In the modern world, it’s easy to find moms who raise their kids on their own, while fathers who perform this task alone are a rare thing. Nevertheless, the tendency is there and men are sometimes seen taking full responsibility for the upbringing of their kids.
Bright Side collected the stories of celebrity fathers who, due to different circumstances, were raising their kids alone. Some decided to raise their kids by themselves, others — after a divorce with the spouse, and the last group had to live through some tragic events.
1. Liam Neeson
10 years ago, Liam Neeson’s wife Natasha Richardson fell down and hit her head while skiing at a ski resort and died after several days. Neeson stayed alone with their 2 sons Daniel and Micheal, ages 12 and 13. It took a lot of time for the family to overcome this tragedy but they managed to cope with the loss. Liam Neeson dedicated his life to his kids and never married again.
2. Pierce Brosnan
After marrying actress Cassandra Harris, Pierce Brosnan adopted her 2 kids: Charlotte age 9 and Chris age 8. 3 years later, they gave birth to their own son Sean. Later the Brosnan family experienced a tragedy — Cassandra died from cancer. Since then the actor has been raising their kids alone without any intention to get married again. But in 1994, he met a journalist Keely Shaye Smith whom he married officially in 2001. They have 2 sons — Dylan and Paris.
3. Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage’s son, Weston, was born in 1990. The actor wasn’t officially married to the child’s mother and the couple soon broke up. Cage was required to give his ex-girlfriend a house in Hollywood in order to have the right to raise his son alone. Today Weston is 28 years old, he is a musician, and is also starting his career in acting. In 2005 Cage had another son.
4. George Lucas
The creator of the legendary Star Wars saga, George Lucas, has been raising 3 adopted children for many years on his own. Amanda was adopted together with his spouse and she stayed with her father after the divorce. Later he also adopted another daughter, Katie and son, Jett. By the way, they all were filmed in small parts of Star Wars. George Lucas didn’t get married again until 2013. His spouse is the chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation and the president of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson. After their marriage, the couple soon gave birth to a daughter.
5. Al Pacino
Al Pacino is the father of 3 kids yet he has never been officially married. His eldest daughter, Julie was born in 1989, and in 2001, actress Beverly D’Angelo gave birth to their twins — Olivia and Anton. The couple broke up after several years, but the parents managed to keep their common child custody which is why their kids spend an equal amount of time with both their father and their mother. The actor has always tried to schedule his working hours so that he could spend more time with his kids.
6. Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell is raising 2 sons: 16-year-old James and 10-year-old Henry. James’s mother is the model Kim Bordenave, but Farrell’s and her relationship didn’t last long. Nevertheless, Colin said that he would provide for his son for life. In 2009, Farrel had his second son Henry. His mother is a Polish actress whom Colin broke up with very quickly.
7. Lenny Kravitz
After his divorce, the musician Lenny Kravitz started to raise their daughter Zoë alone. He had lived with his spouse Lisa Bonet for 3 years. The parents had equal rights to their daughter, but when Zoë turned 11, she moved to live with her father full time. Today Zoë Kravitz is a famous actress and model. This father and daughter often appear at social events together.
Cristiano Ronaldo has many kids. His first son was born by a surrogate mother in 2010. His name is also Cristiano. In 2017, the athlete became a father to 2 twins: daughter Eva and son Mateo. Now he is getting ready for his wedding to Georgina Rodríguez and recently they gave birth to their daughter Alana Martina.
9. Norman Reedus
The star of The Walking Dead TV series, Norman Reedus, has been raising his son Mingus alone for many years. He had been dating supermodel Helena Christensen for about 5 years, but their relationship fell apart. The couple shares joint custody of their son, however, he has lived most of his life with his father in Los Angeles. Today Mingus is 20 years old. Several years ago, Norman Reedus started dating actress Diane Kruger and in 2018, they had a daughter.
Which of these stories impressed you most of all? Please tell us about it in the comments!
My Fiancé Humiliated Me in His Wedding Vows
It was the day that I had been waiting for. After months of wedding planning and dieting to fit into my dream dress. This was the moment.
“Come on, darling,” my father said, holding out his hand, ready to walk me down the aisle to Jason.
“How do you feel?” my father asked me, kissing my forehead.
“Happy,” I said simply. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for years now, Dad.”
We walked down the aisle to soft music that I had chosen months ago. The guitarist perched on a wooden stool.
“You look beautiful, Emily,” Jason said, taking my hand from my father.
The ceremony began with the priest talking about love and commitment, just as he had told us he would.
“It’s time for the vows,” the priest said, smiling at us both.
“Jason, you are my best friend, and I’ve always wanted to marry my best friend. I promise to support you, to always laugh with you, and to grow with you. I vow to be faithful and cherish every moment we have together. In this life, and the next.”
My sister sighed next to me, wiping away her tears.
“Jason,” the priest said. “It’s now your turn.”
Jason looked at me and smiled, and then he turned to his groomsmen, causing them to snigger.
“Emily, my love,” he said. “I promise to always be there for you, even when you’re nagging me to take out the trash because you think the house smells.”
Jason’s groomsmen chuckled.
“And I’ll always hold your hand, especially when we’re walking through spider-infested areas because we all know how much you love those eight-legged critters.”
The groomsmen laughed louder. Some of our guests joined in.
And still, Jason continued.
“I vow to remind you to pick up your dragging feet when you walk, so we can avoid another trip to the emergency room like that time you tripped over absolutely nothing. And to taste all the burnt lasagna in the world because that’s your signature dish.”
The more Jason spoke, the more embarrassed I got.
I frowned at him, hoping that he would understand that there was nothing beautiful or romantic about his words. But he ignored me and continued.
“Also, I will tolerate your singing in the shower. It may sound like a cat in distress but at least it makes me appreciate good music! And most importantly, Emily,” he said.
“I promise to forgive you for basically forcing me to propose to you after you left those bridal magazines all over the apartment.”
My jaw dropped.
I didn’t know how to react. Jason’s groomsmen were all but falling over each other with laughter.
“Really?” I whispered to him.
Jason winked.
“Now, it’s time for you to exchange rings,” the priest said.
Jason’s niece came up to the altar with the wedding rings tied onto a little cushion that she clutched tightly.
“Here you go, Aunty Emily,” she said nervously.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I said, taking the rings from her.
Holding the rings, I realized I didn’t want to put Jason’s ring on his finger. We were married now, all but for signing the registration book.
But after hearing Jason’s vows, I didn’t know if I wanted to be with this man.
“Give me your hand,” Jason said, pulling my hand.
He slid the ring onto my finger and held his hand out for me to do the same.
My stomach turned. Suddenly, my dream bubble had burst. Nothing felt as it had moments before.
“Jason, you may now kiss the bride!” the priest exclaimed.
Jason grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him, his other hand gripping the back of my neck. He kissed me without passion or feeling.
“What on earth was that?” I asked Jason when we were doing our photographs before the reception.
“What do you mean?” he asked, frowning.
“Your vows,” I said. “They were insensitive and embarrassing.”
“No! They were cute!” he said. “I kept them true to us.”
“You basically told everyone that I’m a nag and clumsy. And that I forced you into marrying me.”
I crossed my arms and waited for some kind of explanation.
“Oh, come on, Emily,” he said. “Everyone was laughing. It’s not as deep as you’re making it. Let’s just do this photoshoot and go back to the party. I am starving.”
I bit my tongue. I didn’t have it in me to fight.
At the reception, Jason truly let himself go. He went overboard with the drinks and ate enough steak and potatoes to make anyone sick to their stomach.
“Mom,” I said, kneeling next to my mother before the formalities began. “I don’t feel good.”
“What do you mean, sweetheart?” my mother asked.
“Jason…” I said, my voice trailing as the weight of my uneasiness set in. “Those vows were nothing but an embarrassment.”
“Maybe it was just nerves, Emily,” my mother said. “You know how Jason can be sometimes.”
“I don’t know, Mom,” I said. “I just feel like the magic has escaped.”
Soon after, the emcee got up and began the formalities. Jason’s brother stood up and spoke about how we met and his first impressions of me.
“I didn’t think Emily would stay!” Jackson laughed, his beer bottle in his hand. “But I guess she knows how to deal with my brother.”
It went on and on, and my husband ate up his brother’s words, chuckling loudly.
Then, it was time for my father-in-law’s speech.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have a few words to say to my son and his new bride, the lovely Emily,” he said.
I held my breath. I had always gotten along with Robert, and he had always treated me well. But I had thought the same of Jason until his vows were said.
I didn’t know if I had to prepare myself for something from Robert, too.
If I had to be honest with myself, I just wanted to run away. I didn’t feel like a bride. I didn’t feel much like anything. I didn’t even feel like myself.
I wanted to rip off my wedding dress and get into my comfiest pair of sweatpants. I wanted to cry.
“Jason, do you know what makes a marriage work, son?” Robert asked.
“Uh, love? Attraction? Chemistry?” Jason said, faltering.
Who on earth is this man? I wondered to myself.
“It’s respect,” Robert said, shaking his head. “It’s about cherishing your partner and never making them feel small or embarrassed. Today, you turned your vows into a series of jokes at Emily’s expense. That was not only inappropriate but also deeply hurtful.”
I glanced around and saw some of the guests were shaking their heads.
“To teach you a lesson, Jason,” Robert continued. “I’m going to share something about you that you might find equally embarrassing.”
“What? Dad! Stop!” Jason said, standing up.
“Jason still sleeps with a nightlight. He says that it’s because he likes to read in bed, but we all know that it’s because he’s afraid of the dark.”
Laughter erupted through the room.
“And let’s not forget about the time when Jason tried to cook for Emily and set off the fire alarm because he didn’t know that normal people don’t put metal in microwaves.”
“Dad, just stop it,” Jason hissed.
“Or about the time when he got drunk after a party, and insisted that he needed to sleep on the floor in my bedroom.”
The crowd laughed louder.
“I shared these stories not to embarrass you, Jason. But to show you how it feels. Humor at someone else’s expense isn’t funny, it’s cruel. You need to understand the consequences of your actions.”
I smiled at Robert, finally feeling seen.
“Emily, on behalf of my son, I apologize. Jason still has a lot to learn about being a loving and respectful partner. But I know that he can do better, and I hope you give him the chance to prove it.”
“I’m so sorry, Emily,” Jason said from beside me. “I thought I was being funny, but I see how ridiculous I was being. Give me another chance.”
“Fine,” I said. “But it’s going to take more than just empty words to fix this.”
I want to give us another chance, but something still feels very off.
What would you do?
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