Celebrity Dads Who Have Complicated Paternity Stories

Mar. 15, 2025

Dave Grohl, Tristan Thompson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.Photo:VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

These celebrities have faced some bumps in the road through fatherhood.On Sept. 10, 2024, Foo Fighters' frontmanDave Grohlshared thathe had fathered a child outside of his longtime marriage to Jordyn Blum. In years past, other celebrities have faced complications in their personal lives whether it be questions of paternity or betraying the trust of their current partners.Read on to learn more about these celebrity dads and their parenthood journeys.

These celebrities have faced some bumps in the road through fatherhood.

On Sept. 10, 2024, Foo Fighters' frontmanDave Grohlshared thathe had fathered a child outside of his longtime marriage to Jordyn Blum. In years past, other celebrities have faced complications in their personal lives whether it be questions of paternity or betraying the trust of their current partners.

Read on to learn more about these celebrity dads and their parenthood journeys.

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Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl.VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty

VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty

On Sept. 10, 2024, Dave Grohl shared on Instagram that he had recentlywelcomed a daughter with a woman outside of his marriage.

“I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her. I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness,” he continued. “We’re grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.”

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Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson.George Pimentel/Getty

George Pimentel/Getty

NBA playerTristan Thompsonwelcomed his second child — and first withKhloé Kardashian— True Thompson, in 2018. In December 2021, model Maralee Nichols shared that she had welcomed a son, Leo. While Tristan disputed paternity initially, he confirmed that the child was his in January 2022.

“Today, paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols. I take full responsibility for my actions,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son.” He then also publicly apologized to Kardashian as they pair was dating at the time of Leo’s conception.

“Khloé, you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you,” he wrote. “You don’t deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry.”

03of 07Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger and his son, Joseph.Arnold Schwarzenegger/InstagramArnold Schwarzenegger’s fifth childJoseph Baenawas born on Oct. 2, 1997, a few days after his youngest child with then-wife Maria Shriver was born. Baena’s mom, Schwarzenegger and Shriver’s longtime housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena, kept her son’s identity a secret for the first seven or eight years of his life.“It was wrong what I did. But I don’t want to make Joseph feel that he is not welcomed in this world — becausehe is very much welcomed in this world,” Schwarzenegger said of his youngest son in his docuseries,Arnold. “I love him and he has turned out to be an extraordinary young man.”

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Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son, Joseph.Arnold Schwarzenegger/Instagram

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fifth childJoseph Baenawas born on Oct. 2, 1997, a few days after his youngest child with then-wife Maria Shriver was born. Baena’s mom, Schwarzenegger and Shriver’s longtime housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena, kept her son’s identity a secret for the first seven or eight years of his life.

“It was wrong what I did. But I don’t want to make Joseph feel that he is not welcomed in this world — becausehe is very much welcomed in this world,” Schwarzenegger said of his youngest son in his docuseries,Arnold. “I love him and he has turned out to be an extraordinary young man.”

04of 07Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood and Scott Eastwood.E. Charbonneau/WireImageClint Eastwood welcomed two children,Scott Eastwoodin 1986 andKathryn Eastwoodin 1988, with flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves,whom he met while datinghis longtime girlfriendSondra Locke.Clint and Locke had a tumultuous relationship. In April 1989 — more than 15 years after they first met — Clint allegedly moved all of Locke’s things into storage and changed the locks at their home, according to theWashington Post.

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Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood and Scott Eastwood.E. Charbonneau/WireImage

E. Charbonneau/WireImage

Clint Eastwood welcomed two children,Scott Eastwoodin 1986 andKathryn Eastwoodin 1988, with flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves,whom he met while datinghis longtime girlfriendSondra Locke.

Clint and Locke had a tumultuous relationship. In April 1989 — more than 15 years after they first met — Clint allegedly moved all of Locke’s things into storage and changed the locks at their home, according to theWashington Post.

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Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton.Kevin Winter/Getty

Kevin Winter/Getty

As a child, Ruth had a close bond with the rockstar, but the two were estranged from 2015 to 2021 after Clapton demanded she stop sharing details from his private life on social media.

06of 07Eddie MurphyEddie Murphy.Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagicEddie Murphy shares one daughter,Angel Iris, with Spice GirlMelanie Brownas the pair dated in 2006. Murphy initially denied paternity despite Brown tellingEssencein 2007 that their daughter was “acompletely planned pregnancy.“The comedianconfirmed his paternitywith a DNA test when Angel was two months old though after giving birth, Brown sued Murphy for solelegal and physical custodyof their child.

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Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy.Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic

Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic

Eddie Murphy shares one daughter,Angel Iris, with Spice GirlMelanie Brownas the pair dated in 2006. Murphy initially denied paternity despite Brown tellingEssencein 2007 that their daughter was “acompletely planned pregnancy.”

The comedianconfirmed his paternitywith a DNA test when Angel was two months old though after giving birth, Brown sued Murphy for solelegal and physical custodyof their child.

07of 07DrakeDrake with his son, Adonis.Drake/InstagramAfterPusha Tclaimed in his 2018 diss track“The Story of Adidion”thatDrakehad fathered a child in secret with French adult film starSophie Brussaux, the “Hotline Bling” rapperconfirmed his paternityto an 8-month-old child on his albumScorpion.“The kid is mine,” he rapped on the track “March 14.” In the song “Emotionless,” he said, “I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world/I was hidin’ the world from my kid.”In May 2017,TMZreported that Brussaux claimed she was three-and-a-half months pregnant with Drake’s child. His reps told PEOPLE at the time that “he does not believe” it is his child. However,TMZreported a year later that Drake was quietly“financially supporting”Brussaux and his sonAdonis.On HBO’sThe Shopin 2018, Drake said of the circumstances around Adonis’ birth, “We have found ourselves in a situation and we are both equally responsible.”“Now, I’m just really excited to be a great father,” he added. The father and son have shared sweet moments since Adonis’ debut on his father’s social media page in 2020, including atwinning hairstyles.

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Drake

Drake with his son, Adonis.Drake/Instagram

Drake/Instagram

AfterPusha Tclaimed in his 2018 diss track“The Story of Adidion”thatDrakehad fathered a child in secret with French adult film starSophie Brussaux, the “Hotline Bling” rapperconfirmed his paternityto an 8-month-old child on his albumScorpion.

“The kid is mine,” he rapped on the track “March 14.” In the song “Emotionless,” he said, “I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world/I was hidin’ the world from my kid.”

In May 2017,TMZreported that Brussaux claimed she was three-and-a-half months pregnant with Drake’s child. His reps told PEOPLE at the time that “he does not believe” it is his child. However,TMZreported a year later that Drake was quietly“financially supporting”Brussaux and his sonAdonis.

On HBO’sThe Shopin 2018, Drake said of the circumstances around Adonis’ birth, “We have found ourselves in a situation and we are both equally responsible.”

“Now, I’m just really excited to be a great father,” he added. The father and son have shared sweet moments since Adonis’ debut on his father’s social media page in 2020, including atwinning hairstyles.

source: people.com