Kieran Culkin Opens Up About The Tragic Death Of His Sister

The Culkin family saw their world turned upside down in 2008. Dakota Culkin, the sister of Macauley, Kieran, Rory, Quinn, Christian, Shane, and half-sister Jennifer Culkin, died at the age of 29 on December 10 after being hit by a car in Los Angeles, as the Daily Mail reported at the time. Police determined that the driver did not commit a crime because they provided aid and were not under the influence. The family remained private about Dakota's death, with Macauley simply releasing a statement at the time in which he expressed that his sister's death was a "terrible tragic accident."

Dakota, or Cody, as she was affectionately known, continues to live in her siblings' hearts. In an October interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kieran shared that Cody had no interest in acting, even though her father continuously pushed all of the siblings to act. He also said she was not shy, despite not wanting to be in the spotlight, and had a special sense of humor. "Cody was funny, man. She was the funniest person in the family for sure and had a really dark sense of humor," the "Succession" star said. His brother, Macauley, honored his sister in April when he and Brenda Song quietly welcomed their first child, a son named Dakota, per TODAY.

Nearly 13 years after Cody's death, the Culkins still struggle with the loss in their own unique ways. In fact, Kieran opened up about her death in his interview with THR. This is what he said. 

Kieran Culkin described the death of Dakota Culkin as the "the worst thing that's ever happened" to him in his October interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "There's no sugarcoating that one," he bluntly said. "I still weep about it out of nowhere. Something funny she did will pop in the head and make me laugh, and then I'm weeping. Sometimes it's knowing that she's not going to meet my kids and they don't get to have her, and it's hard to describe what she was like," Kieran said, who has two children with wife, Jazz Charton.

Kieran continues to draw inspiration from Dakota, which comes up naturally in his portrayal of Roman Roy in "Succession," especially in scenes that involve Shiv, his on-screen sister played by Sarah Snook. In one, Kieran says "Dur-dur-dur-dur-durrr" while making a face. "That's just Cody's move," he told the publication.

Macauley still struggles to talk about his sister. Back in 2020, he hesitated while speaking with Esquire about losing Cody. He remembered the last conversation he had with her, shorty before she died. Cody had just seen "Party Monster" with a roommate and wanted to compliment Macauley. "She said, 'I want you to stay focused and enthused,'" Macauley recalled. "And then she went out to go get some Gatorade and cigarettes, and she got hit by a car."