Milaine Desaulniers Is Brie Larson's Younger Sister - Facts about Her

After her parents' divorce, Milaine Desaulniers, Brie Larson's younger sister, and her family struggled to make ends meet in a single-parent household. Although the sisters had a strained relationship with their father, Milaine Desaulniers and her sister have kept a close bond.

After achieving success following her well-known roles in "Captain Marvel" and "Room," Milaine's sister—born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers—has openly spoken about their difficult childhood following their parents' divorce.

Although the famous actor revealed she has not spoken to their father in years, Milaine—a math teacher—and her sister have kept a close relationship through the years by bonding over a video game.

Milaine's Parents Divorced When She Was Just a Kid

Born on January 5, 1993, Milaine was two years old when her parents, Heather and Sylvain, parted ways. They were holistic-medicine practitioners, and by the mid-1990s, Milaine, her sister, and her mother relocated from Sacramento to Los Angeles.

The trip was meant to be three weeks long for one of Brie's acting projects, so Milaine's mom found a one-bedroom apartment where the bed came out of the wall.

Although they were eating ramen and $1 tacos and couldn't afford a McDonald's Happy Meal, Milaine's sister recalled how her mother created "an amazing world" for her daughters. Brie said:

"I never remembered it as being a time where things were tight. It didn't feel that way to me at all; it didn't feel sparse."

Milaine's sister admitted to having a strained relationship with her father over the years. After her award-nominated performance in "Room," Brie realized her father was the reason she was attracted to "volatile" roles.

Milaine's sister revealed that she had suspected her father "never really wanted to be a parent." When Brie was no longer bound by the law to visit her father, they lost communication.

Sylvain had remained in Sacramento, California, and rented a condo for under $1,000. He worked as a chiropractor and was in a long-term relationship before he and his partner went their separate ways.

Although Milaine's sister claimed she had been estranged from her father for years, Sylvain said that narrative was inaccurate and that he kept a collection of Milaine and her sister's pictures from when they were younger.

Despite the state of their relationship, Sylvain shared that he was proud of his Oscar-nominee daughter and that he had watched "Room" three times. "It's my daughter, and I love her to death. This is her life, this is her thing. I'm very proud of her," he said.

Milaine's sister revealed that she had suspected her father "never really wanted to be a parent." When Brie was no longer bound by the law to visit her father, they lost communication.

Years passed before Milaine's sister realized that their three-week trip had been more than that and that right before they had left, her father had asked her mother for a divorce. While reminiscing about her childhood, Brie recalled discovering her mother in tears and said:

"She was holding her hand over her mouth, trying not to wake us up with these guttural sobs. And I thought, 'That reminds me of when my toys are taken away.' It wasn't until much later I realized, 'Gosh, we never went back to Sacramento. I never saw my dad.'"

Milaine and Her Sister Were Fans of Nintendo

Despite the ups and downs they experienced during their childhood, Milaine and her sister found pockets of happiness when they played Animal Crossing on Nintendo's GameCube.

Although their mother used to use the gaming device as bribery to get her daughters to complete their homework, it became a way for Milaine and her sister to bond. "It was just so important to me and my sister," Brie said.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Milaine and Brie Larson were forced to bond through a screen but were able to unlock a childhood memory and connect over their love for the video game.