Rowan Atkinson’s daughter issues rare public statement on ‘darkest days’ of parents’ divorce: ‘so much chaos and loneliness’
Rowan Atkinson‘s daughter Lily Sastry has spoken out for the first time about her parents’ divorce, revealing how the split plunged her into “darkness and chaos”.
The 30-year-old artist has opened up about the emotional impact of the 2015 breakup between her Mr Bean star father and her mother Sunetra Sastry.
In a candid social media post, Lily described the struggles she faced during her twenties as she tried to navigate life with a “broken family”.
The rarely-seen daughter of the comedy icon admitted she felt “lost” for years following her parents’ separation after their 24-year marriage ended.
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Rowan Atkinson, 70, separated from Lily’s mother, former BBC make-up artist Sunetra Sastry, 67, in 2015 after 24 years of marriage.
Sunetra was granted a “quickie” divorce on the grounds of Rowan’s “unreasonable behaviour”, with the actor not present at the central London divorce hearing.
The couple had been living apart for 18 months before the divorce was finalised.
In her candid post, Lily wrote: “I went through so much chaos and loneliness in my twenties. Now I am 30, I can see clearly where I was at and what was happening inside me during the darkest days.”
She continued: “I was so lost, and only really started to feel vaguely normal in my late twenties. I have always been trapped between worlds; do not belong here, but also don’t belong there.”
The artist described the challenge of finding her identity amidst personal turmoil.
“It’s hard to find out who you are in the midst of no friends, a broken family, and no idea how to navigate making music and trying to understand the world,” she revealed.
Lily changed her surname from Atkinson to her mother’s maiden name, Sastry, in 2017, which fuelled rumours of a possible rift between father and daughter.
In her early twenties, she tried her hand at burlesque dancing before moving onto singing, which her father reportedly backed financially.
She also ventured into acting, appearing in her father’s films Johnny English Reborn and Mr Bean’s Holiday.
Lily, who lives in London, is now a professional artist and had her debut exhibition at a small independent gallery in the capital last December.
Lily revealed that art became her salvation during these difficult years following her parents’ split.
“Art was my guiding light. The thing that made all the suffering worth it; as I was working towards a goal, a dream,” she shared.
She admitted the journey to self-discovery has been challenging.
“It has taken me years to figure out my life and who I am, as well as become the best person I can be,” Lily wrote.
She added: “I have made countless mistakes, and been hurt, lost, and alone many a time.”