This actor, who belongs to one of Hollywood’s most famous dynasties, is a National Treasure but in his personal life, he’s trapped in a “quiet, horrible nightmare.”
The Family Man actor, who once bought a seat on a plane for his child’s imaginary friend, is now living in a “hostile environment” created by his son’s ex-wife, who’s preventing him from meeting his four-year-old twin granddaughters.
Keep reading to learn the identity of the star whose name change was inspired by a superhero!
When this actor was only 15, he was seated in a car with his uncle, one of Hollywood’s leading filmmakers, and begged him for a chance to appear in one of his award-winning films.
“Give me a screen test, I’ll show you acting. There was just silence in the car,” said the star, who’s proudly bizarre both on and off screen.
As a 17-year-old, the actor paved his own path to stardom and earned a minor role in the 1982 hit, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a coming-of age cult favorite.
“I was the brunt of jokes because my name was still Coppola,” says Nicholas Cage, who was born in 1962 as Nicholas Kim Coppola.
“People would not stop saying things like, ‘I love the smell of Nicolas in the morning,’ because of Apocalypse Now…and it made it hard to work and I said, ‘I don’t need this,’ and changed it to Cage,” the star explains of dropping the surname that connected him to his famous relative, Francis Ford Coppola.
Next, explaining why he chose Cage, he says, “It’s a combination of Luke Cage from Marvel comics, who was a character I liked, also named Power Man, and John Cage, the avant-garde composer. Speaks volumes about everything I’ve been up to ever since.”
His first starring role with Cage as his last name came in 1983’s Valley Girl and the anonymity he said made him feel as if he “had this weight come off my body.”
“Wow, I really can do this. And I felt liberated by that experience,” he tells Hollywood Reporter. “And you can see it in Valley Girl that I’m free. Whereas in Fast Times, or even Rumble Fish, I’m somewhat stuck,” he says, referring to his appearance in 1983’s Rumble Fish, a film directed by his uncle.
Over the next several years, Cage worked in back-to-back films, earning the reputation as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors.
In 1988, he earned Golden Globe nominations for Moonstruck with Cher and Honeymoon in Vegas with Sarah Jessica Parker.
It was also the same year he met actor Christina Fulton, who in December 1990 gave birth to his first son, Weston Coppola Cage, an actor who appeared as the younger version of his dad in the 2014 film Rage.
Cage, who earned an Oscar for his 1995 role in Leaving Las Vegas, also shares a son Kal-El (Superman’s birth name) born in 2005 with his third wife Alice Kim, and daughter August Francesca (born 2022) with his fifth wife, Riko Shibata.
Cage was also famously married to Patricia Arquette (1995 to 2001) and Lisa Marie Presley (2002), whom he filed for divorce only months later.
Speaking with People, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent actor says that family comes “first and foremost.”
“There’s no version of Nick Cage in reality that doesn’t want to spend time with his children…There’s no version of Nick Cage that didn’t put family first over career,” says the star of Raising Arizona.
He adds, “I turned down Lord of the Rings and I turned down Matrix because I didn’t want to go to New Zealand for three years or Australia for three years because I needed to be home with my son Weston, that’s a fact.”
Offering evidence to that, actor Minnie Driver once said: “Was once on a plane with [Nicholas Cage] and his son and a seat had also been purchased for his son’s imaginary friend.”
Weston Coppola Cage
To this day the Adaptation star has a very tight bond with his children, and two of his grandchildren, Lucian (born 2014) and Sorin (2016), who Weston shares with his second wife.
“He can do things I dream about doing…compose music, sing, act, sculpt and cook and now he is a loving father,” Cage said of Weston, the former lead of two heavy metal bands. “To see my son with my grandson is as close to a sense of blissful completion I ever had.”
The D-Day star, 33, has been married three times and also shares twin daughters, Cyress and Venice, who were born in 2020 with his third ex-wife, Hila Arounian.
But the kids don’t know any members of their famous Hollywood family.
Following an ugly divorce in 2021, TMZ reports that Hila was granted “sole legal and physical custody of their twin daughters…with Weston getting no visitation rights.”
Explaining the distressing details, Weston’s mom Christina tells the U.S. Sun, that Hila has created a “hostile environment,” which includes “a request for a restraining order against her seeing the kids that was dismissed” in 2023.
“As a classy, respectful Hollywood family we are appalled and shocked at how Hila could do something like this. It is devastating not to see these kids. Nicolas and I haven’t been able to meet our two beautiful little granddaughters at all since they were born,” Christina says of the “smear campaign” Hila launched against her family. “We’re in a quiet, horrible nightmare. It’s insane, painful, hurtful, devastating. I have a beautiful relationship with my two little boy grandchildren and my son has a beautiful relationship with his boys.”
Christina adds, “Not meeting the girls is painful, hurtful, and shocking.”
Defending herself, Hila shares a note on Facebook, explaining that her ex cheated several times and was “weaponizing influence, wealth,” turning “the legal system against” her.
She also calls Christina a “sabotaging mother” and referring to Weston’s mental illness along with addictions, she says that Cage is an “enabling father” who “consistently hindered his progress.”
Hila does not mention anything about denying the family visitation with the twins, only that Weston’s “behavior became a physical threat to our daughters and me, as well as our emotional well-being.”
Christina reveals the Cage/Coppola family isn’t backing down: “In these trying times, our family’s resilience is tested. But we remain committed to overcoming these challenges and restoring our family’s harmony.”
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I Opened My Mother-in-Law’s Christmas Gift & My Husband Kicked Her Out Because of It
Hosting Christmas for my in-laws was supposed to be a joyous affair, but the evening took a shocking turn when my mother-in-law gifted me something that left the entire room speechless. What started as festive cheer quickly spiraled into an unforgettable family showdown.
Christmas is supposed to be magical, right? A season of love, family, and giving. Well, this year, it turned into a drama-filled spectacle, starring none other than my mother-in-law, Judith. But before I get to the moment she completely blindsided me, let me give you some context about our… complicated relationship.
A thoughtful woman looking out the window | Source: Midjourney
I met my husband, Trent, three years ago, and we hit it off instantly. By then, he’d already been divorced from Rose, his ex-wife, for two years. Rose and I couldn’t be more different — she’s the elegant, always-poised type, and I’m more of the “let’s wear fuzzy socks to dinner” kind of girl. Trent said he loved that about me. I thought Judith, his mom, did too. At least, at first.
When I met Judith, she was warm and polite. I even thought we could be close someday.
A polite and warm-looking senior woman | Source: Midjourney
But as time passed, cracks began to show. Subtle, at first, things like “accidentally” calling me Rose.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Elle, I meant you! It’s just… you remind me so much of her,” she’d say with an apologetic smile that never quite reached her eyes.
“It’s okay,” I’d reply awkwardly, not sure how to take it.
Then the comments escalated.
“She always kept her house spotless,” Judith mentioned once during a visit, her gaze sweeping over my lived-in living room. “Rose used to say, ‘A tidy house is a tidy mind.’ You might want to try it—helps with stress.”
A woman smiles slyly while looking at someone | Source: Midjourney
I bit my tongue, smiling stiffly. What could I even say? Judith’s tone was sweet, but the words stung. I told myself she just needed time to adjust. After all, I wasn’t the first daughter-in-law she’d had.
But her digs weren’t always so subtle. At one family dinner, she casually brought up a photo album of Trent and Rose’s wedding.
“I found this the other day,” she said, sliding it across the table. “Wasn’t she stunning? It’s no wonder the whole town thought they were the perfect couple.”
A photo album, wedding photos, and a camera lying on a white surface | Source: Pexels
“Mom,” Trent said sharply, his jaw tightening. “Why are you showing us this?”
Judith blinked innocently. “Oh, I just thought Elle would enjoy seeing it. She could get some inspiration for family photos.”
I didn’t even get the chance to respond. Trent grabbed the album and shut it. I thought that would be the end of it, but it wasn’t. Judith’s comparisons kept coming, like a slow drip meant to wear me down.
One night, after a particularly exhausting day, I brought it up to Trent.
“Does she… hate me?” I blurted, not meeting his eyes.
He frowned. “Who?”
A man slightly frowning while looking at someone | Source: Midjourney
“Your mom. I mean, she’s so sweet in front of everyone, but behind closed doors…” I hesitated, trying to find the right words. “She’s different. She talks about Rose constantly—like I’m some second-place replacement.”
Trent sighed. “Elle, she hated Rose. Trust me, she’s told me that for years.”
I shook my head. “Then why does she keep comparing us? Why bring her up at all?”
“I don’t know,” he said softly, rubbing his temple. “But I’ll talk to her.”
He tried, but Judith brushed it off. “I’m just teasing,” she’d told him with a laugh. “Elle’s so sensitive. She’ll toughen up.”
A senior woman laughs slyly while looking at someone | Source: Midjourney
Fast-forward to Christmas Eve. I’d gone all out, decorating the house, cooking, and hosting the entire family. I wanted everything to be perfect. For a while, it was. There were carols, laughter, and the warmth of togetherness.
And then came the gifts.
Judith handed me hers with a wide smile. “This is for you, Elle,” she said. “I think you’ll find it… meaningful.”
“Thank you,” I replied, smiling cautiously as I unwrapped the box.
A closeup shot of a woman’s hands about to unwrap a Christmas present | Source: Pexels
The room fell silent as I pulled out the gift, a pair of stunning earrings. Gasps echoed around as my non-existent moment of joy turned into absolute shock. My cheeks burned as I stared at it, unable to process what I was holding.
Judith’s grin widened like she had just pulled off the prank of the century. My mouth went dry as I realized the earrings were Rose’s. I’d seen them in that photo before — Rose beaming beside Trent and Judith, all of them looking so picture-perfect. This wasn’t just a careless mistake. It was deliberate.
A woman in a white dress wearing matching earrings | Source: Pexels
Judith clasped her hands together. “Do you like them, Elle? They’re very… sentimental.”
I stared at her, my words caught somewhere between fury and disbelief. “These—these were Rose’s, weren’t they?”
Her face didn’t flinch. “Oh, were they? I hadn’t noticed. I thought they’d suit you better. She didn’t really appreciate them, you know.” She turned to the rest of the family with a sugary smile, like this was all perfectly normal.
A senior woman with a sugary smile | Source: Midjourney
The gasps from the room morphed into uncomfortable murmurs. Trent’s jaw tightened, and he shot me a look of silent outrage. His voice cut through the noise like steel. “Mom, what is wrong with you?”
Judith’s grin faltered slightly. “Oh, come on. It’s just a pair of earrings! I thought Elle would appreciate something elegant for once.”
I stood up, my legs feeling wobbly. “Elegant?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “This isn’t a thoughtful gift. It’s… it’s cruel. You’ve spent years comparing me to Rose, and now this?”
An upset woman | Source: Midjourney
Judith leaned back in her chair with an air of mock innocence. “Cruel? Elle, don’t be so dramatic. It’s Christmas. Let’s not ruin the mood.”
“No, you ruined the mood,” Trent snapped, his voice rising. “Mom, you’ve crossed the line too many times, and I’m done pretending this is okay.”
Judith’s face darkened. “Excuse me? I’m your mother.”
“And I’m his wife,” I interrupted, my voice steady now. “And you’ve disrespected me for the last time.”
Trent didn’t hesitate. “Mom, I think you should leave.”
An angry man | Source: Midjourney
The room collectively held its breath. Judith’s face turned a deep shade of red, and for a moment, she looked genuinely stunned. Then, she laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “Leave? You’re kicking me out? On Christmas?”
“Yes,” Trent said firmly. “Because your behavior is unacceptable.”
Her voice rose in a panicked crescendo. “Unacceptable? After everything I’ve done for you? For this family?”
I stepped forward, still clutching the earrings. “Wait.” Everyone turned to me. “I’ll be right back.”
A woman with a determined look | Source: Midjourney
I rushed upstairs, my heart pounding in my chest. I rifled through an old drawer until I found the photo: Judith, Trent, and Rose, all smiles. The very picture that had haunted me for months. Wrapping it hastily in leftover paper, I returned to the living room.
“Here,” I said, handing the awkwardly wrapped gift to Judith. “Merry Christmas.”
She frowned but tore off the paper. When the picture emerged, her face twisted with confusion before morphing into something more vulnerable — embarrassment, maybe even shame.
“What is this supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice trembling.
A surprised and upset senior woman | Source: Midjourney
“It’s a picture of you, Trent, and Rose,” I explained, keeping my tone calm despite the storm inside me. “You’ve spent years reminding me I’m not her. I thought you’d appreciate a keepsake of the person you clearly wish was still here.”
The silence was suffocating. Judith stared at the picture, her hands shaking. For the first time, she looked small, cornered.
Trent stepped closer, his voice low but firm. “Mom, you need to leave. Now.”
A man looks angry and serious | Source: Midjourney
Judith’s tantrum came swiftly. She slammed the picture onto the table. “You’re both so ungrateful! I’ve only ever tried to help you. And this is how you repay me? Kicking me out of my own son’s house?”
“Mother,” Trent said, his patience hanging by a thread, “this is my house, and you’ve overstayed your welcome. Please leave.”
She grabbed her coat in a huff, muttering under her breath as she stormed out. “I hope you both enjoy your little perfect life. Don’t come crying to me when it all falls apart.”
A very angry and upset senior woman | Source: Midjourney
The door slammed behind her, and the room was eerily quiet.
Later that night, Trent and I sat by the fireplace, the glow of the flames casting shadows across the room. I was still clutching the earrings, unable to decide what to do with them.
“I’m sorry, Elle,” Trent said softly. “I should’ve stood up to her sooner.”
I shook my head. “It’s not your fault. She just… she couldn’t let go of the past. And maybe she didn’t know how to move forward.”
A woman looking at someone | Source: Midjourney
He took my hand. “Yeah, maybe. Anyway, let’s just forget about everything and not ruin our mood. Are you in the mood for some holiday cheer?”
“Of course,” I whispered.
Over the next year, something surprising happened. Judith reached out — not with snide remarks or manipulative apologies, but with genuine remorse. It started with a simple message.
“Elle,” it read, “I realize I’ve hurt you deeply, and I’m ashamed. I don’t expect forgiveness, but I want to try to earn your trust.”
An apologetic senior woman holding her phone | Source: Midjourney
It wasn’t easy at first. Trust is a fragile thing, especially when it’s been shattered. But Judith kept showing up: calling to check in, inviting me to lunch, even asking for my advice on little things. Slowly, my walls came down.
By the time Christmas rolled around again, I felt a tentative warmth toward her. When she handed me a small box during our holiday gathering, I braced myself. But inside was a knitted muffler, hat, and gloves — all in my favorite colors.
A gift box containing a knitted muffler, cap, and gloves | Source: Midjourney
“I made these for you,” she said quietly. “I wanted to give you something from the heart this year.”
Tears stung my eyes as I pulled out the soft wool. “Thank you,” I whispered. “They’re perfect.”
This time, the warmth of Christmas wasn’t marred by tension or rivalry. It was just… peaceful. Judith and I weren’t perfect, but we were trying. And that, I realized, was the best gift of all.
A woman bonding with her mother-in-law during Christmastime | Source: Midjourney
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