Daughter Claims Her Father Abandoned His Wife And Four Children to Pursue His Dream - Now He’s Famous

A TikTok video, intended as a source of laughter, unexpectedly went viral, transforming into a heated exchange between a father and daughter. A TikToker with the username @madihart_soccer shared a video inviting users to share their "funny traumas."

She began by humorously revealing that her father had abandoned their family to pursue a career in breakdancing. Not only did Madi find the career choice amusing, but her father also became famous for being one of the oldest breakdancers.

He launched his career at 54 and was subsequently featured on shows like Good Morning America, covered by The Washington Post, and became an internet sensation. Madi showcased some of his performances from various competitions and the talk shows he was invited to. "This guy wouldn't pay my medical bills," she said, laughing and dancing along with the videos.

Despite her grievances about him leaving the family, she marveled at his breakdancing skills and how flexible his body was at that age. However, Madi added, "There was no split custody or anything, he just left four kids to do that!" On a lighter note, she mentioned, "He may not have paid for my medical bills growing up, but he did give me this breakdancing merchandise."

At the end of the video, Madi urged everyone to share their funny traumas, and the viewers did not hold back. One TikTok user mentioned her husband left her to pursue roller skating, while another shared that their mother left to join a renaissance fair across the country.

Another user said her father missed her custody hearing because he was at a Bon Jovi concert. One woman was left by her husband while pregnant because he "felt a calling" to go on a sailing trip to Barcelona.

As people shared their stories with Madi, her video gained a life of its own. Her father, Ben Hart, saw the video, which had now garnered over 7.4 million views, and decided to respond. Ben said he loved most of the video but needed to clarify a few things.

He understood that from the perspective of five-year-old Madi, his sudden absence might seem like abandonment. However, he explained that he and his ex-wife had simply gone through a divorce like most couples in America. He noted that he just moved down the street from his children in Chicago.

In addition to all these payments, Ben said he contributed $600,000 to his children’s college fund, totaling about $5 million paid to his ex-wife. The couple finalized their divorce in 2005 so Ben firmly stated, "No abandonment, just a divorce." The father also clarified that he was more than just a breakdancer. He also worked in marketing and was a well-known Bitcoin enthusiast.

Ben admitted he was about 70% at fault in the divorce but had no regrets about marrying his ex-wife because their union brought him his four children. He made it clear that he had a great relationship with his kids and was proud of the lives they had built for themselves.

He mentioned Madi was a successful screenwriter in Hollywood and a significant influencer with millions of followers, while one of his daughters was a partner for a hedge fund on Wall Street. His youngest daughter taught English to children in Thailand, while his son was pursuing his Master's in Psychology.

Upon seeing her father’s video, Madi created another one responding to some of the things he said. Firstly, she was shocked that he believed they shared a close relationship. "That's just objectively not true. Like, guys, we're all freaking out about this in my family group chat right now. We're being like, 'He's so unhinged and delusional.' We don't know if he actually believes his own narrative or if he's lying on purpose," she said.

Madi has no recollection of her father living down the street; what she remembers is Ben residing in Florida with his new wife. He would visit after a few months and take the kids out for dinner, but she emphasized that he played no part in raising her and her siblings.

Regarding the medical bills, Madi said she would ask her father for help while in college but was not aware of the financial distribution details in the divorce.

Moreover, the TikToker explained that she never intended the video to delve into the painful trauma of her childhood; it was meant to be a humorous piece. She had the opportunity to portray her father negatively, but she chose to depict him as a whimsical and amusing character for the video's context.

The dialogue between the father and daughter continued. Ben shared another video, proving he was a present father in his children's lives, and included clips from Madi's childhood where they spent the summer together at the beach and waterpark.

Ben continued to share his perspective, stating that his children never visited him because they did not accept his wife. He denied moving to Florida, clarifying that he bought a house there but maintained the main house in Chicago.

The story of the father and daughter has now gone viral, with many publications and podcasts engaging with their narrative. Madi found it amusing that people believed she was a successful Hollywood screenwriter when she was just an assistant.

She also clarified that she was not a major influencer with millions of followers; she only has 79.3k followers on TikTok and considers herself a small creator since she had not even monetized her content.

However, Madi embraced these misconceptions as signs of people wishing the best for her. "Did nobody fact-check this?" she exclaimed. "It's like even the people who hate me are manifesting success for me," she added jokingly.

The story of Ben and Madi took an unexpected turn, with various publications exploring it as a case study on the impact of divorce and social media in making personal conflicts worse.