Many celebrity’s relationships with their children crumble because of their often busy, globe-trotting schedules. But in some cases, parents and children eventually reconcile, like the reconnection of Lily Collins and her father Phil Collins, and Rob Schneider and his daughter Elle King.
Other relationships are not as lucky. Tom Cruise has not seen his daughter Suri in six years, Dr. Dre has not seen his daughter in 17 years, Owen Wilson does not even want to acknowledge his daughter’s existence, and we all know what kind of relationship Meghan Markle has with her father.
But sometimes there are circumstances where some celebrities have to walk away from their children altogether. After Floyd Mayweather’s daughter was arrested, fans think he has disowned her. However, The Matrix‘s Laurence Fishburne has the boxer, and everyone, else beat.
His relationship with his daughter, Montana Fishburne, is complicated beyond words. Ultimately, he could only show her the door. She’s the one that had to walk through it.
Montana Fishburne has worked hard to turn her life around. After several run-ins with the law, treatment at a rehab facility, and working out her sentences, Montana is now focused on fitness, specifically yoga. She shares her flows, exercises, and poses with her followers on Instagram on a regular basis. While it has not been explicitly publicized, it seems as though she and her father have reconciled.
Montana’s Choice In Careers Put A Wedge Between Her And Her Father
The Oscar-nominated actor married his first wife, actress Hajna O. Moss, in 1995. They had two children together, Langston, born in 1987, and Montana, born in 1991 when Fishburne starred in Boyz n the Hood. After divorcing Moss in the ’90s, Fishburne married actress Gina Torres in 2002. They had their daughter Delilah in 2007.
Montana told Reuters that she had a typical celebrity childhood growing up with a famous father.
“It was traditionally unconventional,” she said in 2010. “I’ve had divorced parents since I was 2, and my dad was a really famous actor, so it was as conventional as it could be. We had the best of the best: private schools, traveling all over the world. I’ve had a happy life.”
Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, though, made Montana realize her dream: becoming a porn star. She announced her intentions of going into the porn industry when she was just 18 years old, and it shocked many.
Montana told People in 2010, “Being in an adult film is not a big deal to me. It’s something I always wanted to do. I have always been comfortable in my body and with my sexuality.” This was not a way for her to get into Hollywood acting like her father, however. She only wanted to do porn.
When her first adult film was released through Vivid Entertainment, she told Reuters how she got into the industry. “I’ve been aware of the industry for four years. After I turned 18, I started to seriously think about the best way for me to enter [the business]. I was impressed with Kim Kardashian’s success after her tape was released by Vivid and decided to call the company to see if I could arrange a meeting. I met with [founder and co-chairman] Steven Hirsch and convinced him that I knew what I wanted, and we planned my movie debut.”
At the time, she didn’t think going into the adult film industry would negatively impact her future. But things became rocky when reports surfaced that Montana had been arrested for prostitution the year before she announced her porn career. GossipCop wrote she was “charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor to which she pleaded no contest. Montana was sentenced to two years of probation and 15 days in jail, which she managed to avoid by doing community service.”
Laurence Fishburne Was Not Happy At All
Montana didn’t approach her parents before getting into the adult film industry. She’d moved out of her father’s home already, so she didn’t need approval.
“I had already filmed it by the time they knew so I didn’t give them a chance to talk me out of it,” Montana told People, “so I could pursue what I want to do without being constrained by them.”
Fishburne was obviously devastated when the news broke that his baby girl had become a porn star. “I hear through relatives that he’s upset but I haven’t talked to him directly for him to tell me his feelings,” Montana said at the time. When she did tell him, she was met with his stunned silence. “I hope it’s not hurting him. It wasn’t done to hurt him. But I think it will take time and talking through the issues. Eventually, I hope he will be proud of me.”
However, Montana told Reuters that Fishburne said he was embarrassed by her. Her father’s associate reportedly tried to buy all the videos of Montana Fishburne to stop it from being released.
To that, Montana said, “Yes, they were trying to stop it from being released, but the videos had already been shipped out. I understand that they were just trying to look out for my father, but I was happy it wasn’t done.”
As for reconciling with Fishburne, she said, “Until he respects me and accepts me for who I am, I don’t think we will have much of a relationship.”
“For him, it’s his reputation, because we are linked together…I understand that,” Montana told E! News. “It’s hard for any dad to see their daughter on tape like that. I understand, but at the same time I want him to understand that this is my dream.”
Fishburne gave her some tough love though telling his daughter, “I’m not going to speak with you till you turn your life around.”
Montana didn’t stay in porn for long. She left the industry a couple of years later and became a dancer at a Texas strip club. She made headlines again when she was arrested for a DUI in 2017, however. Post-rehab, it looks like she’s reconfiguring her life. She might even be repairing things with Fishburne, considering she posted about him believing in her. This goes to show that no matter how deep Montana fell down the rabbit hole, her own Morpheus would help her out.
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