Found: Paul Hogan’s missing grandchild.
THE 14-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN LIVING IN BYRON BAY, AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT
When Crocodile Dundee hit movie theatres in 1986, Aussie comedian Paul Hogan was catapulted to international stardom.
Paul has lived in Los Angeles on and off since the late 1990s, and is likely to remain there for the foreseeable future due to his relationship with Chance, the 21-year-old son he shares with his second ex-wife, Linda Kozlowski.
But while Paul has frequently spoken publicly about the importance of family, there’s one member who has been missing from his life for some time – his granddaughter Rani.
The young brunette, 14, lives in Byron Bay with her mother Saran, stepdad Josh and her half-brother and
“WE SHARE FIVE CHILDREN AND 10 GRANDCHILDREN ... THAT’S THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL”
half-sister. Her father, Scott, is the eldest of Paul Hogan’s five children with first wife Noelene, however it appears that ties to the
Hogan side of the family aren’t so strong these days.
When Saran and Scott married in 2007, Paul attended the celebration alongside ex-wife Noelene, and his then-wife Linda.
Paul had flown back to Australia for the wedding, which took place at Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
It was reported that Paul hadn’t been able to make the trip back to Australia for his granddaughter Rani’s christening several months earlier.
At the wedding, Paul could barely contain his pride, gushing to The Sunday Telegraph: “They’re just great kids. He won the lottery, my boy. [Saran is] one of those people that laughs and smiles everywhere she goes and is always glad to see you. She’s good for him, he’s very lucky.”
While it’s unclear if Paul lost touch with Rani following Saran and Scott’s subsequent divorce, his absence has no doubt left a gaping hole.
He’s also missed out on crucial milestones in Rani’s life. In December, Saran took to Instagram to share the news that Rani had been elected 9th grade school captain for 2020.
“I am so very proud of my girl!,” Saran captioned a photo
of her mini-me on Instagram. “Well done, Rani. Love you.” Given how frequently Paul mentions his family in interviews, his estranged relationship with Rani seems surprising.
In a 2017 interview with Qantas magazine, Paul was asked if there was anything he would change in his life. He replied: “Nothing. If anyone says I’ve had two failed marriages then I would say that Noelene and I share five children and 10 grandchildren and Linda and I have a son. That’s the greatest gift of all.”
Paul has spent time in Australia over the past year shooting his new film The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, a Crocodile Dundee spin-off.
It’s not known, however, if Paul was able to devote much time to seeing his grandchildren.
Another granddaughter, Channel Seven news reporter Mylee, daughter of Paul’s son Todd, who had posted a photo of herself with ‘Pa’ on Instagram in 2017, didn’t upload any images of him this time around.
Despite telling news.com.au in 2013 that he was itching to relocate back to Australia in order to be closer to his family, Paul still hasn’t made the move.
“That’s been my plan for several years,” he said. “All my kids are here, I’ve got 10 grandchildren and they’re already not kids.”
So will he pack his bags and reunite with Rani before it’s too late?