April 2013: Tallulah Hoffman, Willa Hoffman, Philip Seymour Hoffman partner Mimi O'Donnell http://t.co/vkWIqeCMsL pic.twitter.com/lJlINOrk7v
— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) February 2, 2014
Although the world lost a great actor, the people who will feel the void of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death most are his three small children, Cooper, 10, Tallulah, 7, and Willa, 5.
Here’s what we know about Hoffman’s kids and his relationship with them.
1. Their Mom Is Costume Designer Mimi O’Donnell
Phillip Seymour Hoffmans girlfriend?” width=”640″ height=”360″ class=”size-full wp-image-519417″ /> (Getty)[/caption]
Hoffman met his future partner Mimi O’Donnell in 1999 while he was directing the play In Arabia We’d All Be Kings.
In 2007, he told People about balancing his personal life.
It’s hard for anybody who works a lot and has children. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. When you become a parent, you look at your parents differently. You look at being a child differently. It’s an awakening, a revelation that you have.
2. Their Dad Had Plans With Them the Day He Died
RIP #PhilipSeymourHoffman his poor kids pic.twitter.com/t3dGYr19LV
— obamadailywire™ (@obamadailywire) February 2, 2014
According to Us Weekly, his family and friends got worried when he didn’t show up to pick up his children from O’Donnell. A source told the magazine that he was supposed to watch the Super Bowl with his son.
The Daily Mail reported that the children were waiting in a playground with their mom a block away from Seymour’s house.
3. They Attend Public School in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village
Yeah America lost a great actor, but more important 3 kids lost a dad. #rip #PhilipSeymourHoffman pic.twitter.com/0B2b7L0JFQ
— Codi Patterson (@CodiPatterson) February 3, 2014
CNN’s Rose Arce, whose daughter attended school with his children, said,
He’d go quietly about his business with his children. I still remember the day he won the Oscar, him walking his kids to school, not long after. And people were giving him high fives.
4. Hoffman Kept His Family Out of the Spotlight
Mimi O’Donnell And Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Three Young Children Devastated By His Death – http://t.co/VUC0cNTVgp pic.twitter.com/54u3K6NYrp
— RedneckRealityCheck (@RedneckReality) February 3, 2014
In an interview with the Independent, he explained his choice of not speaking about his personal life to the media:
Somebody wanted me to talk about my personal life. Talking about my personal life to a journalist is risky? It doesn’t make any sense. That’s just a choice. There’s nothing risky in talking about your personal life. People do it all the time. That’s not about risk. It’s just about somebody wanting to talk about their personal life to the press. I’d rather not because my family doesn’t have any choice. If I talk about them in the press, I’m giving them no choice. So I choose not to.
In 2008, he did tell the New York Times that parenting tired him out because of his busy work schedule.
“It’s three kids now and I’m very tired. I’m a little lost in my brain,” he said.
5. He Would Bring His Kids for Ice Cream at Chocolate Bar in NYC
Our thoughts are w/ Phil Seymour Hoffman's family & children. We're completely shattered, utterly devastated & will miss seeing him everyday
— Chocolate Bar (@chocolatebarnyc) February 2, 2014
Kate St. Cyr, the assistant manager at Chocolate Bar in NYC’s West Village, fondly remembered Hoffman coming in with all three kids for ice cream. She told DNAinfo that their favorite flavor was peanut butter swirl, and spoke about their tight-knit relationship:
He seemed to have a really great relationship with his kids. That’s, I think, what’s upsetting most of us. We feel really sad for his kids.
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Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Kids: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know