Who is Abigail Hopkins? Anthony Hopkins opens up about estranged relationship with only child

Actor Anthony Hopkins has opened up about his estranged relationship with his only daughter, Abigail Hopkins. They have not spoken in over two decades.

They briefly reconnected in the 1990s when Abigail had cameo roles in some of his films, but have since lost contact. During a chat with The Interview, Hopkins said that his wife, Stella Arroyave, invited his daughter to meet them, but she denied the request.

He said:

“My wife, Stella, sent an invitation to come and see us. Not a word of response, so I think, ‘OK, fine. I wish her well,' but I'm not going to waste blood over that.”

Abigail Hopkins is the actor’s daughter from his first wife and actress Petronella Barker, whom he married in September 1966 at St. Mary's Church in Stalisfield. The actor reportedly walked out on his family when Abigail was just a toddler.

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All you need to know about Abigail Hopkins

Abigail Hopkins was born to Anthony Hopkins and Petronella Barker on August 20, 1968, in London. She is an actress, acting coach and composer. She took acting lessons from the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York, following which she started her acting career.

Her work in the entertainment industry includes films such as Under This Sky, The Remains of the Day, and Shadowlands. She was also seen in the 2015 film, Romeo Vs Juliet.

She spoke about the estranged relationship with her father in an interview with The Telegraph. She said:

“I would see him, but maybe once a year. There is a little bit of sadness but I have to get on with my life. It has always been like that. See him, and then not. Then, when I was 16, there was some row.”

The argument reportedly stemmed from a comment Anthony had made about the mother of Abigail Hopkins, after which they ceased contact. He wrote in his memoir that following the argument, he packed his bags and left. He admitted that it has been the saddest phase of his life and his greatest regret.

He divorced from his wife in 1972. Anthony has also admitted previously that he has not been a good father to his only daughter. He also acknowledged his shortcomings in the past, stating that he was impossible to live with.

Abigail Hopkins has also battled with depression and spiralled into drug addiction in her youth. At the age of 18, she experimented with amphetamines and alcohol. She was studying English at the University of East Anglia during that time when she dropped out. She told The Telegraph,

“I bottled up so much emotion in my childhood, it caused my mind to go. I came very close to killing myself. It was the worst time I can remember. I totally abused my mind and body. The root cause was the fact that my father and I had an intermittent relationship when I was young. I was angry and there was a lot of grieving going on.”

When The Silence of the Lambs actor was asked recently about the estranged relationship with his daughter, he said he has moved on from reconnecting with his daughter after she declined his request to meet.

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He emphasized that holding onto resentment is like living in death and that he acknowledges human imperfection. He said that he chooses to move on in his life without bitterness.

For the unversed, Abigail Hopkins was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer in 2020. After a year of colostomy, she is now in remission.

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