Viewers may think they know Owen Wilson from his charming onscreen persona, but not everything is as it seems on the big screen. The “Butterscotch Stallion” (as he’s famously dubbed) has come under fire in recently or his more controversial side. His personal life has been heavily criticized by fans, especially his alleged womanizing ways, which have seen him father three children with different ex-girlfriends — including a daughter he has been accused of not wanting.
The harsh spotlight is nothing new for the “Gold Rush” actor, who has seemingly despised the paparazzi since early on in his career. It may be why he bought a $8 million home on the island of Maui in 2009,so he can escape to his paradise oasis whenever the limelight takes its toll. But when the going gets tough — does Wilson get going? The critically acclaimed actor has been known to bail on interviews and avoid any talk about his private life, which leads to speculation that there’s more to uncover (good or bad remains to be seen) about the movie star.
Of course, we would like to believe that the same character that had viewers reaching for tissues in “Marley & Me” is the same man taking mystery women on dates to Erewhon Market. But the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Here’s a look at the lesser-known, shady side of Owen Wilson.
Owen Wilson was accused of appropriating Steely Dan’s music
Owen Wilson usually plays happy-go-lucky characters in romantic comedies, but one particular role he played seemed to rock the boat more than others. In 2006, the “Marry Me” star was the subject of a seemingly tongue-in-cheek open-letter by the rock band Steely Dan, which called him out for allegedly appropriating their music.
At the time, Wilson was the star of the 2006 film “You, Me, and Dupree,” a romantic comedy about a newly married couple whose best man (played by Wilson) becomes an unwelcome roommate. After its premiere, Steely Dan’s members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker accused the actor of stealing the movie idea from their Grammy-winning track “Cousin Dupree.” In their cheeky 10-page letter, addressed to Wilson’s brother Luke, the rockers demanded Wilson apologize, explaining their theory. “What we suspect may have happened is this: some hack writer or producer or whatever they call themselves in Malibu or Los Feliz apparently heard our Grammy-winning song ‘Cousin Dupree’ on the radio and thought, ‘Hey, man, this is a cool idea for a character in a movie or something,'” they wrote in the letter (per UPROXX).
The “Wedding Crashers” star responded to their sarcastic letter with his dose of comedy. “I have never heard the song ‘Cousin Dupree’ and I don’t even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is,” he stated at the time. “I hope this helps to clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie, ‘HEY 19,'” he added, referencing Steely Dan’s song “Hey Nineteen.”
Reports speculated that his alleged drug use led to his breakup with Kate Hudson
Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson’s love story was full of twists and turns, often leaving more questions than answers due to their decision to remain private about their relationships. Much has been speculated about why the pair ultimately called it quits, with many pointing to Owen Wilson’s alleged drug use as a catalyst in what seemed to be a painful breakup.
Wilson and Hudson first met on the set of “You, Me, and Dupree” in 2006, when the blonde bombshell was still married to her then-husband Chris Robinson. That relationship fell apart by the time the film premiered, around the same time Wilson and she began dating (she has previously denied all rumors of an affair). What followed was a three-year relationship filled with breakups and reconciliations, including a suicide attempt by Wilson in 2007, around the same time he split with Hudson (he has denied it had anything to do with her).
Around the same time he was juggling his on-again-off-again relationship with Hudson, the “Father Figures” star was battling reports that he had an addiction to heroin and cocaine. According to the New York Post, an insider claimed he had moved to Maui specifically to seek help for his problem, and his friend Woody Harrelson attempted an intervention at his island mansion. “Owen went to Maui, Hawaii, to kick his habit,” the source revealed. “He was like a baby on that couch.” Hudson and Wilson ultimately split for a final time in 2009 after briefly reconciling in 2008.
He allegedly ‘charged’ at a photographer for taking his photo
Owen Wilson has a reputation for not being the biggest fan of the paparazzi and keeps his private life private. The actor seemingly took things to a new level in 2008, when he allegedly got into a physical altercation with a photographer at an event in South Beach, Miami.
According to Page Six, Wilson caused quite a commotion while attending the Patrón Highcroft Racing party at the Shore Club in 2008. Blame it on the alcohol or simply his boisterous antics, but a witness told the publication that “There were 150 people who watched Wilson jump across the pool, making a complete a** of himself.” Photographer Manny Hernandez snapped shots of Wilson in action, which supposedly led the actor to lose his cool. Demanding that Hernandez “erase those photos right now,” the photographer claimed Wilson “charged at me and started screaming at me hysterically.”
Hernandez says he agreed to delete the photographs, but Wilson’s camp has a different story. “He was invited to the event and was promised there would be no media there. He didn’t yell at anybody,” the actor’s representative told the publication at the time.
Wilson stormed out of a USA Today interview
Owen Wilson shocked the world after news of his suicide attempt was made public in 2007. While it was widely speculated that drugs and alcohol led to the incident, the actor has never publicly spoken about the difficult time. He did, however, credit his brother Andrew for getting him back on his feet. His first project following the ordeal was the heartfelt film “Marley & Me,” which premiered in 2009, following a couple’s journey with their beloved labrador Marley. But the buzz about the movie was sometimes overshadowed by Wilson’s return to the spotlight, resulting in Wilson’s reluctance to answer certain questions and a particularly infamous USA Today interview in which he stormed out.
A transcript from the interview posted by Gawker Archives features the tense moment in which the journalist hinted at the star’s suicide attempt. After a few less-invasive questions, the interviewer asks him, “And what about your dogs? Do they help you get through the difficult times?” Wilson stormed out of the room, leaving his co-star Jennifer Aniston to answer. “You’re talking about the stupid stuff? Yes,” said Aniston. When he re-entered the room and the question was repeated, the “Friends” actor confirmed, “They do help,” to which Wilson added, “Yeah. That sounded nice.”
He was sued by a photographer over an alleged assault
Owen Wilson’s troubles with the paparazzi didn’t end with his alleged scuffle in Miami in 2008. Two years later, the “Bliss” star was catching heat yet again, but this time alongside his brother Andrew.
In 2010, Andrew and Owen were sued by photographer Clint Brewer for $500,000. Brewer alleged he was attacked by Owen at Santa Monica’s Pico Boulevard in December 2008 while Andrew witnessed the incident. There’s no word on what may have led to the controversy, but Brewer told TMZ that he “was walking up the stairs and was pushed in the back by [Owen].” The photographer sought damages due to “permanent bodily injuries.” As of the time of writing, there’s no word on if the case was settled.
The “Masterminds” star has a reputation for hating having his picture taken, which hasn’t seemed to ease off over the years. In 2013, he was captured at LAX Airport supposedly calling the TSA on pesky photographers ahead of boarding a flight, according to this YouTube video.
He missed his newborn son’s christening
Owen Wilson had better things to do than attend his first child’s christening, or so it seems. The “Zoolander” actor welcomed his son Ford in January 2011 with his then-girlfriend Jade Duell, whom he dated for about a year and a half before they split in June of 2011.
It was around the same time as their split that Wilson skipped out on Ford’s christening, which the tabloids quickly picked up on. “Owen had every intention of being there, but when it came time to board his flight at Los Angeles Airport, he couldn’t do it,” an insider told the National Inquirer (via Irish Examiner). “He left the airport and drove around Santa Monica for hours.”
Little is known about Wilson and Duell’s relationship, with sources claiming the two called it off because he wasn’t able to commit. “Owen wanted the freedom to do what he wanted with his friends, both male and female, while remaining a family unit with Jade and the baby,” a source close to the star told the publication. “But Jade wasn’t willing to go along with that, so Owen decided to end things with her.”
Wilson’s one-liner in a film led to a lawsuit
Owen Wilson may be famous for his signature “wow” catchphrase, but not all his lines had people laughing. In 2012, the star was the catalyst for a lawsuit between Sony Pictures and Faulkner Literary Rights LLC after the plaintiff accused the production company of copyright infringement regarding one of Wilson’s lines in the 2011 film “Midnight in Paris.”
In the film, Wilson utters a line referencing the famous American writer William Faulkner, saying, “The past is not dead! Actually, it’s not even past. You know who said that? Faulkner. And he was right. And I met him, too. I ran into him at a dinner party.” The original line by Faulkner is an excerpt from his novel “Requiem for a Nun” in which he wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Faulkner Literary Rights LLC sued Sony Pictures for not obtaining the rights to use the quote and asking for unspecified damages.
Sony Pictures hit back with their statement, saying (per The Hollywood Reporter), “There is no question this brief reference (10 words) to a quote from a public speech Faulkner gave constitutes fair use and any claim to the contrary is without merit.” Ultimately, Sony Pictures won the lawsuit in 2013, with U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mills agreeing with the defendants that the referencing of the quote was valid under the “fair use” clause. In any case, it doesn’t seem like Wilson will be uttering any more Faulkner without giving it a second thought.
Wilson has never met his youngest daughter (and doesn’t want to)
In addition to Owen Wilson’s son Ford, he has two other children with former girlfriends. The actor’s family tree includes a son named Finn, who he welcomed with Caroline Lindquist in 2013, and a daughter named Lyla, who his former partner Varunie Vongsvirates gave birth to in 2018. While he’s been active in Ford and Finn’s lives, the same can’t be said for his only daughter, who he’s received backlash over never having met her.
Vongsvirates and Wilson dated for four years, but their relationship reportedly turned sour after she found out she was expecting. “When Varunie told Owen she was pregnant, he was not happy about it, and that was the last time they ever spoke,” an insider told RadarOnline. After Lyla was born, court documents obtained by the publication show the mother received full custody, and Wilson elected for zero visitation rights. This decision came after the movie star opted to take a paternity test to prove he was the child’s father. Fast forward to 2024, and the actor has yet to meet Lyla and doesn’t show any desire to do so in the future.
His ex called him out for ‘ironic’ behavior
Owen Wilson’s ex-girlfriend is speaking out on their daughter’s behalf, raising eyebrows for many of his fans. Varunie Vongsvirates spoke to the Daily Mail in 2021 regarding the status of the actor’s relationship with Lyla, which the mother says is nonexistent.
“He has never met her, unfortunately,” Vongsvirates told the publication at the time, adding that he does contribute financially, but “it’s never been about that.” RadarOnline previously reported that the star was ordered to pay child support in the form of $25,000 monthly plus an additional one-time payment of $70,000. Money doesn’t solve all problems, however, especially for the new mother, who wishes the “Hall Pass” star would be a present in their daughter’s life. “Lyla needs a father. It’s ironic how [Owen] keeps getting these father roles, he’s playing a father in his new movie, and he’s never met his own daughter,” she stated.
Vongsvirates continues to celebrating milestones with her daughter as a single parent, posting many photos of Lyla to her public Instagram account. “Happy birthday to my sweet girl! #4 #happybirthday,” she wrote in a 2022 post. It opened up a forum for Wilson haters, who are calling out the actor for not assuming his role as a father. “How can Owen Wilson not care about her at all??” wrote one disgruntled user. As of the time of writing, the “French Dispatch” star has yet to publicly comment about his daughter.
He called Marvel Studios ‘so uptight’
Owen Wilson’s big mouth may have gotten the best of him when oversharied about the Marvel television series “Loki.” According to Wilson, the franchise got onto him about revealing too much about the show in the press.
The actor plays one of the main characters, Agent Mobius, in the series, which features villain Loki (also known as the God of Mischief) continuing to wreak havoc following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Mobius works directly with Loki as an agent for the Time Variance Authority and helps ensure Loki’s safety throughout the show.
Wilson spoke to ComicBook.com ahead of Season 2 but couldn’t spill too many details. “Well, I do think that… you know, we’ll see what happens with this one,” he responded when asked for more details on the Disney+ show. “I immediately get kind of self-conscious because they’re so kind of uptight.” The “Paint” star revealed Marvel had warned him about speaking in the media, and when asked whether the franchise had “scolded” him for spoiling too much, he responded, “Yeah, multiple times.”
Wilson shaded Jason Sudekis’ eating habits
Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson developed a fast friendship after starring alongside one another in the 2011 comedy “Hall Pass.” Their bromance meant that all bets were off the table when it came to certain shady comments — something Sudeikis had to learn the hard way.
In an interview with Hot Ones, the “Horrible Bosses” star recalled Wilson’s comment during filming. While the co-stars shot a scene that required them to eat wings at a sports bar, Sudeikis remembered, “At some point, I’m eating them, and he’s just like, ‘Gosh, so you’ll just put anything in your body, huh?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ He goes, ‘I’d be so curious what you look like if you actually worked out and took care of yourself.'”
Sudeikis had a good laugh about the remark, and there seemed to be no bad blood between the co-stars. It also prompted a wickedly good impression of Wilson by his co-star, which is shockingly accurate. Either way, what was Sudeikis’ first studio film came with the perfect ice-breaker.
