Anthony Hopkins Regrets Remarks About Estranged Daughter
In his new memoir We Did OK, Kid, actor Anthony Hopkins reflects on a 2018 interview in which he made hurtful comments about his estranged daughter, Abigail. The 87-year-old Academy Award winner acknowledges he regrets saying at the time that he did not care about her life.
“It is true that I have spoken about her in the press coldly,”
Hopkins writes that their strained relationship, spanning decades, has often been misrepresented in tabloids. Abigail, now 57, is his daughter from his first marriage.
“Though I’ve avoided talking about it, the estrangement has shown up in tabloids in horrific, untrue ways. Some tabloids said I got her into drugs or rejected her as a child,”
He admits that during a long period of silence between them, he made an unkind remark in frustration and emotional detachment.
“After 20 years of not hearing from her, I no longer knew where she was or if she’d ever married or had children, and that at that point I did not care.”
Hopkins now sees that statement as a reflection of inherited emotional stoicism rather than his true feelings.
“Though it’s no excuse, I know that was the coldness of my grandfather coming out: Move on! That hardness is my default.”
The legendary actor expresses hope that Abigail understands his door is always open and that he wishes her happiness and health.
“I want her to be well and happy.”
Author’s Summary
Anthony Hopkins opens up about past mistakes in speaking about his estranged daughter, expressing deep regret and a hope for reconciliation.