How Raquel Welch's fame 'took toll' on children Damon and Tahnee after star admitted 'not being ther

Publish date: 2024-05-05

RAQUEL Welch had discussed how she had a difficult relationship with her children due to her fame.

The actress died at 82 on February 15 following a "brief illness," her manager Steve Sauer confirmed.

The sixties sex symbol rose to fame from her roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C.

The height of her fame saw her win a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her performance in The Three Musketeers (1973).

Welch is survived by her two children, Tahnee, 61, and Damon Welch, 63.

The movie star had her children in her first marriage to James Welch, which lasted from 1959 to 1664.

Read More on raquel welch

She was also married to Patrick Curtis, Andre Weinfeld, and Robert Palmer.

Raquel previously discussed how fame and motherhood clashed.

Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said that her career "took a toll" on her children.

"When I'm running around the world being Miss Sex Symbol and having this big career in film and everything and I'm running from place to place, I couldn't always be with my children when I wanted to be," she said.

Most read in Celebrity

"Eventually, I could see that this was taking its toll on my kids, and it used to just break my heart."

She also discussed how she struggled with her life of fame even while at home with her children.

She said that when she signed some birthday cards, she'd automatically write "Raquel" instead of "Mom" due to the number of autographs she was used to signing.

Raquel noted how she was "often preoccupied" when it came to her children.

"I felt loving toward them and I would tuck them in and I would soothe them, but it wasn't the same as being there for them as a mother 24/7," she added.

Damon was born in San Diego, California in 1959 and starred alongside his mother and sister in the 1971 movie The Beloved.

Tahnee was born in 1961 and inherited her mother's stunning looks and became a successful model for Vogue, Italian Vogue, British GQ, and Playboy.

She was also in a number of movies including Sleeping Beauty (1987), Cocoon (1985), Improper conduct (1994), and the soap opera Falcon Crest from 1987 to 1998.

Raquel, who was named one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History, told Oprah how she fixed her relationship with her children.

She said: "I just started out realizing that I really needed to swim out to the wave.

"I needed to take a lot more initiative and just keep letting them know that I wanted to be there in their lives with them, that I had something I could offer to them.

"Little by little, the disappointment or the lack of confidence they had in me melted away."

A number of celebrities have taken to social media to pay their respects to Raquel and her family.

Reese Witherspoon, who worked with Welch in Legally Blonde, tweeted a tribute to the film star.

She said: "So sad to hear about Raquel Welch's passing. I loved working with her on Legally Blonde.

Read More on The US Sun

"She was elegant, professional, and glamorous beyond belief.

"Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home. Sending love to her family and her many fans."

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEZqqupl6YvK57xKernqqklravucSnq2hvZGaAdn2TaJ%2Bor12nrrLBxKVksJ2cmLW0ecWapJ5lpKS8rHnTqKOlZZ%2BjeqS0yKWbq52eYrGiuc6nZJqmlGLBorTNnpxo