Jessica Chastain didn’t attend her biological father’s funeral. Her father, Michael Monasterio, was just 20 when the Oscar nominee was born.
Chastain’s mother, Jerri Chastain, was just 16. The couple welcomed another daughter, Juliet, one year later, but it appears that Michael was hardly in Chastain’s life.
Monasterio died suddenly of bronchitis on February 5, according to Us Magazine . A source close to the Oscar nominated actress stated:
“He is not on Jessica’s birth certificate. There are no photos of Jessica and Michael together. Given all of the facts, there are no plans to attend.”
Instead of Monasterio, Chastain allegedly considers her stepfather, Michael Hastey, her true father. While Jessica Chastain didn’t attend her father’s funeral, the actress could certainly win an Academy Award for Best Actress during Sunday night’s Oscars.
Chastain was nominated for her role in Zero Dark Thirty . But despite her success, it appears that her father’s family wants nothing to do with her either. Yahoo! News notes that Michael Monastero’s sister-in-law, Tracy, stated:
“We don’t need Jessica; we don’t need her money … no one has asked her for money. No one expects her to give money.”
A source close to Jessica Chastain stated of her father’s long-time estrangement, “He never paid child support. He chose not to have contact with Jessica and her family.”
Instead of attending, Chastain was likely preparing for her walk down the carpet and potential win at Sunday night’s Oscars. Jessica Chastain’s father was laid to rest in Sacramento, while the actress spent her time 400 miles away in Los Angeles.
[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com ]
