Latest news with #DonJohnson
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Who is Dakota Johnson's stepmum, Kelley Phleger? The teacher and former debutante married Miami Vice star Don Johnson in 1999 and the pair have been going strong ever since
Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson's father, Don Johnson , is a Hollywood legend in his own right. The Golden Globe-winning actor shares Dakota with his ex-wife, Oscar-nominated actress Melanie Griffith, whom he met when he was 22 and she was 14. The former couple started living together when Griffith was just 15 and got engaged as soon as she turned 18. They married in 1976, divorced the same year, remarried in 1989, and divorced again in 1994. By 1999, Johnson had moved on and was tying the knot with his now-wife Kelley Phleger, who is about 18 years his junior. Johnson is a father to five children, including Dakota Johnson and Jesse Johnson (whom he shares with Patti D'Arbanville). He welcomed his three youngest children, Atherton Grace, Jasper Breckenridge and Deacon Johnson with his current missus, Kelley Phleger. But what else do we know about the woman who made Don Johnson settle down? She's a teacher Kelley Phleger is a former debutante. Photo: @ Advertisement According to People, Kelley Phleger graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in fine arts. Soon after, she started working as a teacher at a Montessori nursery. She was also a 1986 Cotillion debutante and a well-known socialite in San Francisco, per Hollywood Life. How did she meet Don Johnson? Kelley Phleger's ex-boyfriend is the current governor of California, Gavin Newsom. Photo: @ When Johnson first met Phleger in 1996 through their mutual friend Jo Schuman Silver at a party, she was reportedly in a relationship with Gavin Newsom , the current governor of California. They allegedly broke up not long afterwards and she got together with Johnson. They've been together for 25 years Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger married in 1999. Photo: @ In a September 2024 Instagram post, Johnson gushed over his wife as he marked their 25th wedding anniversary with a beautiful picture of them matching in black outfits. 'My Best Gurl for 25 years !! Think I'll keep her,' he captioned the post along with a red heart emoji. Indeed, this is Johnson's longest marriage and the couple are clearly going strong. What are her children doing?
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dakota Johnson Details Being Cut Off Financially From Dad Don Johnson
Originally appeared on E! Online Dakota Johnson was fifty shades of determined to make it on her own when she officially began her acting career. After not getting accepted into the famous Juilliard School in New York City, the daughter of actors Don Johnson and ex-wife Melanie Griffith went on to forge her own path into Hollywood, without a dime from her father. "I didn't get in and my dad cut me off because I didn't go to college," the 35-year-old told her Materialists costar Pedro Pascal for an Elle U.K. interview, published May 14. "So, I started auditioning. I think I was 19 when I did The Social Network, and then little jobs and stuff after that." Dakota—who made her onscreen acting debut as a child alongside her mom in the actress' then-husband Antonio Banderas' 1999 film Crazy in Alabama before appearing in a scene with Justin Timberlake in 2010's The Social Network, and years later, the Fifty Shades trilogy—remembers struggling financially after being cut off by her dad. "For a couple of years it was hard to make money," she told Pedro. "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." Dakota continued, "I'm very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me. But it certainly was not fun. The auditioning process, as you know, is the f--king worst." Dakota has spoken before about how she was made to start an acting career on her own after high school after her dad cut her off financially. "He said, 'If you go to college, you still get an allowance,'" the actress said about her dad in a February 2024 Today interview. "And I was like, 'Well, I'm going to be an actress.' So he was like, 'Alright, well you're on your own. I was cut off." She said she turned to modeling to make rent money as she pursued acting. "I definitely like had moments where I couldn't afford groceries and things like that and needed to ask my mom to help me," she said. "She was the nice one." More from E! Online John Legend, Demi Lovato and More React to Chrissy Teigen's Sobriety Update How Natalia Bryant Honored Kobe Bryant at College Graduation How Sean "Diddy" Combs Reacted to Cassie Ventura's Cross-Examination Testimony in Trial "For a couple of years it was hard to make money," she told Pedro. "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." Dakota continued, "I'm very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me. But it certainly was not fun. The auditioning process, as you know, is the f--king worst." Dakota has spoken before about how she struggled to make it in Hollywood on her own after high school after her dad cut her off financially. "He said, 'If you go to college, you still get an allowance,'" the actress said about her dad in a February 2024 Today interview. "And I was like, 'Well, I'm going to be an actress.' So he was like, 'Alright, well you're on your own. I was cut off." Dakota said she turned to modeling to make rent money as she pursued acting. "I definitely like had moments where I couldn't afford groceries and things like that and needed to ask my mom to help me," she said. "She was the nice one." Don himself has also previously shared insight into the college ultimatum. "We have a rule in the family," the Nash Bridges alum said on Late Night With Seth Meyers in 2021, "that if you stay in school, you get to stay on the payroll." He said that toward the end of Dakota's high school career, he asked his daughter if she wanted to visit some colleges. "And she went, 'Oh, no, I'm not going to college,'" he said. "And I went, 'OK. Well, you know what that means. I mean, you won't be on the payroll anymore, and how are you gonna manage?' And she says, 'Don't you worry about it.'" Feeling fifty shades of confused about Dakota's family ties? Look back at her family tree. Melanie Griffith and Don JohnsonDon Johnson and Patti D'ArbanvilleJesse Johnson Melanie Griffith and Steven BauerAlexander BauerMelanie Griffith and Don Johnson (again)Dakota JohnsonDakota Johnson and Chris MartinMelanie Griffith and Antonio BanderasStella del Carmen Banderas3 GenerationsDon Johnson and Kelley Phleger Atherton Grace JohnsonJasper Johnson Deacon Johnson For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Fox News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Dakota Johnson struggled to pay rent after father Don Johnson cut financial support
Dakota Johnson recalled how her father, Don Johnson, had cut her off financially after she didn't get into college. While being interviewed by her "Materialists" co-star Pedro Pascal for Elle UK, the 35-year-old actress revealed that she had only applied to one college, the Julliard School, but she had been rejected by the prestigious conservatory. Johnson opted not to apply to other colleges and initially wasn't able to support herself with the acting gigs that she could land at the time. "I didn't get in and my dad cut me off because I didn't go to college," Johnson told Pascal. "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," she admitted. "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 – I'm very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me. But it certainly was not fun. The auditioning process, as you know, is the f------ worst." Dakota told Pascal that applying to Juilliard was also really challenging. One of the most elite performing arts schools in the world, The Juilliard School in New York City only accepts about 10% of applicants. "That f------ process was so awful and terrifying," Johnson recalled. "When you get accepted for an audition, it's a two-day long chorus-line thing. You're supposed to get called back for a second audition, and I didn't." "It was fine, I really didn't want to go to college," she continued. "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." Don, 75, shares Johnson with his ex-wife Melanie Griffith, 67. Don and Griffith first married in 1976 but divorced six months later. The "Miami Vice" star and the "Working Girl" actress tied the knot again in 1989 and welcomed Dakota that year, but they split again in 1996. Johnson told Pascal that she had not had the typical school experience, since she had spent most of her childhood traveling with Don and Griffith while they filmed acting projects. "I traveled with my parents and with a tutor until I was 10 years old," she said. "I went to a bunch of different schools all over, and we lived in Spain for quite a while, because my mom and Antonio [Banderas] were married. At one point, I went to an all-girls Catholic boarding school. That was an interesting experience." She went on to say that she moved back to Los Angeles and attended the private New Roads School for the last three years of high school. However, the "Madame Webs" actress admitted that she hadn't been the best student. "I was bad at basic school stuff because I never learnt time management or did my homework," Johnson said. "I enjoyed English. I was good at Spanish, I was not at math. I did visual arts, and then at one point they had a pseudo-theatre program that I was a part of, and then I got kicked out of it, because I abandoned my schoolwork and started failing classes." Johnson played a minor role in Aaron Sorkin's hit 2010 biographical drama "The Social Network." The actress made her career breakthrough in 2015 when she starred as Anastasia Steele in "50 Shades of Grey" and reprized her role in the movie's two sequels. During an appearance on "Good Morning America," Don, who is also father to sons Jesse, Jasper and Deacon and daughter Grace, shared his thoughts on some of his kids following in his footsteps and pursuing acting. "I warned them against it. I said, 'This is not for you,'" Johnson said. "When Dakota was graduating from high school . . . we have a rule in the family," he continued. "The rule is that if you don't go on to college and get a job, you're off the family payroll. "Out of high school, I went to Dakota and said, 'Do you want to go visit some colleges?' And she said, 'I'm not going to college.' I said, 'Oh, that's interesting. How are you going to look after yourself?' She said, 'Don't you worry about it. I'm going to be an actress.' "Three months later, she had that part in 'The Social Network' and hasn't looked back," he added.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A-Listers' Daughter Recalls Asking Parents for Rent: 'My Dad Cut Me Off'
With the recent chatter about nepo babies, most people assume that children of A-list stars walk into a Hollywood studio and are handed a career. Well, – yes, from that Johnson-Griffith-Hedren lineage – recently shared some stories with for ELLE UK that paint a different picture of her start. According to Johnson, it was less red carpets and more real-world struggles at the beginning of her career. Take Juilliard, for instance. Most aspiring actors would kill to get in, but Johnson had a surprisingly frank take after her audition. She described the whole thing as 'so awful and terrifying," a "two-day long chorus-line thing." And when she didn't get called back? "It was fine, I really didn't want to go to college," she admitted. Apparently, the idea of being "lock[ed] myself in one place" just didn't sit right with her, especially after a childhood full of travel and diverse experiences. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 That decision not to pursue college, solidified by the Juilliard outcome, came with a pretty immediate consequence from her father, Don Johnson. 'I didn't get in and my dad cut me off because I didn't go to college," Dakota stated. In an instant, the financial support changed. "So, I started auditioning. I think I was 19 when I did The Social Network, and then little jobs and stuff after that…' Those early years were tough. Johnson spoke about the financial strain. "For a couple of years it was hard to make money," she told Pascal during the interview. The Madame Web star spoke anxiety-inducing moments like going "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." And while she's "very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me," she was quick to add, "But it certainly was not fun.' No doubt. It seems that the independent streak showed up earlier too. Reflecting on her school days, she said, "I was bad at basic school stuff because I never learnt time management or did my homework." There was even a point where she got "kicked out of" a school theatre program because, as she put it, "I abandoned my schoolwork and started failing classes." So, after being cut off financially and navigating those lean times, she was out there pounding the pavement. Even with a famous last name, Dakota Johnson's early path involved a fair bit of grit, financial uncertainty, and figuring things out on her own terms. Definitely not the straightforward trajectory one might assume.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nepo baby Dakota Johnson talks asking parents for money and not getting into college
Last year, Dakota Johnson dubbed the scrutiny of nepo babies 'incredibly annoying and boring' but she's certainly had a leg up in the acting industry as the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. The 35-year-old Madame Web action star also grew up with Antonio Banderas as her stepfather and Tippi Hedren as her 95-year-old grandmother. Don warned all his children they'd be deprived of their allowance if they didn't attend college, so Dakota auditioned for The Juilliard School with monologues from William Shakespeare and Steve Martin. 'That f***ing process was so awful and terrifying. When you get accepted for an audition, it's a two-day long chorus-line thing. You're supposed to get called back for a second audition, and I didn't,' Johnson recalled in her ELLE UK cover story on Wednesday. 'They were like, "You don't stand a chance. But thank you, I appreciate it."' Miss Golden Globe 2006 admitted she 'really didn't want to go to college' anyway but was dismayed at the idea of being 'cut off' by the 75-year-old Miami Vice alum and admitted 'it was hard to make money.' By age 18, Dakota used her famous name to easily sign with IMG for modeling in 2006 and two years later she signed with the William Morris Agency for acting. '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,' Johnson lamented. 'I'm very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me. But it certainly was not fun. The auditioning process, as you know, is the f***ing worst.' The Independent Spirit Award winner noted that her 67-year-old mother 'was the nice one' when it came to hand-outs. Dakota also has Melanie to thank for her big-screen debut, at age nine, in Antonio's dismally-reviewed directorial debut Crazy in Alabama in 1999. Before landing her breakout role in the Fifty Shades trilogy, Johnson first caught the industry's attention as panty-clad Harvard University student Amelia in David Fincher's 2010 drama The Social Network. 'When [the nepo baby scrutiny] first started I found it to be, like, incredibly annoying and boring,' the Daddio star scoffed on TODAY last year. 'Like, if you're a journalist, write about something else. That's just, like, lame.' Dakota has been hard at work producing and starring as ghost author Lowen Ashleigh in Michael Showalter's big-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2018 novel Verity. Johnson recalled in her ELLE UK cover story on Wednesday: 'That f***ing process was so awful and terrifying. When you get accepted for an audition, it's a two-day long chorus-line thing' Dakota (2-R) also has Melanie (M) to thank for her big-screen debut, at age nine, in Antonio's dismally-reviewed directorial debut Crazy in Alabama in 1999 Before landing her breakout role in the Fifty Shades trilogy, Johnson first caught the industry's attention as panty-clad Harvard University student Amelia in David Fincher's 2010 drama The Social Network The psychological romance thriller - already scheduled to hit US theaters May 15, 2026 - will also star Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett. Audiences can next catch Johnson as matchmaker Lucy in Celine Song's love triangle rom-com Materialists, which hits US theaters June 13 and UK theaters August 15. The Texan-born beauty will also produce and star as Julie in Michael Angelo Covino's comedy Splitsville, which hits US theaters August 22.
