Don Johnson poses with his family, including his five kids: Jesse, Dakota, Atherton, Jasper and Deacon.Photo: Don Johnson Instagram
Don Johnsoncouldn’t be prouder of his five children.
The longtime actor first became a dad when he was dating actress Patti D’Arbanville. The couple welcomed their son Jesse Wayne in 1982 — and Johnson later told PEOPLE that he credited the newborn boy with saving his life.
In 1989, Johnson became a dad for the second time when he welcomed his first daughter withMelanie Griffith. Johnson and Griffith had been married and divorced over a decade earlier, but reconciled in 1989. Just months after the couple remarried, the actress gave birth toDakota Mayi.
While Johnson ultimately split with Griffith, he found love again with his wife, Kelley Phleger. After the couple tied the knot in 1999, they welcomed three children — Atherton Grace, Jasper Breckenridge and Deacon James. Johnson admitted that he was more relaxed with his younger children, but was just as excited about adding to the family.
“I love kids, so it’s more good times, more joy and more fun. It’s no less exciting this time than it was the first time,” Johnson shared withOK! Magazinefollowing the birth of his youngest son in 2006.
Here’s everything to know about Don Johnson’s five children: Jesse, Dakota, Atherton, Jasper and Deacon.
Jesse Wayne Johnson, 42
Don Johnson and Jesse Johnson at the premiere of ‘The Hateful Eight’.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Johnson became a dad for the first time with his then-partner Patti D’Arbanville when they welcomed their only child together, Jesse Wayne Johnson, on Dec. 7, 1982, in Los Angeles.
In the 70s, Johnson dealt with drug and alcohol addiction. The actor credited welcoming the little boy with changing his life for the better.
Johnson later went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and, 45 days later, became sober.
In a 2009 interviewwith Top Cat Films, Jesse shared that he grew up in Aspen, Colorado, where he discovered his love of the outdoors and sports like snowboarding and ice hockey. While he didn’t venture into Hollywood until adulthood, he joined his family on the red carpet occasionally.
Dakota Mayi Johnson, 35
Don Johnson and Dakota Johnson attend The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and The Hollywood Reporter party at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Johnson and then-wife Griffith welcomed their daughter, Dakota Mayi, on Oct. 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas. According to UPI, Johnson was in the Lone Star State working on his movieHot Spot,and when filming wrapped, the family returned to L.A. — although they weren’t there for long.
In 2017, Dakota toldVoguethat she didn’t have much stability in her early life as she often traveled with her actor parents around the world for months at a time. Without “an anchor” anywhere, she was “consistently unmoored and discombobulated.” By the time she was 3, she was already in therapy.
“I feel like I grew up in the circus. I know planes, trains and automobiles. And really talented, weird people,” Dakota toldAnother Magazinein 2015 about her childhood.
When she wasn’t on the road, she split time between Griffith’s L.A. home and Johnson’s Colorado ranch — and she occasionally spent time at her grandmotherTippi Hedren’s big cat sanctuary in the California desert. She finally remained in one place for a few consecutive years after enrolling at a private school in Santa Monica, California.
At 12, Dakota became interested in modeling when she took part in aTeen Voguephoto shoot with other children of celebrities, she recalled toAspen Peakmagazine in 2008. She eventually signed up with the modeling agency IMG and began working as a model while she was still in high school.
In 2006, she followed in her mother’s footsteps asMiss Golden Globe— the first second-generation child to hold the title.
Dakota made her film debut with her mother inCrazy in Alabamain 1999. While her parentsdiscouraged her from pursuing actingseriously, Dakota pushed forward and applied to Juilliard to study the art, she shared onLate Night withSeth Meyers. She wasn’t accepted into the program, and as a result Johnsonfinancially cut her off, since his stipulation for being on his “payroll” was that she was in school.
Dakota then moved to West Hollywood, California, and began auditioning. It didn’t take long to landher first big roleas Sean Parker’s one-night stand inThe Social Network.
Since skyrocketing to fame in the romantic drama, Dakota has kept a packed schedule with appearances in movies likeThe Peanut Butter Falcon,Bad Times at the El RoyaleandSuspiria. In fact, Johnson once said that he and Dakota hadn’t seen each other in a while because she was just too busy.
“She doesn’t really call me for advice. She calls me to say, ‘Gosh, I would see you, but I’ve got three pictures that I’m shooting at the same time,’ " he said onLate Night with Seth Meyersin 2021.
While Johnson may not get as much quality time with Dakota as he used to, in 2016, he toldE! Newsthat he was “super proud” of everything she had accomplished — both on and off the screen. In 2021, Johnson shared in aninterview onGood Day New Yorkthat hegave his seal of approvalto Dakota’s longtime boyfriend, Coldplay’sChris Martin, whom she began dating in 2017.
Atherton Grace Johnson, 25
Don Johnson and Grace Johnson at the “Watchmen” premiere.Frazer Harrison/Getty
Johnson and wife Kelley Phleger welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Atherton Grace, or just “Grace,” on Dec. 28, 1999.
Grace has also shown off her skills in front of the camera, signing with IMG and making her runway debut in the Christian Cowan xThe Powerpuff Girlsshow in 2019. That year, she alsoattended the Met Galawith her sister Dakota, whom she has called her “best friend.”
“My relationship with Dakota is a mix because she is not just my sister, she is my best friend. For a long time, regardless of the age difference, she has always treated me as an equal,” Grace toldGlamour Spain.
Since her runway debut, Grace has made major strides in her career, having appeared onthe cover ofBellomagazineand walked the runway inGucci’s 2021 Love Parade show. Grace was also featured in the campaign forGoop’s collaboration with Banana Republicand even made a cameo in her brother Jesse’s music video for the song “Headcase.”
Jasper Breckenridge Johnson, 22
Noel Vasquez/GC Images
Johnson and Phleger’s second child, Jasper Breckenridge, was born on June 6, 2002. Throughout his upbringing in Santa Barbara, Jasper remained private, dedicating much of his time to sports. In high school, he played basketball on the varsity team starting in his freshman year.
He told the college sportsrecruiting organization NCSAthat his parents had never missed a game. His brother Jesse was sure to catch a few as well: he captured Jaspershooting the winning basketduring a game in January 2020.
Jasper graduated from high school in 2021. Ahead of his graduation, he wrote that he hoped to pursue a business major at a four year college.
Deacon James Johnson, 18
Kelley Johnson Instagram
Like his older siblings, Deacon grew up in Santa Barbara, where he graduated from middle school in 2020, according to Phleger’sInstagram. His parents have also shared posts featuring their son playing boththe pianoandguitar.
The youngest Johnson has also followed in his older brother’s footsteps with his love of sports — he has oftenattended footballand baseball games with his dad.
In 2023, as Deacon began his senior year of high school, Phlegerposted a sweet pictureof him holding a chalkboard that declared he wants to be an astronaut “when he grows up.”
source: people.com
