Dominique Caine Used to Believe Her Dad Michael Caine Was Just a ‘Family Friend’

Dominique Caine was Michael Caine's first daughter, born in his first marriage to Patricia Haines. She arrived long before her father's fame and grew up primarily under her grandparents' care.

In 2007, "Sir Michael Caine: A Biography" hit the shelves, chronicling the life of the eponymous acting legend Michael Caine and all the significant figures that emerged in it. Among them was his first daughter, Dominique "Niki" Caine.

Dominique was born in the late 1950s to a couple that struggled financially. Her mother, Patricia Haines, had to leave work when she was pregnant, which further strained their situation and relationship. Not long after her arrival, her father left to pursue his dreams.

Dominique Caine's Early Life

Dominique's parents were married for two and a half years. Her father left six months after her birth after her mother gave him an ultimatum. Michael had been working at a laundromat in Brixton, England.

He was "desperate" to join the film industry while he and Patricia struggled to get by. One day, during an argument, Patricia told him, "Take a steady job. Forget your ambitions. It's our marriage or show business."

Michael chose show business and walked away. He worried he'd grow resentful and take his anguish out on Patricia and Dominique if he hadn't pursued his dreams. However, he hoped that with the success that may come, "I could do something to help all of us."

Dominique Caine's Initially Estranged Relationship with Her Father

Following her parents' separation, Dominique moved to her grandparents' home in Sheffield with her mother. She stayed there throughout her school days while her mom found work elsewhere. Once Patricia had enough financial stability, she considered taking Dominique with her.

"She was so firmly entrenched with her school and her friends that it seemed unfair to move her," Patricia said. So, Dominique stayed in Sheffield and saw her mother at least once a month.

Growing up primarily under her grandparents' care, Dominique came to see them as her birth parents. It wasn't until her schoolmates asked why her parents were so old that "the truth came out," as she said.

"I never knew who my real father was — when Dad used to visit me in Yorkshire, I thought for — years — he was just a family friend. [...] I'd called my granddad Poppa, and when he explained they weren't my real parents, it broke me up," Dominique recalled.

Her mother remarried and settled near Bromley, Kent, with her new husband, actor Bernard Kay. In February 1977, Patricia succumbed to cancer at age 45. Michael attended her service alongside his daughter. Dominique said her mother's death brought her and her dad closer together.

Dominique Caine's Life Trajectory in Adulthood

Dominique made a successful career out of showjumping. She rode internationally, representing Great Britain, and was once named Miss Equestrian at the Horse of The Year Ball at the London Hilton. She eventually established her own riding stable in Gloucestershire.

Her husband, Rowland Fernhough, was also a renowned showjumper. The couple married in 1981 when Dominique was 24. In January 2023, news emerged that she had received a six-month suspension from driving after being caught speeding in Cheltenham in May 2022.

This was after she explained she needed her vehicle to reach her father in London and help care for him, as he is currently facing health issues. Like his late ex-wife, Michael also found new love with Shakira Caine. Married for 50 years, they had one daughter, Natasha Caine.