It’s an unfortunate fact that many of us suffer from daddy issues. They come in all shapes and sizes, but our daddy issues have one thing in common: they change the way we look at the world, often to our own detriment.
Daddy issues are so widespread that they even affect a number of star-studded Hollywood A-listers, as some celebrities have spoken out about the strained relationships with the father figures in their lives.
Other celebrities take things a step further, being the root cause of said daddy issues. Namely: Owen Wilson.
Owen Wilson attending the premiere of Paint held at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on March 23, 2023 (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images)
The 54-year-old star has been a mainstay on the red carpet for years, starring in notable titles like Zoolander (2001), Wedding Crashers (2005), and the Night at the Museum franchise.
He’s also a regular in auteur Wes Anderson’s films, allowing Wilson to show off his artistic side.
Despite appearing in dozens of kid-friendly films, it’s come to light that Owen Wilson may not be the best father to all of his children.
Owen Wilson Has a Long List of Ex-Lovers
The Midnight in Paris actor often plays the role of the suave womanizer, and based on his relationship history, this may be true in his real life, too.
Owen Wilson has dated a bevy of well-known names and faces, such as Demi Moore, Gina Gershon, Sheryl Crow, and Kate Hudson.
Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson at the world premiere of You, Me and Dupree held at The Arclight Theatre in Hollywood, California on July 10, 2006 (Credit: Devan INFGoff)
Some of these relationships have had questionable timelines. Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson sparked relationship rumors in 2006 while Hudson was still married to her now-ex, Chris Robinson, founder of the band The Black Crowes.
Owen Wilson’s brother and fellow actor Luke Wilson told People magazine, “He seems very happy, [Kate is] the world’s most beautiful tomboy… she’s a great person.”
Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson out and about in New York City on April 19, 2007 (Credit: INFphoto)
As with most of Wilson’s relationships, he and Hudson’s romance was short-lived, with the pair reportedly splitting in June of 2007.
Fortunately, their breakup was amicable, as Kate Hudson reportedly told MTV after the fact: “Owen is such a lovely person, and I love him dearly, and I wish him beautiful things – health and everything he desires in life.”
Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson photographed leaving The Box club in New York City on April 20, 2007 (Credit: INFphoto)
However, not all of Owen Wilson’s breakups have gone this smoothly.
Owen Wilson Supports His First Two Children
His first child is a result of his relationship with Jade Duell, a US Federal Sky Marshal. Fifteen years her senior, Wilson first met Duell in 2009 while filming How Do You Know in Washington, D.C. Although it’s unclear how they met, their relationship lasted about two years.
During this time, Duell became pregnant with Wilson’s first child – Robert Ford Wilson, who was born in January 2011. Unfortunately, their relationship ended shortly after this, allegedly due to Wilson’s roaming eye.
Owen Wilson spotted at The French Open in Paris, France on May 27, 2022 (Credit: ABACA / INSTARimages)
After their breakup, a source told The National Enquirer, “Owen wanted the freedom to do what he wanted with his friends, both male and female, while remaining a family unit with Jade and the baby. But Jade wasn’t willing to go along with that, so Owen decided to end things with her instead of cheating behind her back.”
However, this “source” was not confirmed, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.
In an interview with Jay Leno, Owen Wilson seemed to enjoy being a dad, joking that he was “glowing” and his son was “very cute” and “doing well.”
He also added, “What they say about newborns and not getting a lot of sleep – that’s true. You look at every place as a potential nap place. I’m looking at this couch – maybe at commercial break [I’ll take a] little shut-eye there.”
Owen Wilson attending the premiere of The French Dispatch during the 74th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on July 12, 2021 (Credit: Julien Reynaud / APS-Medias / ABACA / INSTARimages)
Wilson proved to be a committed dad, even purchasing a $1.4 million house in Los Angeles for Jade Duell and his son, Robert, to live in, even after Wilson and Duell had split.
Owen Wilson fathered his next child four years later with fitness trainer Caroline Lindqvist. Repeating past mistakes, Caroline Lindqvist was married while the pair was together. Allegedly, Lindqvist was in the process of divorcing her plastic surgeon husband at the time, but the timelines are fuzzy.
Lindqvist and Wilson met years earlier when the actor hired her as his personal trainer, but their relationship didn’t last long, as the pair broke up before Lindqvist knew she was pregnant.
Allegedly, Lindqvist’s husband’s family knew nothing about the personal trainer’s pregnancy until they heard about it in the news, with her former father-in-law blasting her via The Daily Mail.
Caroline Lindqvist and son Finn out with Owen Wilson for Valentine’s Day in Malibu, California on February 14, 2016 (Credit: Borisio / SAA / INFphoto)
Fortunately, their breakup did not diminish Owen Wilson’s commitment and excitement to be a dad again, with a source telling UsWeekly: “Owen is very involved with the pregnancy. He isn’t in a relationship with Caroline, nor do they plan to be in one, but he is very supportive of everything. They see each other and talk often about what they want for the child. Owen is very open-minded about everything and has told Caroline he will do whatever he can.”
Wilson’s second son, Finn, was born in 2014.
Caroline Lindqvist and son Finn out with Owen Wilson for Valentine’s Day in Malibu, California on February 14, 2016 (Credit: Borisio / SAA / INFphoto)
Despite keeping his private life private, Wilson seems to truly love his sons, joking during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in 2017: “Anything Ford says is just the funniest thing ever. And I can make a joke and it’s, like, crickets. It’s like nothing from those guys. Sometimes it feels more like I’m already seeing how they’re going to be as teenagers where they’re sort of ganging up on me.”
He continued, explaining that he’s not a strict dad, but he’s not too laid back, either: “I’m sort-of [strict], I’m not as easy-going as my parents were, but no one is as easy going as parents in the 70s when there was no seatbelts and stuff. Now you wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without your car seat, it was just a different time, no sunscreen or bike helmets. My parents would drop you off at the pool in the morning and pick you up at the end of the day. You’d be burned like a lobster and they’d be like ‘Oh you’ve got great color, you look so good.’”
Owen Wilson with son Finn at Malibu Farms in Malibu, California on February 14, 2016 (Credit: Borisio / SAA / INFphoto)
Owen Wilson Is Not a Part of His Third Child’s Life
The actor’s third child, Lyla, was born on October 9, 2018. She is the result of (yet another) now-defunct relationship, this time with a woman named Varunie Vongsvirates.
Although the details of Vongsvirates and Wilson’s romance are not entirely clear, sources say that the pair casually dated for about five years before going their separate ways.
Few knew that Owen Wilson even had a daughter until his ex, 37-year-old Varunie Vongsvirates, made an impassioned plea to the actor, hoping he would be a part of his daughter’s life.
“Owen has never met Lyla. Never,” Vongsvirates told The Daily Mail. “He helps financially but it’s never been about that.”
Jacob Tremblay as Auggie Pullman and Owen Wilson as Nate Pullman in the 2017 coming-of-age drama film Wonder (Credit: Lionsgate)
She continued: “Lyla needs a father. It’s ironic how [Owen] keeps getting these father roles, he’s playing a father in his new movie, and he’s never met his own daughter.”
At first, fans questioned if Lyla was actually Owen Wilson’s daughter, as it’s not unheard of to claim a celebrity fathered a child simply for money or fame. These rumors were dispelled when Wilson took a paternity test of his own accord, with documents proving that “the alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the fetus.”
Even after taking a paternity test that proves the DNA match, a source told UsWeekly that Wilson “refuses to meet his daughter,” saying, “He even checked the no visitation box in court in June … He does not want to visit [and does not] want any custody of her.”
Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play doting parents Isabel and Nate Pullman in the 2017 coming-of-age drama film Wonder (Credit: Lionsgate)
Clearly, it’s not just about money for Lyla’s mother, as Wilson has been sending child support to Vongsvirates since Lyla was born.
Owen Wilson’s lack of involvement in his daughter’s life is especially heartbreaking due to the fact that he has always been present for his two sons.
Robert and Finn frequently appear in photographs with their father, laughing and smiling on outings together, while Lyla is being parented by a single mother.
Why Is Owen Wilson an Absent Father?
Since the actor has been mum about his daughter, it’s hard to say exactly why he does not want to be a part of her life. As a result, fans have had to theorize on their own time.
Owen Wilson attending the 2006 MTV Movie Awards held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California on June 3, 2006 (Credit: Devan / INFGoff)
One theory is that Owen Wilson is not Lydia’s father.
The paternity test documents are rather vague (“the alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the fetus”), clarifying only that there is a DNA match between Wilson and Lyla. It means that Lyla could technically be the child of someone related to Owen Wilson, not Owen Wilson himself.
This theory is rather outlandish, as it doesn’t make sense for the actor to pay child support for a child that isn’t his. Besides, if this were the case, why wouldn’t Owen Wilson’s mystery relative come forward to claim the child?
The second theory is a simple one: Owen Wilson is struggling with his mental health and simply doesn’t have the capacity to care for another child.
Owen Wilson filming on location in New York City on October 22, 2019 (Credit: Janet Mayer / Startraksphoto)
Wilson notably had to turn down a role in Tropic Thunder in 2007 due to a bout of depression that resulted in a suicide attempt.
Caring for a child is extremely labor intensive, especially during the early years, so it’s not a stretch to wonder if the actor’s mental health suffered when his sons were young, and he simply couldn’t handle raising another baby. Fans theorize that Wilson had to make the hard decision to put himself and his sons first.
The last theory is that Owen Wilson simply didn’t want more kids and that Varunie Vongsvirates may have “baby trapped” the actor.
Owen Wilson in the press room during the 2006 Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, California on March 5, 2006 (Credit: Carlos Diaz / INFGoff)
Dealing with two young sons is tough enough, so it’s not far-fetched to think that Wilson may have not wanted to add another toddler to his family.
Perhaps Vongsvirates knew this and intentionally got pregnant – likely by fiddling with their birth control methods – in hopes of locking the actor into matrimony or a long-term relationship.
Neither Vongsvirates nor Wilson have gone on record to confirm this theory.
Owen Wilson at the premiere of The French Dispatch during the 74th Cannes Film Festival (Credit: Simone Comi / IPA / INSTARimages)
Unfortunately, unless Owen Wilson balks his personal tradition and starts talking to the press, we may never know why he is absent in Lyla’s life.