Bradley Cooper's Inspiring Quest to Set His Daughter Free from His Own Trials: The Powerful Journey of Self-Discovery

In an upcoming episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, actor Bradley Cooper, 48, discusses how he is using his personal experiences to guide his approach to raising his six-year-old daughter, Lea. He acknowledges the importance of learning from his own mistakes and hopes that Lea can learn from them as well. Additionally, Cooper emphasizes the need for personal growth and being mindful of not burdening his daughter with any unnecessary issues.

Cooper, who has a child with his ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, emphasized the positive impact of self-reflection on his life, stating, "It's beneficial for me as well. It greatly enhances my overall well-being."

Since his father passed away from lung cancer in 2011, Cooper has observed a transformation in his outlook on life. "Though I wish my dad was still here to experience it, we all acknowledge our fortunate circumstances," shared the star of Guardians of the Galaxy. "His passing was a profound blessing. He bestowed upon me an invaluable gift. I held him in my arms as he passed, providing a tangible demonstration of human mortality."

Cooper remembered experiencing a period of struggle following the death of his father Charles. He confessed, "Afterwards, I found myself grappling with a nihilistic outlook for a while. I had this overwhelming feeling of 'Wow, I'm going to die.' It wasn't the best state of mind for a period, until I came to the realization that I needed to fully embrace my true self and seek inner peace. Gradually, things started to level out."

Bradley Cooper. CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The Academy Award nominee expanded his family in 2017, two years after he started dating Shayk, 37. The pair split in June 2019.

While maintaining a friendly relationship focused on their daughter, the model confessed that she never truly grasped the concept of coparenting. In an interview with Elle in March 2021, she stated, "When I am with my daughter, I am fully dedicated to being her mother, and when she is with her father, he is fully dedicated to being her dad. Coparenting simply means parenting." Shayk, briefly linked to Kanye West after her split from Cooper, also explained her decision to keep her bond with Cooper confidential. "My previous relationship is a personal matter that I choose to keep private. It is a part of my inner self that I want to protect," she concluded.

Shayk later commended Cooper, describing him as a devoted and actively involved father. In an interview with Highsnobiety in September 2021, she shared, "He is completely hands-on and fully dedicated to parenting. We don't have a nanny, and Lea even went on vacation with him for nearly two weeks - I never had to call them once." According to Shayk, the pair follows a stringent approach to co-parenting Lea.

Lea never receives anything unless she finishes her meal, gets up from the table, takes her plate, and says "Thank you." Shayk finds it challenging because Lea has an abundance of toys, whereas Shayk only had one doll with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a special meaning as her grandmother used to make clothes for it. Shayk always emphasizes to Lea that this doll was her only toy. At times, Shayk also shares with Lea that she used to have candy only during Christmas, unlike Lea who has access to candy all the time.