Why Madonna's Daughter Lourdes Leon Went Through A Rocky Time With Her Dad Carlos

Raising a child comes with many challenges, but adding fame to the mix makes the process even trickier. Just like ordinary parents, many celebrities make their kids follow strict rules when it comes to chores, school work, and other aspects of everyday life to help them learn responsibility and other important skills. However, for famous teens, some of the most difficult rules to enforce are those surrounding dating. Unfortunately for Lourdes Leon, disputes over dating led her to go through a rocky time with her father Carlos Leon as a teenager. 

In 2011, Carlos told People how he planned to handle Lourdes entering the dating world: "I'm already overprotective, so when the time comes, I will be ready to have a talk with the guy she brings through the door. He better be ready, because I'll give him the rundown!" Based on his behavior when Lourdes dated Timothee Chalamet two years later, it appears he stuck to his word. A source explained to Radar that the proud father wasn't willing to take it easy on young Chalamet. "Carlos trust[s] Lourdes and he likes Timothee, but he also knows how young boys can get carried away," they said. "He's old school and he thinks putting a little fear into the boy dating your daughter is a good thing."

Carlos' reversal of his attitude toward her curfew was also a big change for Lourdes. In 2011, he explained to People that he was willing to compromise. "We settle on a time, say around 10 p.m., and she's like, 'How about 10:30?' And it eventually becomes 10:15," he said. Unfortunately for Lourdes, 2013's Carlos was a different story. "Lourdes complains to [Madonna] about the curfew her dad's imposed," a source told Radar.

It's not uncommon for one parent to be stricter than the other, and Lourdes Leon has been very open about her mom, Madonna's, controlling nature. "My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life. I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school," she told actor Debi Mazar in Interview. Although Lourdes' father, Carlos Leon, was definitely the more relaxed parent in her early years, it seems that the tables turned once Lourdes was a teen.

While the dynamics between her father and her changed in adolescence, Lourdes' tense relationship with her mom appears to have improved over the years. Mother and daughter may not have always seen eye to eye, but Madonna has repeatedly praised Lourdes in interviews. "I'm green with envy because she's incredible at everything she does — she's an incredible dancer, she's a great actress, she plays the piano beautifully, she's way better than me in the talent department," Madonna told British Vogue in 2019.

As a source explained to Radar, "Madonna was the villain because she was very firm when it came to school studies and manners early on, but that's changed as Lourdes has matured." While Lourdes battled her father for more autonomy in her dating life, Madonna seems to be watching the conflict from afar. Based on how frequently she has been spotted alongside both parents in adulthood, however, it appears Lourdes and her family have weathered the rough patches of her early life and are closer than ever.