Although she appears to have a close relationship with her father, Don Johnson, Dakota Johnson said the actor refused to financially help her at the start of her own acting career.
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While speaking to her Materialists co-star, Pedro Pascal, for an Elle U.K. interview, Dakota recalled Don refusing to give her any money after she wasn’t accepted into the Juilliard School.
“I didn’t get in, and my dad cut me off because I didn’t go to college,” she explained. “So I started auditioning. I think I was 19 when I did The Social Network, and then little jobs and stuff after that.”
Dakota notably made her first onscreen acting debut as a child alongside her mother Melanie Griffith’s then-husband, Antonio Banderas, in the 1999 film Crazy in Alabama.
Recalling the struggles she faced after being financially cut off, Dakota said, “For a couple of years, it was hard to make money. 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.”
While her father didn’t help her, Melanie stepped in when needed. “I’m very grateful that I had parents who could help me and did help me,” Dakota said. “But it certainly was not fun. The auditioning process, as you know, is the f—ing worst.”
Dakota Johnson Has Spoken About Her Father Don Not Financially Helping Her Before
This isn’t the first time Dakota Johnson has been open about Don not financially supporting her.
During her February 2024 appearance on Today, Dakota revealed what led to her father cutting her off.
“He said, ‘If you go to college, you still get an allowance,'” she recalled. “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 shared that she started modeling to earn money for rent while pursuing her acting career. “I definitely had moments where I couldn’t afford groceries and things like that,” she pointed out. “And I needed to ask my mom to help me. She was the nice one.”
Don has also reflected on his decision to cut Dakota off. “We have a rule in the family,” he said while appearing on Late Night With Seth Meyers in 2021. “That if you stay in school, you get to stay on the payroll.”
“And she went, ‘Oh, no, I’m not going to college,'” Don continued. “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.'”