‘He’s Broken My Heart’: Brendan Fraser’s Estranged Brother Accused Actor Of Refusing To Help Him When He Was Broke & Homeless Years Before ‘The Whale’ Success
Jan. 6 2023, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Oscar hopeful Brendan Fraser has been riding high with his career resurgence after a critically acclaimed performance in The Whale — but years before the actor was haunted by family drama including a homeless brother who said the A-list star refused to help him, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Fraser’s estranged brother Regan spoke out in 1999 as the actor was riding high on the success of The Mummy.
In an interview, Regan said he was homeless while his brother was making millions. “I’ve hit rock bottom and my brother is a superstar, yet he acts like I’m not even alive,” Regan said at the time.
“I don’t have enough money to buy food and I sleep on park benches in the seediest part of Hollywood while Brendan is living like a king only a few miles away,” he said. “I never thought Brendan would turn his back on his own flesh and blood. But that’s just what he’s done — and he’s broken my heart.”
Regan, the third of four children, grew up in Canada and Europe with Brendan and said “since we were kids Brendan and I were best friends. We did everything together.”
“And no one was prouder of Brendan when he made a name for himself as a Hollywood star,” he said. “But the more successful Brendan became, the more my family looked down on me for not being more like him — especially my father. I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in psychology and a minor in French. Still my father compared my success to Brendan’s.”
Regan said, “My father and I have never seen eye to eye. One fight with Dad got so out of control, my parents brought a restraining order against me so I can’t see them anymore.”
“Another altercation with a former landlord and her daughter also resulted in a restraining order and a criminal telephone harassment charge. I spent almost three weeks in jail for it,” he revealed.
“As Brendan’s popularity grew and he became a bigger star, he grew more and more distant from me,” he said. “Then he cut ties with me completely. I guess he was embarrassed or ashamed. Maybe he thought I couldn’t hold my own with his new, rich Hollywood pals.”
The final blow came when Regan wasn’t invited to Brendan’s wedding to his first wife Afton Smith. At the time, Regan said he had reached out to Brendan’s agent to try and reconnect. “But I never heard back,” he said.
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“These days I sleep wherever I can find a place to lay my head. And whenever I see a shiny stretch limousine in Hollywood, I can’t help but wonder if Brendan is sitting behind the tinted glass laughing at me.”
The two appear to still be estranged. Regan tweeted in December 2022, “Today is my brother Brendan's birthday. Somewhere if he reads this, I'll bet he's glad I almost forgot...at this age. Forever younger and youngest of his brothers. Happy birthday, Bren. Only 40-something more till 100th!”
