Clint Eastwood’s secret daughter, who was given up for adoption by her mother at birth, only discovered the Hollywood legend was her father after a hunt for her biological parents as an adult, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
In a story straight from a movie script, Laurie Murray, 64, then approached the Academy Award-winning actor, who had no idea that she existed, and the two established a close relationship, sharing a love of golf and the outdoors, and going on family vacations together, a close friend tells DailyMail.com.
Murray is a mother-of-two from the small, affluent town of Lakewood, Washington, around an hour from Seattle.
She was pictured and acknowledged as Clint’s daughter for the first time on Monday with the celebrated actor’s seven other children at the premiere of his latest movie, The Mule, in Los Angeles, where she gave her name to photographers as ‘Laurie Eastwood’.
She was also seen enjoying a drink with Clint, 88, as the two chatted together at the reception at the Regency Village Theatre.
Clint Eastwood’s secret daughter, Laurie Murray who was given up for adoption by her mother at birth, only discovered the Hollywood legend was her father after a hunt for her biological parents as an adult. She was pictured on Monday with Clint’s seven other children at the premiere of his latest movie, The Mule, in Los Angeles
Party of eight: Siblings Kimber Lynn Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood, Francesca Eastwood, Alison Eastwood, Laurie Eastwood (circled), Kathryn Eastwood, Morgan Eastwood, Scott Eastwood
Her existence was first revealed by Eastwood biographer Patrick McGilligan, who said Laurie’s mother had a serious relationship in Seattle with the star while he was engaged to first wife, Maggie Johnson. The relationship ended and on discovering she was pregnant, the woman, who has not been identified, put the baby up for adoption.
Laurie was adopted by a couple in Seattle.
The family friend told DailyMail.com: ‘This all happened around 15-20 years ago. Laurie had been really interested in finding out who her real parents were and hired someone to help her. When they found the paperwork, her biological mother had written down Clint Eastwood’s name.
‘From what it appeared, Clint Eastwood had no idea that she was even pregnant.’
It is unclear how Laurie made contact with Clint Eastwood but the news was received positively.
The friend, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘I don’t think she had the best upbringing, certainly not privileged. When she found her biological parents, she reached out to her mother but she didn’t want to be contacted.
‘It obviously came as a great shock to Laurie but I believe that Clint was extremely receptive to her and the situation.’
Pictures from the 2004 Oscars show Laurie in a gown in the back on the limo with Clint’s second wife, Dina, and on the red carpet, holding the arm of the actor’s mother, Ruth Wood.
The friend added: ‘We always wondered why it was never really widely known or widely acknowledged before. He took Laurie to the Oscars around the time that he was nominated for Mystic River with his mom and Dina.
‘Laurie had a really great relationship with Clint’s mom. It seems to be a close relationship and they are together fairly often.’
Pictures from the 2004 Oscars show Laurie in a gown in the back on the limo with Clint’s second wife, Dina, and on the red carpet, holding the arm of the actor’s mother, Ruth Wood
The friend added: ‘We always wondered why it was never really widely known or widely acknowledged before. Laurie had a really great relationship with Clint’s mom. It seems to be a close relationship and they are together fairly often’
The friend, from Lakewood, added: ‘Laurie and her family are wealthy in their own right. So it wasn’t a situation, which I’m sure someone like Clint Eastwood is used to, of someone crawling out of the woodwork looking for money.’
The source added: ‘Laurie is a very nice woman and very private, she definitely doesn’t go around telling people this.
‘She’s a great athlete, talented golfer and Clint’s a great golfer. Laurie’s family are members at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club and Clint has been there. Laurie and her family have spent Thanksgiving with the Eastwoods in the Carmel area a few times.’
The friend said that people in the small town were bemused by the fact no-one has known about Clint’s eldest daughter until this week.
‘Everyone in Lakewood knows that Clint Eastwood is her father, and have done for about 20 years, although she wouldn’t talk about it. She never goes by Laurie Eastwood.
The source claimed that the family have been to a couple of Clint’s movie premieres and have flown on the Warner Brothers’ jet with the actor. Laurie’s children, Lowell Thomas IV, known as LT, and Kelsey, met their grandfather for the first time in Sun Valley, Idaho and they all went skiing together, the source said.
When contacted by DailyMail.com Clint’s grandson, LT Murray said: ‘All I would say is that he’s been a great father to my mom, and always great to me and my family whenever we see him.’
Clint Eastwood attended the wedding of his grandson, LT, to wife Kaitlin, (pictured) in Washington State in 2012 (the couple later divorced)
In an exclusive picture, Clint can be seen standing shoulder to shoulder with his grandson, beaming with pride
Clint’s grandson, LT Murray (pictured together), declined to speak about his grandfather when contacted by DailyMail.com. In a statement, he said: ‘All I would say is that he’s been a great father to my mom, and always great to me and my family whenever we see him’
It is believed that LT’s wedding was held at Tehama Golf Club in Carmel, California, which Clint Eastwood owns (pictured)
Laurie Murray did not respond to a message left seeking comment by DailyMail.com, nor did Eastwood’s representative.
Laurie Murray has been married for several decades to Lowell Thomas Murray III, 65, who goes by Toby. He is part of a prominent family, which has lived in Lakewood for several generations, and ran a successful timber company, Murray Pacific, for more than a century.
In 2015, Murray-Pacific sold its timber lands to a California company and is now focused on being an investment firm.
Laurie Murray attended the University of Washington and is believed to have worked as an elementary teacher at a private school.
They own a large property in Lakewood, along with a home on a private golf course, The Hideaway, in California.
They also owned a property on the Hawaiian island of Maui and Clint and his ex wife Dina, now 53, vacationed there with the family, according to the family friend, who said that Clint’s wife Dina loved the location so much that they bought a beach property from the Murrays’ investment firm.
Clint’s granddaughter Kelsey married in June 2016. It is believed that Kelsey’s wedding was held at Clint’s ranch in Mission, California. She is a real estate broker in Tacoma.
Clint Eastwood attended the wedding of his grandson, LT, to wife Kaitlin, in Washington State in 2012 (the couple later divorced).
Laurie Murray (holding her son LT) attended the University of Washington and is believed to have worked as an elementary teacher at a private school
It is believed that the wedding was held at Tehama Golf Club in Carmel, California, which Clint Eastwood owns. In an exclusive picture, Clint can be seen standing shoulder to shoulder with his grandson in a group shot, beaming with pride.
LT, 35, describes himself on Instagram as an ‘actor, poet, yogi and writer’, and also appears to work as a model and fitness coach. A friend told DailyMail.com that he lives in Seattle, does a lot of charitable work for Seattle Children’s Hospital and has also been involved in real estate projects.
‘I never really quite know if he’s being serious or not but he seems to do some kind of acting or modelling,’ the friend, who went to school with him, said.
‘He’s a pretty entertaining, funny guy. I’m surprised he’s not tried to go to Hollywood and get into the industry. He used to be more shy but he seems to have opened up a lot.’
They added: ‘He went to a private school called Charles Wright but he ended up transferring back to the local public school because they had a powerhouse football team and he was a pretty good athlete.
‘Everyone knew that Clint was his grandfather when he was in school and thought he was really rich. But the reality was they were already well-off and it had nothing to do with Clint Eastwood.’
LT has shared pictures of his Oscar-winning grandfather and extended family on social media. In one shot of his mom and Dina Eastwood in a limo, he wrote: ‘Here we have two great women: My mother and my Grandmother on their way to the Oscars a ‘Few’ years back!’
Lauren’s son LT, 35, (pictured together) describes himself on Instagram as an ‘actor, poet, yogi and writer’, and also appears to work as a model and fitness coach. A friend told DailyMail.com that he lives in Seattle, does a lot of charitable work for Seattle Children’s Hospital
He bears a striking resemblance to his famous grandfather and his uncle, 32-year-old Hollywood actor Scott Eastwood.
LT has shared pictures of his Oscar-winning grandfather and extended family on social media.
In one shot of his mom and Dina Eastwood in a limo, he wrote: ‘Here we have two great women: My mother and my Grandmother on their way to the Oscars a ‘Few’ years back!’
It had long been rumored that, in addition to his seven children, Clint Eastwood had fathered a child who was given up for adoption before he hit the big time.
Clint has eight children with six different women, including his two ex-wives.
The actor’s youngest child, 22-year-old Morgan Eastwood, confirmed that Laurie was her sister as she celebrated the family reunion.
‘SO RARE for all 8 Eastwood siblings to be in one room!!!’ she wrote, posting a picture of the group to Instagram.
Alison Eastwood, Clint’s daughter with first wife Maggie Johnson, also wrote about the reunion on Instagram.
‘I’m not sure there has ever been a picture of all 8 kids together but here it is,’ she wrote in the caption.