All About Clint Eastwood's 8 Kids And Their Moms
You could say that there were a few ladies that went ahead and made actor Clint Eastwood's day over the years by making him a dad. Clint, who is still working in his 90s, is one of the few living Hollywood legends, thanks to a long and illustrious acting career that began all the way back in the 1950s with country western films. He's also found tremendous success as a director and producer, receiving multiple Academy Awards for his behind-the-scenes work. He's also dabbled in making music and has been active in politics, at one point serving as a California city's mayor.
As far as his personal life goes, Clint's had some ups and downs. The movie star has been married and divorced twice, and he's been in multiple longterm relationships that ended because of infidelity. However, some of those romances did result in Clint becoming a dad to eight children, which he did over the span of 42 years. One of his daughters, Alison Eastwood, opened up to Closer Weekly about having the A-list star as a father, saying, "He always made time for us, even when he was working." She even pointed out, "My dad is a much more cool and laid-back guy than a lot of his characters."
So, who are the eight individuals who call the Man with No Name their dad? Here's what we know about Clint Eastwood's eight kids and their moms.
Clint Eastwood didn't know about his oldest daughter, Laurie Murray
Clint Eastwood didn't even know about his eldest child, Laurie Murray, until she was an adult. According to the Daily Mail, Clint had an affair with Murray's mother before he became famous and while he was engaged to his first wife, Maggie Johnson. Their tryst apparently ended before Clint knew about the pregnancy and that Murray was put up for adoption. Murray later searched for her biological parents as an adult though, and discovered that Eastwood is her father.
That had to be a life changing revelation for both Clint and Murray, especially with all the time that had passed. "It obviously came as a great shock to Laurie," a family friend explained, adding, "But I believe that Clint was extremely receptive to her and the situation." Since then, Murray has seemingly integrated herself into the Eastwood family, spending holidays with them and even accompanying Clint to the 2004 Oscars. "All I would say is that he's been a great father to my mom," her son, LT Murray, once told the Daily Mail.
It appears that Clint Eastwood's other children were also happy to learn that they had another sibling and joined her at the premiere of their dad's 2018 film "The Mule." Per Inside Edition, Murray's youngest sister, Morgan Eastwood, commemorated the moment on Instagram too, writing, "SO RARE for all 8 Eastwood siblings to be in one room!!!"
He learned he had a second child after she was born
Clint Eastwood's second child, Kimber Lynn Eastwood, apparently also came as a surprise since she too was the result of one of his affairs. Clint had met Kimber's mother, Roxanne Tunis, on the set of the 1959 series "Rawhide," when he was married to his first wife, Maggie Johnson. The two went on to have an affair for the next 14 years with Tunis becoming pregnant with Kimber in 1964. Yet Tunis apparently didn't tell Clint about her pregnancy or even that she had a baby until Kimber was about a year old.
Clint later said in his biography that he was totally shocked to learn about Kimber. Once he found out though, he then helped take care of her financially but admitted to only seeing the child every few months. Johnson eventually had two children of her own with Clint, Kyle and Alison Eastwood. She reportedly did have her suspicions that he wasn't faithful though, before they split in 1979 after he had another years-long affair with actor Sondra Locke.
Despite Clint's infidelities, Alison said her parents remained close for the sake of their children. She told Fox News, "Their lives are intertwined, and it's been great. And they've always gotten along really well." It's unclear how Clint left things with Tunis though since Kimber has said in the past how it hasn't always been easy for her to see her father.
Like her dad, Kimber Lynn Eastwood works in Hollywood
Kimber Lynn Eastwood's feelings toward her father, Clint Eastwood, seemed to vary over the years. Per The Independent, she once said she "tried to make an appointment to see him, but he always has other commitments." However, she's also shared that he was involved with her life, which was made apparent when she appeared in some of his movies, like 1997's "Absolute Power." Kimber had decided to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Roxanne Tunis, and father by pursuing a career in Hollywood. She's not only acted in over 10 projects since 1989, but like her dad, eventually became a producer too.
When it came to filmmaking, Kimber told Film WNY that her father never gave her any advice nor did she ask him to, despite his achievements. "This for me, is me, I just want to do it on my own," she said. She managed to do just that too, having produced eight small-scale films.
Kimber also found success in the entertainment industry as a makeup artist. She's worked on shows like "Wheel of Fortune" and on her father's 2018 movie, "The Mule." An artistic person, Kimber has expressed interest in all aspects of filmmaking, whether it's in front of the camera or behind the scenes. She explained to Fox New Mexico, "I love the whole process of making a film... I don't want to be just one thing... I want to do... everything, get my hands in it."
Kyle Eastwood chose making music over acting
As mentioned, Clint Eastwood had two children with his first wife, Maggie Johnson, including his first son, Kyle Eastwood. From the looks of a 1983 People magazine feature, Clint was very involved in Kyle's life, regardless that he lived with Johnson full-time after his parents' divorce. Like his older half-sister Kimber, Kyle had appeared in some of his dad's movies, including 1982's "Honkytonk Man" where he had a lead role. Clint saw star potential in his son, telling People in 1983, "I think he's awfully good. He doesn't overplay it, and he knows how to be economical."
Kyle went on to study filmmaking in college but eventually realized in his late teens that his heart just wasn't in movies anymore. He explained to SUR in English, "I think I decided I loved music more than acting...it's always been a passion of mine." Once Kyle shifted his focus to music, he decided to move to Europe for a while to play jazz there. He eventually ended up splitting his time between London where his jazz quintet is, and California, where he composes music for movies.
That's also how Kyle has continued to work with his father too, serving as a composer on some of Clint's films like "Gran Torino" and "Invictus." Kyle told Belfast Telegraph that he and Clint have also written songs together and that his dad's been known to pop by his performances. He added, "He's happy that I've found music and that I've dedicated myself to it."
Alison Eastwood loved being on set with her dad
Kyle Eastwood's younger sister Alison Eastwood seems to have more in common with their dad, Clint Eastwood, in that she too became an actor and director. Alison's interest in show business had apparently stemmed from watching her father. She told Fox News, "We were on set all the time spending time with him." Yet she wasn't just attracted to the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, adding, "My dad has a very tight-knit group of people he frequently works with, so it felt like family."
Alison went on to act in over 30 projects that spanned over three decades. She most notably had a starring role alongside Jude Law and Kevin Spacey in the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," which was directed by her dad. Acting in her father's film reportedly gave her career a substantial boost at the time, and she later came out of retirement to appear in his 2018 film "The Mule." "I was like, 'Well, maybe this is an opportunity to not only play his daughter, but to just to spend some great time with him," she told People.
Alison eventually decided to focus on pursuing other endeavors, like directing films. While she said her father has inspired the way she directs, she doesn't feel like his success made it any easier for her to transition into that career. As she explained to Hello!, "Just because you've grown up around someone who directs doesn't mean they let you do it, too."
Scott Eastwood is an established movie star
It's safe to say that Clint Eastwood's son Scott Eastwood is currently the most famous of the Eastwood children. Scott has been acting since 2006, but it appears his career really took off when he starred in the adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' "The Longest Ride." That same year, Scott appeared in Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" music video. And not unlike his dad, Scott's done well for himself in the action movie world, too, acting in features like "Suicide Squad" and "The Fate of the Furious."
Yet Hollywood success wasn't always a sure thing for Scott. "I said I would give myself 10 years, and if it didn't work out, I would be a firefighter or something," he once told People (via ABC News). He even felt that he had to work harder to prove himself as an actor because of who his father is. That did help him stay humble though, which was important to Clint. As Scott once told Modern Luxury (via Fox News), "There are no handouts in our family."
Despite his fame, Scott revealed he sometimes feels out of place in Hollywood and worries that his popularity won't last. That said, he once told Treats! magazine (via Page Six), "I didn't get in this to be famous. I grew up loving my father's work, loving movies and telling stories, wanting to be a part of that."
Kathryn Eastwood keeps a low profile like her mom
Scott Eastwood's mother, Jacelyn Reeves, was another woman with whom Clint Eastwood had an affair. At the time, he was with longtime girlfriend Sondra Locke. Yet not much is known about Reeves, other than that she was a flight attendant who gave birth to Scott in 1986 and his sister, Kathryn Eastwood, two years later. Scott however, has made it a point to give his mother some credit for his success, even though everyone usually only focuses on his father. "She's an incredibly gracious woman," he told Modern Luxury (via Fox News). "She preaches honesty and pushes me all the time to be a better version of myself."
Similar to her mother, Kathryn Eastwood has kept a low profile over the years, despite keeping up with the family tradition of working as an actor. She's even appeared in 10 projects since 2014 — and yes, her filmography does include a movie that her father directed (2014's "Jersey Boys"). Kathryn has also worked as a screenwriter, and she seemingly enjoys the horror genre in particular, having written for the zombie-themed series "Virus of the Dead."
While Kathryn does keep a fairly low profile, we do know that she once got her big brother in trouble with their dad after he ditched her at a party when she was 14 years old. Scott recalled to GQ, "He popped me and said, 'You don't ever leave your sister at a party. EVER.'...I learnt quickly – you don't do that."
Francesca Eastwood made tabloid headlines
Chances are if you watched reality TV in the early 2010s then you've heard the name Francesca Eastwood. Clint Eastwood's fifth daughter is one of the more well-known of the Eastwood children, having risen to fame on the 2012 reality show "Mrs. Eastwood and Company." She's also made her fair share of headlines over the years, particularly when she was 19 and in a high-profile relationship with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields. Their rocky romance was not only documented on the show, but often made the tabloids. A photoshoot they did together in 2012 that involved burning a super expensive Birkin bag was arguably their biggest controversy
The next year, Francesca married Jonah Hill's late brother, music manager Jordan Feldstein, in Las Vegas. A source told Us Weekly at the time, "They haven't even been dating that long, but when in Vegas!" Francesca seemed to have second thoughts about that spontaneous decision; she had the marriage annulled just eight days later.
Francesca eventually realized that she didn't want to just be known for her personal drama or for being a tabloid "it girl." As she said in The New York Post, "I want to be able to do the projects that I love — and the projects I love are not for people who are on TMZ every day." She's since gone on to act in feature films like "Old," as well as TV series such as "Twin Peaks: The Return" and "Fargo."
Francesca Eastwood's mother is actor Frances Fisher
Clint Eastwood isn't Francesca Eastwood's only famous parent. The former reality TV personality's mother is "Titanic" star Frances Fisher, an actor whose successful career began back in the 1970s. It wasn't until the late '80s that Fisher got together with Clint after meeting him at a film party. The two split soon after Francesca was born, but they made a point to stay on good terms for their daughter. Fisher told SFGate in 2004, "I believe when you have loved someone, if you don't destroy it with pettiness, then the love is always there."
It would appear that having two movie star parents made it easier for Francesca to pursue her acting dreams. And yes, Francesca has appeared in some of her father's films, like 2014's "Jersey Boys." Even though she was basically born with her foot in the door, she's not immune to imposter syndrome. As she told Hello Giggles, "When both your parents have been very successful it brings a little bit of fear and self-doubt."
Fortunately, Francesca seemed to be able to get past that, and even got a chance to act alongside her mother in the 2016 film "Outlaws and Angels." "I'm so lucky I had my mom there," Francesca gushed to The Hollywood Reporter at the time. Fisher was just as elated to be able to join her daughter on set, especially since she had planned to visit Francesca there to watch her work anyway.
Clint Eastwood was more involved with Morgan Eastwood
Last but not least is Clint Eastwood's youngest daughter, Morgan Eastwood, whom he had in 1996 with his second wife, Dina Ruiz. When he met Ruiz in 1992, he was still with Frances Fisher. Clint and Ruiz ended up tying the knot in '96. The notoriously private film star told The Independent at the time, "She's just perfect ... this is the woman I like monogamy with."
What's more, Clint believed his parenting style had changed when Morgan arrived; he told The Telegraph (via People) that he was a "much better father." He went on to say that spending time with Morgan always took priority and that he was more present with her because he wasn't as worried about his career anymore. "I go to all the softball games... I think you appreciate a lot more when you get to my age," he said.
Ruiz and Clint eventually divorced in 2014, after filing a year earlier, but she made it clear on "Bethenny" that her ex was still super involved with their daughter. "He took her to Coachella. ... He does fun stuff like that with them," she said. Morgan is now an adult and unsurprisingly has done some acting, of course appearing in one of her dad's movies. She's also served as a producer and production assistant on other films. These days, she seems to be using her platform to spread awareness about obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she's been diagnosed with.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Clint Eastwood didn't like his youngest kids' reality show
When Clint Eastwood's two youngest daughters, Francesca and Morgan Eastwood, and his second wife, Dina Ruiz, got into the reality TV game with "Mrs. Eastwood & Company," the patriarch of the family wasn't a part of the program. "If people are tuning in because they're Clint Eastwood fans, they'll be disappointed. It's about the rest of the family," Ruiz said at an NBC Universal event, per "Today." Clint would occasionally show up in the background of scenes, but more often than not, he steered clear of the "Mrs. Eastwood & Company" cameras. The series wasn't picked up for a second season.
At the time, Ruiz acknowledged that her then-husband didn't want to be filmed, but it later came out that he was actually infuriated that she agreed to do the show . A source dished to People, "It went against everything he stands for: he's incredibly private, and she put his kids on TV." And while Francesca was on board with the series initially, she eventually had a change of heart. As she told The New York Post, she came to realize that being a reality star wasn't the path she wanted to take. "You just sat in front of a camera...I didn't feel satisfied," she said. So uh, maybe don't hold your breath for that "Mrs. Eastwood & Company" reboot.