Patrick Stewart Revealed Heartbreak Over Estranged Relationship With His Children
The acclaimed actor admitted in an interview that his career took precedence over his family, leading to a "practically non-existent" bond with his adult children.
In the years leading up to his death, Patrick Stewart expressed deep regret over his strained relationship with his children, describing it as "practically non-existent" and a source of "significant grief."
In an October 2023 interview with the Irish Independent, Stewart confessed, "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 further stated, "I always put my acting work first, before my family."
Stewart, who died on October 28 at the age of 86, shared son Daniel, 58, and daughter Sophie, 54, with his first wife, Sheila Falconer. The actor was also questioned on whether he portrayed his iconic "Star Trek" character, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as the father he wished he had been. "I think it might have been more the one I wished I was," Stewart divulged, acknowledging the difficulty in being the father he aspired to be.
He continued, "Given that I’m separated from my children now, we don’t have relationships, they have become very important. 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 had previously spoken about this issue. In a 2009 interview with the Independent, he admitted, "I could’ve done better as a parent, when [his] kids were little." He attributed this to being "obsessed with my work and everything else took second place," though he added he was trying to mend relationships with his grandchildren. At that time, he also noted, "my own children seem to have forgiven me."
Stewart and Falconer were married from 1966 to 1990. He later married Wendy Neuss in 2000, divorcing three years later, and then wed Sunny Ozell in 2013.
Stewart's death was attributed to complications from Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, according to a social media statement released shortly after his passing. The statement described his final moments as being "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."