Dakota Johnson opens up on her school struggles, star-kid childhood

Actress Dakota Johnson shared insights into her unconventional childhood as the daughter of Hollywood stars Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, revealing how her academic performance often took a backseat.

In a candid interview with Pedro for Elle UK, she said that growing up in the spotlight, her early years were marked by frequent travels and a patchwork of educational experiences, shaped by her parents’ careers and her own lack of academic discipline.

When asked about her upbringing in Los Angeles, Fifty Shades of Grey star clarified, “I didn’t really grow up in LA. I travelled with my parents and with a tutor until I was 10 years old.” She described attending various schools across the globe, including a stint in Spain, where her mother was married to actor Antonio Banderas.

Among her notable experiences was a brief enrollment at an all-girls Catholic boarding school, which she described as “an interesting experience.” Johnson noted that her father believed the structured environment would benefit her, though she encountered no major disciplinary issues.

Returning to Los Angeles, Johnson attended New Roads, a private school, for her final three years of high school. However, she admitted to struggling academically, largely due to poor time management. “I was bad at basic school stuff because I never learnt time management or did my homework,” she confessed.

Despite these challenges, Johnson excelled in English and Spanish and enjoyed visual arts. Her involvement in a pseudo-theatre program at school was short-lived, as she was expelled from it after neglecting her schoolwork and failing classes.