Brooklyn Beckham’s recent Instagram revelations about his family have sparked discussions about celebrities who are estranged from their relatives.
The controversy began when Brooklyn shared his experiences on Instagram Stories, criticising his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, for allegedly trying to ‘ruin his relationship’ and accusing his mother of inappropriate behavior.
Brooklyn, married to Nicola Peltz since 2022, detailed his strained relationship with his family, surprising many fans. While some found it hard to believe, it’s not unusual for celebrities to open up about family estrangements.
In fact, several well-known figures have distanced themselves from their families, although it might not be widely known.
Here are some examples.
One of the most emotional cases involved the ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ artist, who broke ties with her older sister Alison. Alison passed away on the same day as their mother, Patricia, in 2024.
“My sister, I hadn’t seen in years. And I feel really badly about that as well. But that’s ‘cause I tend to have a guilt complex about everything, but it’s tough. My sister had an extremely hard life,” she told Gayle King.
In her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she explained that it was ‘emotionally and physically safer for me not to have any contact’ with Alison.
Alison had introduced her to drugs and older men during her teenage years and once threw boiling tea at her, causing ‘third degree burns’.
Alison later filed a lawsuit against the singer over the memoir’s content, but the Sun reported that the outcome remains unknown.
An iconic singer has been candid about her difficult relationship with her father, Ronald Fenty, who passed away at 70 in May 2025 after a ‘brief illness’.
In 2009, she described her parents’ marriage as ‘abusive’ and said it affected her health, causing severe headaches by the age of eight.
In 2007, she told Entertainment Weekly: “I had to go through a lot of CAT scans. They even thought it was a tumor.”
Her father’s actions after her 2009 incident with Chris Brown, where he spoke to the press without her consent, further strained their relationship.
In a 2021 lawsuit, she accused him of exploiting her name for financial gain.
The BBC reported that she withdrew the lawsuit three weeks before it was due to be heard in court.
Actor Macaulay Culkin, known for his role in Home Alone, faced a troubled relationship with his father, Kit Culkin.
After his parents’ separation in 1995, he ceased contact with his father and hasn’t spoken to him for over 30 years, as he shared on the Sibling Revelry podcast.
In a 2018 interview on WTF with Marc Maron, he described his father as abusive, both mentally and physically.
“[He said] ‘Do good or I’ll hit you.’ He was a bad man. He was abusive, physically and mentally – I can show you all my scars if I wanted to.”
In 1997, Culkin legally removed both parents from his finances after discovering his father was hiding his wealth, valued at $50 million, from him.
A former reality TV star shared her decision to cut ties with her father, revealing she hadn’t spoken to him in years.
“I mean, honestly, and this might sound messed up to some people, but it’s the best decision I’ve ever made, cutting my dad out of my life. Such a weight has been lifted from me,” she explained to People.
She emphasized her decision was to protect her children, stating: “He crossed the boundary with my kids.”
The star has three children with her ex-husband, former NFL player Jay Cutler.
“Like, you’re just gaslighting me. I don’t have time for that anymore,” she said, adding: “If someone’s not bringing you joy, if people are only bringing you hurt and sadness and anger, what is the point? Even if it’s a parent, life’s too short.”
A former child actress, known for her role on Modern Family, has openly discussed why she no longer sees her mother.
At 14, she was removed from her home due to alleged abuse and placed with her older sister, Shanelle Gray.
Both sisters accused their mother, Chrisoula Workman, of abuse.
At 17, she was legally emancipated and stated: “I am now officially emancipated!!! I’m really lucky I have an amazing support system and lovely people in my life.”
Her mother has consistently denied the accusations in various interviews.
Renowned singer and actor, Lovato, has maintained a close relationship with their mother and sister but has been distant from their father.
In 2019, Lovato shared their feelings about this estrangement on Instagram Stories during Father’s Day.
“Trying not to wake up sad … Trying to stay positive. Today is always so difficult,” they wrote. “This is for anyone else who’s lost a father, can’t be with their dad, didn’t know their dad, or anyone who has a tough relationship with their dad.”
They added: “I spent many years on this holiday wondering whether or not I should call him. Take it from me, if you can, make the call.”
Lovato admitted they sometimes wished they had reached out but were also proud for maintaining boundaries for their mental health