Anthony Hopkins Sends Heartfelt Message to Daughter Abigail
In his newly released memoir We Did OK, Kid, Sir Anthony Hopkins reaches out to his estranged daughter, Abigail, sharing feelings of love and remorse that have lasted decades.
“I hope my daughter knows that my door is always open to her. I want her to be well and happy,” wrote Hopkins, 87. “Until the day I die, I will never forget the sight of her in that crib, laughing up at me when I walked in the room the first year of her life, sleeping soundly the night I left. 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.”
Hopkins shares Abigail with his first wife, Petronella Barker, to whom he was married from 1966 to 1972. He opens up about their difficult marriage, worsened by his struggles with alcohol, and his eventual decision to leave the family.
When beginning his path to sobriety, the actor sought reconciliation through apologies to both Barker and Abigail. In 1997, when Abigail was nine years old, he flew to London to meet them face-to-face.
“We put up a good front, but obviously so much damage had been done. They didn’t want me there,” he recalled. “Throughout the meal, they kept catching each other’s eye and making faces.”
Hopkins also reflected on brief moments of reconnection, remembering occasions when Abigail stayed with him as a teenager.
Author’s Summary
Anthony Hopkins’ memoir reveals his emotional attempt to rebuild a bond with his daughter, showing deep regret and enduring affection despite years of distance.