend, Nolan to have dinner and meet Camille’s parents. That way, I would also have someone to talk to.
Now imagine this:
We’re all sitting at the table, enjoying our bouillabaisse. Nolan and I talked about an audit at work, and Camille and her parents were happily chatting in French.
Everything seems fine, right? Wrong.
While mid-conversation about work, Nolan’s face goes as white as a ghost, and he nudges my arm firmly with his elbow.
“Go upstairs and check under your bed. Trust me,” he whispers urgently.
My first instinct was to laugh it off — it made no sense. But one look at his wide eyes told me that this wasn’t a joke.
“Excuse me,” I said to the table. “I’ll be right back.”
I reluctantly shuffled to my bedroom, feeling like I was stepping into some strange French noir film. I picked Camille’s silver silk robe off the floor and bent to look under the bed.
My heart was beating ridiculously fast like I was about to have a heart attack. But there it was — a lone black box.
I opened the box with shaky fingers, going through the contents quickly — I didn’t know if Camille would come looking for me. Then, toward the bottom of the box, was a series of photographs of Camille, wearing next to nothing.
My heart pounded harder and nausea rose through my body.
What have I just stumbled upon? I asked myself.
As I was about to put everything back, the world turned black.
It must have been hours later when I woke up in a hospital ward, surrounded by empty beds. The harsh light glared down on me as my eyes adjusted to the change of venue and the sharp smells of detergent.
“Woah,” I mumbled, my throat raw.
That’s when I noticed that Nolan was sitting next to me, his head propped up by his arm.
“You passed out in your bedroom, mate,” he said. “What happened?”
Then, it all came back to me. Camille’s box under the bed, my insatiable curiosity mixed with an overactive heart rate brought on by a panic attack.
But I did get a glimpse into the box. It turned out to be my own Pandora’s Box. There were incriminating photos of Camille, love letters to a man named Benoit, and little trinkets, all piecing together a tale of betrayal.
It turns out that Camille was hiding an affair.
“You were taking forever,” Nolan said. “So, I followed you, and I found you passed out on the floor. I closed the box and pushed it back under before calling Camille and an ambulance.”
“How did you know?” I asked, thinking about the warning Nolan had given me.
“I did French throughout high school, Chad,” he said. “While talking, I understood that Camille said something about hiding everything under the bed. I’m sorry.”
“Where’s Camille?” I asked.
“At the cafeteria, she said she needed to stretch her legs. So, she went to get coffee.”
I put my head back and thought of the letters that my wife had been receiving.
I got discharged the following day, and Nolan drove me home. Camille fussed over me, making me a healthy juice and ensuromg that I was okay. But of course I wasn’t. Nothing was okay.
That afternoon, I had to set the record straight. I couldn’t look at Camille and feel what I had felt before.
“I can’t continue in this marriage,” I said when Camille brought me a juice.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“I know about the black box under the bed.”
Camille turned pale.
“I can explain,” she said, jumping up.
“I saw more than enough, Cami. I don’t think your version of an explanation would change that.”
“Just listen,” she said. “My parents set up the meeting with Benoit. They wanted me to be with someone French — to have completely French children.”
I looked at her, wondering how she expected me to sit there and listen to more.
“So, after they arranged it,” she continued. “I met him. And we hit it off, and our friendship grew.”
“I want a divorce. Immediately,” I said, not wanting to listen to anything else.
Camille made a fuss, hurling accusations of me snooping and invading her privacy. She threatened not to sign the divorce papers when they came, but I told her that there was just no love left in our marriage after what she had done.
“Give me another chance,” she pleaded.
But I didn’t want any of it.
The divorce process lasted a few months, and Camille contested everything — from the house to spousal maintenance — and she even wanted me to pay for her tickets to France every year. I refused everything except the house. I didn’t want to be there anymore anyway. I’m living in a bachelor pad closer to my office now.
I’m heartbroken, sure. But at least now, I’m not living a lie. And that’s liberating.
I’m also grateful to Nolan for telling me the truth and staying by my side through the divorce.
Now, I wonder if Camille will end up with Benoit or not — I know her parents will love it if she does.
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