In a recent interview with the Radio Times, renowned actor Sir Anthony Hopkins made some startling remarks that shed light on his strained relationship with his only daughter, Abigail.
Mamamia reports that Hopkins responded quite harshly to a seemingly innocent question about whether he had any grandchildren.
His response was cold and dismissive, indicating a deep estrangement:
“I don't have any idea.
People break up.
Families split and, you know: ‘Get on with your life.' People make choices.
I don't care one way or the other.”
It's a brutal statement, but Hopkins seems unfazed by the situation, stating, “Well, it is cold.
Because life is cold.
You don't have to like your family.
Children don't like their fathers.
You don't have to love each other.”
His words cut deep, reminiscent of his infamous character Hannibal Lecter.
Hopkins' history as a father isn't exemplary either.
PEOPLE reveals that he left his first wife, Petronella Barker, and their daughter Abigail when she was just a toddler.
Since then, he has maintained a distant relationship with her at best.
According to MamaMia, in a 2005 interview, Abigail, now 48 years old, expressed the infrequency of her interactions with her father during her childhood: “I would see him, but maybe once a year.
There is a little bit of sadness, but I have to get on with my life.
It has always been like that.
See him, and then not.”
Abigail's troubled relationship with her father has had a profound impact on her life.
At the age of 18, she turned to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with depression.
She reached a point where she contemplated suicide, attributing her struggles to the intermittent nature of her relationship with her father.
She said, “I came very close to killing myself.
It was the worst time I can remember.
I totally abused my mind and body.
The root cause was the fact that my father and I had an intermittent relationship when I was young.
I was angry, and there was a lot of grieving going on.”
There was a glimmer of hope when Abigail and Hopkins briefly reconciled in the 1990s.
Hopkins even facilitated her involvement in two of his films, “Shadowlands” and “The Remains of the Day.”
However, this reconnection was short-lived, and their relationship, or whatever remained of it, eventually fell apart.
Hopkins publicly acknowledged their estrangement, saying, “I guess we are estranged.
I don't think [Abigail] wants to know very much [about me].”
Abigail, now pursuing a career as a musician and actress, expressed her willingness to reconcile if both parties were open to it.
Unfortunately, given her father's recent comments, it appears that he no longer cares about mending their fractured bond.
This heart-wrenching story highlights the complexities of family relationships and the lasting impact they can have on individuals.
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