Patrick Stewart admitted relationship with his kids was 'practically non-existent' in heartbreaking confession
Sir Patrick Stewart opened up about his troubled relationship with his two children in the years before he died.
The Star Trek legend, who passed away aged 86 on Wednesday (28 October), had two children, Daniel and Sophie Alexandra with his first wife Sheila Falconer.
In a 2023 interview with the Irish Independent, the actor admitted his relationship with both children was ‘practically non-existent’.
“Given that I’m separated from my children now, we don’t have relationships, they have become very important,” he said at the time.
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“I never thought that this would happen, but both my children are in their 50s, they’re not children anymore, they’re adults. And my relationship with them is practically non-existent.”
Stewart, who died following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, said it caused him ‘significant grief’.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not pained by the memory of my children, who they were and by a sense of responsibility that they became who they are in part because of me and my influence or lack of influence on them,” he said.
“I always put my acting work first, before my family.”
In his 2023 memoir Making It So, Stewart described the situation as a ‘work in progress’.
Following his death, Daniel, himself an actor who previously appeared alongside his father in Star Trek: The Next Generation, shared a poignant photograph on social media.
The image showed the son giving his father a piggyback ride during a theatrical production in 2001. He posted the photograph without a caption.
Meanwhile, his daughter Sophie has largely remained outside the spotlight.
His marriage with Sheila ended when he cheated on her with actress Jennifer Hetrick.
“I had cheated on my wife with a younger woman – again – and there is no getting around that,” he writes in the book, adding: “I needed to do better by the women with whom I was romantically involved. In a life chockablock with joy and success, my two failed marriages are my greatest regret.”
Stewart’s family shared a heartfelt statement yesterday, remembering his talent, legacy and the countless lives he touched.
“We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia,” it read.
“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all.
“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
Topics: Celebrity
Anish Vij