Dakota Johnson, known mostly for her role as Anastasia Steel in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, comes from a long line of Hollywood stars. The actress, who once famously called out Ellen DeGeneres on her own talk show, has recently opened up about the time her famous father Don Johnson cut her off financially.
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Dakota Johnson was cut off by her father
Dakota Johnson is currently promoting her new highly-expected film entitled The Materialists. She was interviewed by her co-star, internet daddy Pedro Pascal, for Elle UK. During her interview, she opened up about a difficult time of her life. As a young adult, her father Don Johnson cut her off financially after she did not manage to get into Juilliard. She did not have a back-up plan, and her acting career was yet to take off. The actress explained she was glad she did not go to Juilliard:
I really didn’t want to go to college. And because Juilliard felt so small – the idea of being in a classroom with the same group of people, and figuring out how to be a human in that environment, after growing up surrounded by so many different kinds of people and immersed in different cultures through traveling all over… It just felt really wrong to lock myself in one place.
This caused her father to cut her off, but her parents still helped her out when she couldn't afford to pay her rent, or to put food on the table. She went on:
I didn’t get in and my dad cut me off because I didn’t go to college. So, I started auditioning. I think I was 19 when I did ‘The Social Network,’ and then little jobs and stuff after that.
For a couple of years it was hard to make money. There were a few times when I’d go to the market and not have money in my bank account or not be able to pay rent, and I’d have to ask my parents for help.
Who are her famous parents?
As she explained in her interview with Pedro Pascal, Dakota Johnson grew up in an unconventional environment. Indeed, she comes from a long line of famous Hollywood figures. Her father, Don Johnson, rose to fame thanks to his role as James 'Sonny Crockett' in the hit TV series Miami Vice, which earned him a Golden Globe Award. Since then, he has acted in successful films such as Django Unchained in 2012, and Knives Out in 2019. Don Johnson first married actress Melanie Griffith in 1976, and they got a divorce a few months later. However, the pair rekindled the fame in 1989, before getting another divorce in 1996. This time around, they welcomed their daughter Dakota.
Melania Griffith rose to fame in the 1980s with her roles in Body Double and Working Girl, which earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. After her divorce from Don Johnson, she went on to marry fellow actor Antonio Banderas, and the couple welcomed a daughter together. Dakota Johnson is reportedly very close to her former step-father, despite his divorce from Melanie Griffith in 2015.
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Sources used:
Elle: All About Dakota Johnson's Family: Who Are Her Parents, Siblings and Grandparents
Variety: Dakota Johnson Was ‘Not Able to Pay Rent’ After Dad Cut Her Off as a Young Actor: ‘A Few Times’ I Did ‘Not Have Money in My Bank Account’
E! News: Dakota Johnson Details Being Cut Off Financially From Dad Don Johnson
