Mila Kunis, now in the news for having raised over $30 million towards Ukraine relief (together with husband Ashton Kutcher), has opened up on her Ukraine-born roots and arriving in the U.S. with only $250 to her family’s name. The “Family Guy” actress and Hollywood favorite has been propelled to the forefront of celebrity media attention since Russia’s February-commenced invasion of Ukraine, with recent news even seeing her admit she used to tell people she is Russian, not Ukrainian.
Born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, Mila moved to the U.S. as a child and with her mother, a physics teacher who ran a pharmacy and her father, a mechanical engineer also working as a taxi driver. The 38-year-old mom of two had, back in 2016, opened to up Glamour with a reveal about her life, her low-key attitudes, and her humble origins.
“My parents went through hell and back,” the “Gia” star stated. “They came to America with suitcases and a family of seven and $250, and that’s it. My parents, for years, worked full-time and went to college full-time. They would go to night school to learn English. My mom started working at Thrifty in Culver City as a box lady. That’s what she did until she learned English; then she became a cashier. My dad worked—f–k if I know—seven jobs? He painted a house. He would deliver toilets. He drove a cab, delivered pizzas. Whatever he could do, he did.”
She added: “Ultimately, my dad owned cabs, and my mom worked her way up to manager of a Rite-Aid; they bought a car and a condo. But growing up poor, I never missed out on anything. My parents did a beautiful job of not making me feel like I was lesser than any other kids.”
Earlier this month, the actress further revealed that being Ukrainian felt “irrelevant” to her after so many years identifying as an American – she landed in the U.S. back in 1991. People would ask where Ukraine is, with Mila finding it “exhausting” to have to explain where the Russia-bordered country is on the map. As such, Kunis resorted to simply saying she is Russian. Together with Kutcher, Mila has been matching donations to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees. She said there is “no place in this world for this kind of unjust attack on humanity.”
Also voicing their support for Ukraine have been celebrities including singer Miley Cyrus, actress Jennifer Aniston, plus makeup mogul Kylie Jenner.