Daisy Lowe has admitted that while they are now on good terms with her birth father, Gavin Rossdale, they got off to a “really rocky start”.
The model, 33, was 15 when she discovered Bronner Handywerger wasn’t her father after a paternity test revealed her godfather Gavin was her parent.
Daisy, whose mother is Pearl Lowe, said there was “no manual” for figuring out “your godfather is your father” and said she had a rough start with Gavin, 56, but they have a good relationship now .
Family: Daisy Lowe (pictured in September) has admitted they got off to a “really rocky start” (pictured in September) despite being on good terms with her birth father, Gavin Rossdale.
Speaking on Monday’s That Gaby Roslin podcast, she said: “It was intense. There is no manual for finding out if your goddaughter is really your daughter or if your goddaughter is really your father.
“I think we dealt with it as best as we could. That meant we got off to a really rocky start, but we figured it out and I’m really grateful that we figured it out the way we did.
Daisy said she and Gavin shared “the same mannerisms” and said it made “perfect sense” when she found out he was actually her biological father.
She explained, “The funny thing is that the moment I found out that he could be my father, I was like, ‘Oh, that makes perfect sense.’ We think the same way and we have so many pretty startling similarities.
Shock: The 33-year-old model was 15 when she found out Bronner Handywerger wasn’t her father after a paternity test revealed her godfather Gavin (both pictured in 2016) was her parent
“And the guy that I thought was my father, I didn’t really know, and when I met him, I came home and I said to my mother, ‘I don’t feel any connection to this man.’
“But I didn’t question it, because as a teenager I didn’t think, ‘So mom, is there anyone else who could be my dad?’ That’s just not something anyone ever thinks of.
Daisy said she keeps in touch with Gavin and his sons, who he shares with ex-wife Gwen Stefani – Kingston, 15, Zuma, 13, and eight-year-old Apollo.
She said she calls her three half-brothers who live in Los Angeles at least once a week, adding that Kingston is the same age as her half-sister Betty Goffey, whose mother is Pearl.
She said: “I love them all so much. I facetime with my brothers over in LA at least once a week. Kingston is the same age as [her sister] Betty actually.
Rocking start: Daisy, whose mother is Pearl Lowe, said there was “no manual” for figuring out “your godfather is your father” and said she had a rough start with Gavin
Mother: Daisy’s mother, Pearl, is married to Danny Goffey and the couple have three children together – Alfie, 25, Danny, 22, and Betty, 17
“Zuma and Apollo are a bit younger and understandably a little less fond of Facetime. Whenever I go to LA I always have the best time with these guys. They are such brilliant children.’
Daisy admitted that all her friends have a crush on her rock star dad, and she joked that she’s pretty “proud” of it.
She added: “All my girlfriends are still into him now. I suppose there’s a part of me that just says, ‘Yeah, go ahead dad! Very proud of you.’ He takes good care of himself and he’s a good person.’
Elsewhere in the podcast, Daisy revealed that during her modeling career she felt like an “elephant” comparing her curvy figure to other women’s “stick-thin” bodies.
Siblings: Daisy said she now keeps in touch with Gavin and his sons, who he shares with ex-wife Gwen Stefani – Kingston, 15, Zuma, 13, and eight-year-old Apollo
Split: Gavin and Gwen (both pictured in December 2014) filed for divorce in 2015 after 13 years of marriage
She admitted that she was “constantly pulling apart” and said she was told by others that she was “curvy” when in reality she was a size six or eight.
She said: “I’ve been a full-time model for ten years and throughout my career I’ve always been very aware that I want to champion real women’s bodies and curvy bodies.
“And to be told that you’re curvy, even though I was six to eight years old at the time, which is ridiculous looking back, and that you feel like an elephant compared to all these wafer-thin — wonderful, beautiful in their own way — models.”
Daisy said she loved her performance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 as she was told her body was “good” for the first time in her career.
Body: Elsewhere on the podcast, Daisy revealed that during her modeling career she felt like an “elephant” comparing her curvy figure to other women’s “stick-thin” bodies
She said: “For the first time in my career I’ve actually been told that what my body is doing is really good and that I’m really proud of what my body can achieve – instead of constantly pulling myself apart.”
Daisy said she also strives to reach young women on Instagram who are dealing with body image issues, eating disorders or body dysmorphia.
“It was actually a real privilege to be able to send little messages and little things I learned along the way from person to person. as well as using Instagram as a suitable platform,” she added.
She admitted she can find social media “scary” and like a “minefield,” but said she now has a good “toolkit” on how to manage her mental health, including finding silver lining in situations.
Positivity: Daisy said she loved her performance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 as she was told for the first time in her career that her body was ‘good’.
She continued, “I’m such a sensitive, emotional being, and in my natural state I’m a bubbly, vibrant person, but I get my dark days.
“I now have a very good toolkit on how to manage my mental health and one of those is definitely finding silver linings and lots of gratitude.”
Daisy also revealed that her current boyfriend, real estate agent Jordan Saul, had “no idea” who she was when they met while walking their dogs on Hampstead Heath.
Admitting he’s still confused by her showbiz life, she added, “Jordan and I met on the heath just walking the dog. But he had no idea who I was and to this day he still doesn’t understand it.”
‘I felt like an elephant’: The model, 33, admitted she was ‘pulling apart all the time’ and said she was told by others that she was ‘curvy’ when in fact she was a size six or eight
