Kieran Culkin Talks Grieving Sister Dakota 16 Years Later

Kieran Culkin continues to grapple with the loss of his sister Dakota, more than a decade after her tragic death. In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the actor opened up about his ongoing mourning, reflecting on the deep bond he shared with his siblings while growing up in a small apartment in New York City.

Culkin shared memories of his childhood, explaining that he and his six siblings grew up in a tight-knit environment, where they developed a "little wolf-pack mentality." He recalled how he used to make sure all his siblings were inside before he went in himself, adding, "I couldn’t fall asleep until they all fell asleep. I only existed because they did around me." This close connection made Dakota's passing even harder to bear.

"Losing one of my favorite people in the world doesn’t get easier," Culkin admitted. "But you get used to it." His sister, Dakota “Cody” Culkin, tragically passed away in December 2008 at the age of 29, when she was struck by a car while crossing Lincoln Boulevard in Marina del Rey, California.

While working on Succession, the hit HBO series that earned him his first Emmy, Culkin found that his character, Roman Roy, sometimes reflected aspects of his sister's personality. "Roman does things that reminded me of my sister. That’s her sense of humor," he said. "She had this unique ability to find just the right thing to make fun of you in a way that would make everyone laugh, but also get under your skin."

Culkin comes from a family of seven children, born to Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentrup, including Macaulay Culkin and his siblings Rory, Quinn, Shane, and Christian Culkin. Macaulay has also found ways to honor their sister’s memory. When he had his first child with Brenda Song in 2021, they named their son Dakota, in tribute to her.

For Kieran, the most painful part of the loss is knowing that his children, Kinsey and Wilder, will never meet their late aunt. "It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened, and there’s no sugarcoating that," Culkin said. "I still weep about it out of nowhere. Sometimes something funny she did will pop into my head and make me laugh, and then I’m weeping. It’s hard knowing my kids won’t get to have her in their lives."