The Culkin family may have started from humble beginnings, but they were turned into millionaires overnight when child star Macaulay Culkin bagged the leading role in Home Alone.
Several of his family members, including Succession's Kieran Culkin, followed him into the limelight and it seemed as though all of their dreams had come true
However, the family experienced a number of difficulties and heartbreaking tragedies as they saw the darker side of life and success.
From battling a crippling drug addiction to being dragged into an explosive custody battle, we take a look at some of the hardships the Culkin family has faced.
Bitter custody battle
Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentrup dragged their children through a hostile custody battle when they ended their relationship in 1995 after 20 years together.
After splitting from Patricia Kit moved out of the family apartment, but he remained in the same building and rented a one-bedroom apartment nine floors above.
Patricia filed a lawsuit against Kit following their split as she sought custody of their seven children - Shane, Dakota, Macaulay, Kieran, Quinn, Christian and Rory.
She eventually won the lawsuit, with Kit being unable to obtain visitation rights.
Macaulay and Kieran, who were teenagers at the time, made it clear that they didn't want to have contact with their father.
Fatal car accident
The Culkin family was struck by tragedy on December 9, 2008 when 29-year-old Dakota Culkin sadly died after being hit by a car.
She had been crossing Lincoln Boulevard in front of Brennan's Irish pub in Marina del Rey, California, when she was hit.
Following her death, Macaulay decided to give up his role in Scott Pilgrim vs The World as he dealt with his grief.
Kieran paid tribute to his sister shortly after and said: "She was the funniest person in the family for sure and had a really dark sense of humour."
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, he said: "Each one of us handled it very differently. I think everyone was just torn up inside.
"It's always going to be devastating. I still weep about it out of nowhere. Something funny she did will pop in the head and make me laugh, and then I'm weeping."
Abusive father
Macaulay Culkin said his father "hurt people a lot" in a letter he wrote which was published in his 2006 book Junior.
In the piece, which was titled Dear Father, the actor said: "It didn't have to be like this. We could have stayed poor.
"You showed me what it was like to be afraid.... You hurt people a lot, you know.
I am not just talking about your family and the other important people around you; you hurt our name. I should know.
"Did you know I had to apologise on your behalf way too many times? You made a lot of people cry. You made my mother cry."
Macaulay also opened up about his father in an interview with New York magazine, explaining: "The one thing he taught me was how not to be, and how I don't want to be with my children. He was a bad guy."
Horror fire
On December 23, 1998, a fire started in the Culkin family's 19th-floor apartment.
The fire began when a piece of paper ignited near a space heater which had short-circuited.
As the blaze grew, Patricia managed to escape with her children after calling 911, but some residents in the building sadly died in the blaze and four fire fighters were injured.
Following the fire, Patricia and her children moved into the apartment Macaulay shared with his then-wife Rachel Miner.
Speaking about the tragic incident, Macaulay told New York magazine: "It was a nice Christmas other than the fact that all their presents got burned and their house.
"It made me feel good that we brought it all together and made it work. It was awful, of course — people died — it was awful."
Drug abuse
In 2004 a 24-year-old Macaulay made headlines around the world after he was charged with possessing marijuana and a controlled substance without a prescription.
The drugs were found after the actor's car was searched by police officers in Oklahoma.
Rumours began to circulate about Macaulay having a drug habit and were only made worse by pictures of him looking frail in 2012.
"No I was not pounding six grand of heroin a month," the actor later insisted in an interview with The Guardian.
He also said he does not take drugs recreationally.
Speaking about drug use in a rare interview in 2021, he told Esquire : "I do love them. They're like old friends. But sometimes you outgrow your friends."
Macaulay wasn't the only family member to take drugs, with his half-sister Jennifer Adamson sadly dying of a drug overdose in 2000 at the age of 30.
Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
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