Clint Eastwood is a name that echoes across decades of cinematic history. With a career that spans from spaghetti westerns to Oscar-winning dramas, he's also made headlines for his personal life including the death of his long-term partner last year.
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The Hollywood icon, now in his 90s, has eight children with six different women, a detail that often fascinates fans as much as his films. From actors and musicians to a makeup artist and a real estate broker, his children have ventured in and out of the spotlight, some following in their father's footsteps while others took entirely different paths.
But among them is one daughter who he didn't know about. Laurie Murray, Eastwood's first-born, remained a secret for decades. Put up for adoption at birth, neither she nor Eastwood knew of each other's existence. That all changed in the late 1980s when Laurie uncovered her past...
Clint Eastwood’s first-born was a secret for decades
The story of Laurie Murray begins in the 1950s, when Clint Eastwood had a relationship with a woman in Seattle before he rose to stardom.
The woman, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, later discovered she was pregnant. Rather than telling Eastwood, she made the difficult decision to place the baby for adoption.
Biographer Patrick McGilligan was the first to bring this chapter to light. According to him, the relationship occurred while Eastwood was engaged to his first wife, Maggie Johnson. The woman reportedly never informed Eastwood of the pregnancy.
A family friend said:
From what it appeared, Clint Eastwood had no idea that she was even pregnant.
When Laurie began a search for her biological parents in the late 1980s, she found documents revealing Clint Eastwood as her father. She contacted her biological mother, but the woman 'didn't want to be contacted,' the friend shared. This rejection was deeply shocking to Laurie.
However, Eastwood's response was entirely different. Though surprised, he welcomed her warmly. The friend explained:
I believe that Clint was extremely receptive to her and the situation
Their first meeting blossomed into a close relationship filled with shared interests, especially golf and outdoor activities. Laurie was soon included in Eastwood family events, appearing at the 2004 Oscars and the 2018 premiere of The Mule.
A family friend said:
It seems to be a close relationship and they are together fairly often.
Who is Laurie Murray?
Laurie Murray is a mother of two—daughter Kelsey and son Lowell Thomas IV (LT). She resides in the small town of Lakewood, Washington, and has built a quiet life with her husband, Lowell Thomas Murray III, who comes from a family that once owned the timber company Murray Pacific.
Before retiring, Laurie worked as an elementary school teacher. She is described as private, warm, and athletic. A source said:
Laurie is a very nice woman and very private, she definitely doesn't go around telling people this.
Adding:
Laurie and her family are wealthy in their own right. So it wasn't a situation, which I'm sure someone like Clint Eastwood is used to, of someone crawling out of the woodwork looking for money.
Despite her connection to Hollywood royalty, she never used the Eastwood name publicly, although she introduced herself as 'Laurie Eastwood' at the The Mule premiere.
Laurie met her father in her 30s. Speaking to Carmel Magazine in 2024, she shared:
When I met my dad, it was love at first sight. He is a wonderful man, and we have unconditional parent/child love for each other. I've thoroughly enjoyed becoming part of a much larger family.
Her children, LT and Kelsey, have also embraced their grandfather. LT once said:
All I would say is that [Clint's] been a great father to my mom, and always great to me and my family whenever we see him.
From skiing trips in Idaho to Thanksgiving holidays in Carmel, Laurie and her family became regulars at Eastwood gatherings.
Kimber Eastwood: Another surprising discovery
Just as Laurie’s story was beginning to unfold, another chapter in Eastwood's family saga came to light.
Kimber Eastwood, his second child, was born in 1964 from a long-term affair with stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis. Their relationship lasted 14 years, beginning in 1959 while Eastwood was still married to Maggie Johnson.
Tunis did not immediately inform Eastwood of the pregnancy. When she eventually told him about Kimber, their daughter was already a year old. According to Eastwood's biography, the news 'knocked the wind out of him.'
While he provided financial support, he only saw Kimber every few months in the early years.
Kimber, now a Hollywood professional, has had a multifaceted career. She appeared in films like Absolute Power and Passion Crimes and later transitioned into producing movies such as Dominion and Rapture. She has also worked as a makeup artist for shows including Wheel of Fortune and Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Her feelings about her father have been mixed. According to The Independent, Kimber once said:
I tried to make an appointment to see him, but he always has other commitments.
Reportedly, Eastwood didn’t give her any advice even when it came to her career. Speaking to Film WNY, she expressed:
This for me, is me, I just want to do it on my own.
Today, Kimber is married to producer Shawn Midkiff and has a son named Clinton.
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Sources used:
Daily Mail: Revealed: The touching story of Clint Eastwood's secret daughter, 64, who was put up for adoption by her mother but who tracked down the Hollywood legend 30 years ago
E! Online: A Guide to Clint Eastwood's Family
The List: All About Clint Eastwood's 8 Kids And Their Moms
Daily Mail: Inside the fascinating lives of Clint Eastwood's eight kids who he fathered with SIX different women
