Who Exactly Are Leonardo DiCaprio’s TWO mothers?
He’s usually seen in public with a supermodel on his arm.
But two women who have always been at his side at awards do’s are his two mothers.
The actor took his biological mum and stepmother to the Oscars.
But who are his main leading ladies?
Irmelin Indebbirken
DiCaprio and Irmelin at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony and the actor, above, as a child. Pictures: Getty Images
DiCaprio’s biological mother gave birth to the actor in Hollywood, California.
He’s the only child of Irmelin, a German-born legal secretary whose husband and DiCaprio’s father was half German/half Italian George DiCaprio.
George was an underground comics book artist and distributor.
Irmelin, 73, met DiCaprio’s father at college and they named their son Leonardo after artist Leonardo da Vinci because DiCaprio’s mum first felt him kick inside her womb while looking at one of the Renaissance artist’s paintings on holiday in Italy.
Irmelin divorced George when her only son was a year old, and brought him up as a hard-working single parent.
DiCaprio and Irmelin moved between LA neighbourhoods including Echo Park and Los Feliz while Irmelin worked several jobs to support them.
The actor is still close to his father George, with the pair photographed here at a climate change talk. Picture: Getty Images
DiCaprio has spoken before about how his LA homes were drug-riddled areas where he saw junkies taking crack.
The actor once said: “I try to tell my godson, who lives close to that area, what it was like, how there used to be a major prostitution ring on my street corner, crime and violence everywhere. It really was like Taxi Driver in a lot of ways… I grew up very poor and I got to see the other side of the spectrum.”
DiCaprio, whose estimated worth of £160million is set to soar further after he was awarded a best actor Oscar on Sunday for his part in The Revenant as relentless trapper Hugh Glass, thanked his parents during the speech.
DiCaprio dedicating his Bafta award to Iremlin on February 14. Picture: REX Features
It follows a speech at the Baftas where he also thanked Irmelin, saying on stage in London on February 14: “I would not be standing up here if it wasn’t for this person. I didn’t grow up in a life of privilege, I grew up in a very rough neighbourhood in east Los Angeles.
“This woman drove me three hours a day to a different school to show me a different opportunity. It’s her birthday today. Mom, happy birthday. I love you very much.”
Peggy DiCaprio
DiCaprio boozing with stepmother Peggy before she became a Sikh, below. Pictures: REX Features
DiCaprio’s stepmother was the woman his father married after divorcing Irmelin.
But DiCaprio remained close to George, now 72, and he is also often seen at the awards events and premieres with his actor son.
Peggy already had a son Adam when she married George.
DiCaprio and Adam were inseparable friends as children but grew apart when the actor’s career took off in the late-’90s following the hysteria over Titanic.
DiCaprio’s stepmother is unmissable when he takes her to awards – she wears a turban and traditional Indian dress as part of her Sikh religion, to which she converted.
