Who is Doug Robbie? All about Margot Robbie's 'distant' father
Sources online state after Margot Robbie's father left the family when the actress was five years old, she was primarily raised by her mother, Sarie Kessler. In August 2016, the Barbie star told Harper's Bazaar she has "nothing in common with him".
I am not like him at all.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Doug Robbie's daughter, Margot, was the world's highest-paid actress in 2023.
- Besides Margot, Doug has three other children with Sarie Kessler: Anya, Lachlan and Cameron Robbie.
- The celebrity father reportedly paid for his kids' education even after his separation from their mother.
- Margot frequently credits her mother for her upbringing and success and avoids speaking about her father in interviews.
Doug Robbie's profile summary
Full name | Douglas Robbie |
Age | Late 60s or early 70s |
Birthplace | Australia |
Nationality | Australian |
Marital status | Separated |
Ex-partner | Sarie Kessler |
Children | 4 |
Profession | Former businessman |
Margot's dad is a former farm owner: Inside Doug Robbie's private life
According to the Daily Mail, New Idea magazine describes Doug Robbie as a "rich and powerful former farm owner and sugarcane tycoon." Although Margot has previously said she has limited contact with her dad, the news outlet reports that he lives just a few streets from her mother's house on the Gold Coast.
Source: Original
Doug and Margot share an estranged relationship: He left when she was in diapers
After Doug separated from the family in 1995, Sarie relocated from Queensland to her hometown of the Gold Coast with their four kids.
Margot and her siblings spent most of their childhood on their grandparents' Currumbin Valley farm in the Gold Coast hinterland. According to Yahoo Life, a source told New Idea that Doug did not maintain a close relationship with his kids.
Although he put them through private schools, he would go weeks without calling or visiting his kids. Doug was inconsistent; he never put in the work to be close to his kids.
Speaking with Vogue in June 2019, Margot revealed why she does not like talking about her dad, saying:
It is hard to mention him without it sounding like he is a bad person.
Source: Getty Images
Only one of the Robbie siblings has a relationship with their dad
Lachlan maintains contact with his father, Doug. In 2015, he took to Instagram to share their photo. As documented by Yahoo Life, the now-deleted post read:
Happy Father's Day, Dad. We might not have the normal family, but you put us through school and helped me whenever I needed.
However, a source told New Idea that just like Margot, Anya does not have a relationship with their dad.
Anya and Margot do not want to know him. The former lets him see his grandson, Sebby, now and then, but she is unbothered by it.
In a 2023 interview with Daily Mail Australia, Margot's paternal uncle, real estate tycoon Wayne Robbie, denied claims that the actress and her dad are estranged. He said:
Doug is a proud father. He does have a relationship with Margot.
Source: Getty Images
Margot attributes her mom as the "strong woman" who raised them
Margot credits her look-alike mother, Sarie, as the "world's sweetest person." The pair, who share a close relationship, often appear together at high-profile award shows and film premieres. In 2017, the Babylon alum told The Resident of her mom:
She was a single mother raising four kids on her own, and we did not make it easy for her. My siblings and I were always fighting, and she had to be a very strong woman to hold things together. She is an amazing woman.
Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning in July 2023, Margot recalled paying her mom's mortgage after earning enough money from acting.
I had written down everything I owed my mom growing up. Although I paid off my debt when I hit big, I kept the piece of paper because it was sentimental to me.
Sarie Kessler walked her daughter Margot down the aisle
Although Doug attended Margot's 2016 wedding to Tom Ackerley, Sarie walked her down the aisle. Nonetheless, the celebrity dad was "thrilled" to be part of the special occasion. Speaking with Woman's Day in 2018, per Daily Mail, he revealed:
It was a beautiful wedding. I am proud of Margot and all my kids.
Source: UGC
When asked about being a grandfather in the future, Doug replied:
Margot will be an amazing mum; she will do a good job.
In 2025, various sources reported a shift in Doug and Margot's relationship after they were photographed during an Easter family gathering. Neither party has commented on their current dynamic.
FAQs
Doug Robbie's daughter, Margot, is best known for starring in The Legend of Tarzan, I, Tonya and Wuthering Heights. Below are some frequently asked questions about her:
How old is Margot Robbie?
Margot (35 as of February 2026) was born on 2 July 1990 in Dalby, Queensland, Australia. She attended Somerset College.
How old was Margot Robbie when she had a baby?
The Pan Am star and her husband, Tom Ackerley, welcomed their first child in 2024. She was 34 years old at the time of their son's birth.
Source: Getty Images
What is Margot Robbie's net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Robbie has an estimated net worth of $60 million. She has amassed this wealth through her illustrious acting career and lucrative partnerships with brands such as Chanel and Nissan.
Conclusion
While Margot Robbie is notably close to her mother, Sarie Kessler, reports suggest an estrangement from her dad, Doug Robbie, with some citing minimal contact between them. The actress and her three siblings were raised by their mom after her separation from Doug in 1995.
READ MORE: Lauren London's parents: Who are they and what do they do?
Briefly.co.za published a post about Lauren London's parents, Terry Lynn Conner and Gary Paul London. Her mother is an African American, while her father is an Ashkenazi Jew.
Lauren was primarily raised by her mother after her parents divorced when she was three. The You People actress has opened up about struggling with her mixed-race identity for not being Black or White enough on either side.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
