Macaulay Culkin Left His Parents Out of His Trust at 15 — His Dad Disowned Him Years Later

Known for his role as Kevin McCallister in "Home Alone," Macaulay Culkin quickly became a child star. Sadly, the money that came with his fame tore their family apart.

Despite becoming a child star, his career began to stall when his parents separated and started fighting over custody of the children and who would manage Macaulay Culkin's career and fortune.

Macaulay Culkin took his parents' name off his trust and allowed an attorney to cope with the situation. Years later, his father revealed that he didn't consider Macaulay Culkin his son anymore.

ABOUT MACAULAY CALKIN

Macaulay Carson Culkin was born August 26, 1980, in New York to Christopher Cornelius "Kit" Culkin, a former Broadway actor, and Patricia Brentrup. However, his parents were never married.

Macaulay is the third child in a family of seven children. His brothers Kieran and Rory, as well as his sister Quinn, are also actors. Macaulay began his career at four when he appeared in the stage production "Bach Babies."

He began studying performing arts as a child and trained at Balanchine's School of the American Ballet while appearing in numerous television commercials.

He made his movie debut in 1988 in the drama "Rocket Gibraltar." He appeared in "See You in the Morning" and "Uncle Buck" the following year.

In 1990, he rose to fame with the lead role of Kevin McCallister in the comedy film "Home Alone." The film was an international success, and Macaulay suddenly became a young star.

For his role, he won an American Comedy Award, a Young Artist Award, and got a Golden Globe nomination. In 1992, he reprised his role in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," another global success.

He starred in several mainstream movies such as "My Girl" in 1991, "The Good Son," and a filmed version of The "Nutcracker" in 1993.

The following year, he starred in "Getting Even with Dad," "The Pagemaster," and "Richie Rich." After the last movie, he tired of acting and wanted an everyday life.

In 1995, his parents separated, which led to a long custody battle that took two years. During that period, Macaulay, who had become the highest-paid child star, decided not to take on new roles until his parents settled their custody dispute.

MACAULAY'S FAMILY ISSUES

Macaulay was only 14 when his parents, Kit and Brentrup, separated in 1995 after being together for more than 20 years.

The actor's parents also served as his managers. Their separation made them fight over raising their children and who would manage Macaulay's blossoming career.

While they had managed him, Kit and Brentrup had earned a 15% commission on Macaulay's earnings. In 1990, Macaulay's earnings were estimated to be as much as $50 million.

In June 1995, Brentrup filed for temporary custody of Macaulay and his siblings as she accused Kit of abandonment, physical abuse, excessive drinking, and unfaithful behavior.

She was worried that Kit's behavior would cause no one in the industry to want to work with their kids again. However, while Brentrup sought sole custody, Kit sought co-management and joint custody with Brentrup.

Producers had accused Kit of harassment, extortion, and blackmail. His reputation was so bad that he was described as the "Stage Father From Hell."

Kit had threatened to pull Macaulay from the "Home Alone" sequel if he was not given a serious role in "The Good Son." The drama with his father made producers and directors think twice about hiring Macaulay and his siblings.

Macaulay revealed that he and his siblings didn't want to go with their father during the custody battle. He believed his father was a pathetic man.

As his parents fought in court, Macaulay took an unbiased decision to take Kit and Brentrup off his trust fund. He said:

"I legally took my parents' names off of my trust fund and found an executor, someone who would look over my finances."

Even though the press misinterpreted the move, he believed it made their custody battle end a lot faster. Brentrup eventually won custody.

After the long battle, his father, who had a debilitating stroke while cooking dinner in January 2014, had no kind words for Macaulay. He said:

"I don't consider him a son anymore."

After their separation, Kit decided to move to the West with his partner Jeanette Krylowski. He also came to terms with not seeing his kids ever again.

MACAULAY, IN RECENT TIMES

Macaulay became a father on April 5, 2021, as he and his girlfriend Brenda Song became first-time parents when Song gave birth to a boy named Dakota Song Culkin in Los Angeles.

Their son was named after Macaulay's sister, Dakota, who died at 29 on December 9, 2008, in a car accident. Macaulay and Song met in Thailand on the set of "Changeland."

A year after they had started dating, Macaulay revealed that he and the Disney Channel alum were ready to start a family. Before he started dating Song, he was married to actress Rachel Miner in 1998, and they divorced in 2002 after two years of separation.

In recent years, Macaulay has been seen more as he makes a comeback to the spotlight. In October 2021, he made a statement on Twitter that he would not appear in the "Home Alone" reboot by Disney+.

In November 2021, Macaulay walked the runway for Gucci in a vibrant outfit for the Gucci Love Parade show on Hollywood Boulevard.

He wore wide-legged beige camel pants paired with a Hawaiian shirt under a glossy floral bomber jacket. With his hands tucked into his pockets, Macaulay showed off his cream-colored double G Gucci leather belt.

He finished off his vintage holiday vibes look with a pair of horse-bit clogs and seventies-style tinted caramel sunglasses.

While it is normal for fans to see their favorite actors on the runway, Macaulay took his fans by surprise with his outing as he shared the runway with Jared Leto and Jodie Turner-Smith.