'I Have To Be The Best Me' — Brenda Song Shares Rare Insights Into Her Life With Macaulay Culkin & Son Dakota

Feb 03, 2022

In January 2022, it was announced that Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song got engaged. Song, 33, was spotted wearing an engagement ring in Beverly Hills earlier that month. Nine months before, the couple welcomed their first child, a boy named Dakota. 

Culkin, 41, is most famous for his role as Kevin McCallister in the blockbuster Hollywood film "Home Alone." As a child, Culkin already had two "Home Alone" movies under his belt, and he starred in 15 films in just a mere seven years. The Hollywood cutie was a busy, successful actor from such a young age. Eventually, Culkin went on to pursue other passion projects, such as singing in a rock band. More recently, he returned as his “Home Alone” character Kevin for a Google assistant advertisement. 

Much like Culkin, Brenda Song also started her career as a child actress and is known for her roles on the Disney Channel. She starred on shows such as "Get a Clue," "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." Song and Culkin have been dating since 2017, and the couple met while working on set together. The duo were co-stars in the 2019 film "Changeland." Now that Culkin is no longer the kid we all remember on-screen — but instead a grown adult at the age of 41 years old — he has started his own family with Song, who is 33 years old.

Culkin is known to us as one of the greatest child actors of the 1990s, and perhaps his own child will follow in his footsteps, but for now, it's certainly too soon to tell. Read on to learn more about Culkin and Song’s little family and what the new mom’s day looks like now that their son is here.

According to Esquire, Song and Culkin officially received their newborn bundle of joy on Monday, April 5, at 1:10 p.m. in Los Angeles, California. The couple has decided to expand their pre-existing family, consisting of a few fish, a blue-headed parrot, a Shiba Inu and their three cats, with the addition of their very own son. 

Their baby, Dakota Song Culkin, was born healthy and weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Culkin and Song decided to name their son after Culkin's late sister Dakota, who passed away in 2008. The only statement Song and Culkin released to Esquire after the birth was, "We’re overjoyed.”

In a previous interview with Esquire, Song spoke highly of her partner Culkin. She said: "You can’t be around him and not be happy."

The elated couple seems to have always had a steady and loving relationship. Esquire writer Ryan D'Agostino wrote that Culkin emphasized the quality relationship he and Brenda had from the very beginning, despite the many doubts Culkin had. The "Home Alone" star said of his relationship with Song:

"I was waiting for the other shoe to drop," but then Culkin eventually realized, "No—sometimes it’s just good."

The couple met in Thailand, working on the set of the film "Changeland," which was directed by Culkin's friend Seth Green. The two got together and eventually moved in together. According to Esquire, Culkin painted a "yellow brick road" leading to the pair's front door, and Song even bakes bread. Now, the pair are engaged and have a beautiful family to call their own. 

In a rare interview, Song opened up about what a day in her life is like. The actress is currently working on the TV series “Dollface” but spends a lot of time with Dakota. “My routine looked very different nine months ago. Now it revolves around my son. I wake up, get him out of his crib, change him, get our breakfast ready, and drink my matcha. As a new parent, I don’t sleep at all,” she said.

Culkin and Song seem to already be great parents. The mom said: “I’m someone who likes to wake up and go-go-go. Now, it’s when I put my son down for his first nap that I get my work done. I take that time to do emails and plan my day. I try to do everything in his nap-time window. If I have time, I’ll work out — I have a little gym in my garage and do a lot of circuit training.”

Song knows she has to prioritize some self-care time as well. She added, “To be the best mom, I have to be the best me. And exercise helps me not worry or overthink. So I try to find a little time. Sometimes I’ll read and knit. I don’t do phones in the morning.”

Working and being a parent is exhausting but for Song, early mornings are nothing new. She said: 

“On ‘Dollface’ we had early starts. I’d be up around 4 or 4:30 a.m., go over my notes and scenes, and sneak in to give my son a kiss. On set, you spend an hour in hair and makeup, and then there’s not a whole lot of downtime from there. I’m not working in a coal mine or a hard labor job. What’s difficult is the mental drain.”

What do you think of Culkin and Song’s engagement? Did you know that Dakota was already 9 months old? Let us know — and be sure to share this with friends and family members.