Inside the tragic life of Macaulay Culkin and his family: From fatal car accident to horror fire
Inside Macaulay Culkin's horrific upbringing before he found happiness with Brenda Song
The Culkin family might have come from modest beginnings, but they became millionaires overnight when child actor Macaulay Culkin landed the main part in 'Home Alone'. As they witnessed the darker side of wealth and life, the family also faced several challenges and devastating losses. On December 1, Macaulay Culkin was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, accompanied by his longtime partner Brenda Song and their two children. Here are some of the struggles members of the Culkin family have endured, from overcoming a debilitating drug addiction to getting entangled in a heated custody dispute.
Macaulay Culkin's father was abusive
Although Macaulay had deeper issues with his father, Kit Culkin put a lot of effort into raising his child star son. In a letter included in his 2006 book 'Junior', Macaulay claimed that his father "hurt people a lot." In an interview with CNN, Macaulay described Kit as "very controlling ... he played games with you, just to make sure you were still in your place." Besides, in an interview with New York magazine, Macaulay shared candid details about his father, saying, "The one thing he taught me was how not to be, and how I don't want to be with my children. He was a bad guy."
Acrimonious custody battle
After 20 years together, Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentrup dissolved their marriage in 1995, dragging their children through a bitter custody dispute. After their divorce, Patricia sued Kit to get custody of their seven children: Shane, Dakota, Macaulay, Kieran, Quinn, Christian, and Rory. Kit was not allowed visitation rights after Patricia eventually prevailed in the litigation. Teenagers Macaulay and Kieran expressed their desire to stay away from their father at the time, per The Mirror.
Tragic fire destroyed Culkin family's apartment
Four people died and several more were injured when a fire broke out at the Culkin family's 19th-floor apartment on December 23, 1998. According to the New York Times, the deaths occurred because of "the superheated, smoke-filled stairwell" while building occupants attempted to flee the fire. Patricia called to report that the fire had spread from her electric heater to the couch, per the FDNY report. After the fire, Patricia and her children moved into the apartment that Macaulay and his ex-wife Rachel Miner shared. Macaulay told New York magazine, "It was awful, of course — people died — it was awful."
Macaulay Culkin's sister died in car accident
The Culkin family was devasted by the tragic loss of their 29-year-old sister Dakota Culkin, who was hit by a car in December 2008. She was crossing Lincoln Boulevard in front of Brennan's Irish pub in Marina del Rey, California, when she met with the accident. TMZ reported at the time that she later died from severe head trauma. Macaulay chose to step down from 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' at the time to process the loss of his sister. In 2021, Kieran described Dakota as the "funniest person in the family," saying, "Each one of us handled [her death] very differently. I think everyone was just torn up inside," per the Hollywood Reporter.
Macaulay Culkin made headlines for drug abuse
Macaulay, then 24, was accused of possessing marijuana and several Xanax tablets without a prescription in 2004. In 2005, Culkin entered a guilty plea to misdemeanor counts of possessing marijuana and medicine without a prescription. According to Today.com, he received a one-year deferred sentence. The images of Macaulay appearing pale in 2012 only served to fuel the rumors that he had a drug addiction. In a subsequent interview with The Guardian, the actor stated, "No, I was not pounding six grand of heroin every month or whatever." In another rare interview with Esquire in 2021, he said about drugs, "I do love them. They’re like old friends. But sometimes you outgrow your friends."