Actors Who’ve Reconnected with Their Kids as Adults

Families can drift apart for all kinds of reasons — divorce, distance, addiction, or the pressures of fame — and sometimes the healing doesn’t happen until the children are grown. The actors below have publicly discussed long periods of estrangement or difficulty with their kids, and later steps toward reconnection in adulthood, from repaired day-to-day relationships to milestone appearances together and co-parenting breakthroughs.

Jon Voight

After years of estrangement in the 2000s, Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie resumed contact in 2010 and have since appeared at family events together. Reports at the time credited a push to mend fences and noted Voight spending time with Jolie’s children. In May and September 2017, outlets documented Voight joining Jolie and her kids around the New York premiere of Jolie’s film ‘First They Killed My Father,’ underscoring an ongoing rapprochement. Coverage since has described Voight remaining in touch with his daughter and grandchildren.

Eric Roberts

Eric Roberts has spoken openly about years of distance with his daughter Emma, rooted in addiction and family upheaval during her early childhood. In recent interviews and a memoir rollout, he described getting sober in the 1990s, acknowledging the damage, and later rebuilding communication as Emma became an adult. He has since publicly praised Emma’s career and discussed their improved relationship. Multiple features in 2024 detailed that reconciliation arc and his reflections on that period.

Will Smith

Will Smith has said his relationship with his eldest son, Trey, suffered after his 1990s divorce from Sheree Zampino and then healed years later when Trey was an adult. In a 2018 video message and subsequent coverage, Smith explained they “struggled for years” but “recovered” their bond. Major outlets reiterated that the two reconnected and now share a close relationship. Smith has continued to post blended-family updates that include Trey as part of the core group.

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin and his daughter Ireland endured a highly publicized rift after the 2007 voicemail incident, which both have addressed in later interviews. Over time, they engaged in therapy and worked toward a better relationship, with Ireland noting progress by 2020. Recent features in 2025 summarized that their dynamic had improved substantially, even as both acknowledged the lasting impact of the earlier controversy. Baldwin has continued to reflect publicly on mistakes and growth as their adult relationship evolves.

Ryan O’Neal

Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal were estranged for years before making on-camera attempts to reconcile in 2011 and reconnecting more meaningfully in the 2010s and 2020s. When Ryan died in December 2023, tributes emphasized that father and daughter had repaired their bond in the years prior. Coverage traced their path from a decades-long rift to renewed contact facilitated by family members. Public posts and obituaries highlighted time spent together again late in his life.

Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas and his son Cameron endured long stretches apart during Cameron’s substance-use struggles and seven-year federal prison term. In interviews around Cameron’s 2019 memoir, both men discussed rebuilding trust and closeness as Cameron pursued recovery in adulthood. Earlier coverage documented Michael’s candid remarks about their challenges while Cameron was incarcerated. Their shared media appearances since have focused on ongoing healing and family life.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger publicly acknowledged in 2011 that he was Joseph Baena’s father, and the two have developed their relationship more fully since Joseph reached adulthood. Joseph has recounted navigating the revelation as a teenager and later building a bond with his dad, including public events where they showed support for each other’s projects. Profiles and interviews outline a gradual, adult-to-adult connection even as family dynamics with half-siblings remain complex. Recent roundups continue to note Arnold’s supportive role.

Eddie Murphy

Following a contentious split with Melanie Brown (Mel B) and a paternity case in the late 2000s, Eddie Murphy’s relationship with their daughter Angel improved significantly as she grew older. By 2018, reports described Angel spending vacations with Murphy and her siblings, and more recent interviews from 2025 noted that co-parenting between Murphy and Brown had become constructive. Coverage has consistently framed the father-daughter relationship as healthy in Angel’s later teen years and adulthood.

John Aniston

Jennifer Aniston has described a complicated childhood and long-term need for her father John Aniston’s approval, but also spoke about reconciling and being on good terms before his death in 2022. Retrospectives and interviews in 2025 detail how their relationship evolved as she built her career, including late-in-life conversations where he expressed pride in her. Archival pieces also show them appearing together in earlier years, underscoring sustained contact in adulthood despite past strain.

Share other examples you think belong on this list — whose story of reconnection should we add in the comments?