Anthony Hopkins Reveals Regret Over Estrangement from Daughter Abigail
Sir Anthony Hopkins shares deep regrets about his estranged relationship with his daughter Abigail in his new memoir, We Did OK, Kid, released on November 4, 2025. Now 87, the legendary actor reflects openly on family struggles and alcoholism.
Personal Reflections on Family and Addiction
Hopkins, a two-time Oscar winner, reveals his “greatest regret” for the first time. Known for confronting difficult truths in his roles, he now turns that honesty inward. The Welsh-born actor left his first wife, Petronella Barker, and their daughter when his alcoholism worsened. Abigail was only 14 months old at the time.
“Abigail never seemed able to forgive me for leaving the family when she was a baby.”
He admits to being “a cold fish” and explains his emotional distance as a defense mechanism rooted in childhood. Hopkins acknowledges Abigail’s pain and doesn’t blame her, saying,
“I will always be sorry for hurting her when I left the family, even as I believe to this day that I had no choice.”
Brief Reconnection and Renewed Silence
The father and daughter briefly reconnected in the 1990s, with Abigail even appearing in his films Shadowlands and The Remains of the Day. However, their relationship later faded back into silence and distance over the years.
Significance of the Memoir’s Honesty
This memoir marks an important moment as Hopkins publicly acknowledges the coldness and distance of his past, sharing painful truths about the long-term impact of his actions on family ties.
Author’s Summary: Anthony Hopkins candidly confronts the lasting pain caused by his early abandonment of his daughter Abigail, reflecting on regret, addiction, and the fragile bonds of family.