Life seems to be treating Mia Goth quite well these days.

Once relatively unknown, Goth first crossed paths with Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf on the set of Lars Von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac.” Since then, she has successfully transitioned from indie and art house films to major studio productions.

Off the screen, Goth’s relationship with LaBeouf has been anything but ordinary. The couple married, divorced within two years, and later rekindled their romance in 2021, leading to the birth of their daughter Isabel, who is now three.

Goth acknowledges her current achievements emerged from a chaotic history and a childhood marked by frequent relocations across countries such as Brazil and Canada. During one year, she attended nine different schools.

Born in London, Goth has a Brazilian mother and a Canadian father. At 31, she reflects on her maternal grandfather, the renowned artist Lee Jaffe, and admits that storytelling helped her cope with constant moves.

In a recent feature for ELLE’s November issue, Goth revealed she often fabricated stories for her classmates, claiming her mother was a brain surgeon or suggesting a distant relation to the famous painter Vincent van Gogh.

Mia Goth has reflected on her turbulent childhood while featuring in a new cover shoot for the November issue of ELLE

The actress takes centre stage in a series of extravagant outfits in a new collection of images from photographer Willy Vanderperre

‘There was this scarcity mind frame,’ she explained. ‘We were going from one place to another, but nothing was ever really ours and nothing was ever permanent. And I was so desperately yearning for a home.

‘I think they [the stories] made me feel more in control, as though I wasn’t just a passenger to the situation that was taking place. 

‘I can talk about it now because I’m so removed from it. But at the time, there was a lot of shame.’  

Goth eventually settled in south London with her mother, who worked as a waitress to make ends meet while the actress attended Sydenham College. 

‘For a long time, I would’ve done anything to have changed the situation I was in,’ she said. 

‘But, now, looking back on it, I’m proud of what I come from and what we went through and that we were able to survive that. I wouldn’t change any of it.’ 

A rapidly developing Hollywood career will see Goth star in two forthcoming blockbusters – Christopher Nolan’s eagerly anticipated The Odyssey, released next year, followed by Shawn Levy’s science fiction epic Star Wars: Starfighter in 2027.

And success means Goth – currently starring alongside Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein – can afford her own daughter the sort of childhood stability she missed.

Goth admits her present day success follows a turbulent past, and an unsettled childhood spent moving from country to country

Born in London to a Brazilian mother and Canadian father, Goth says she only coped with the constant upheaval by making up stories about her family

Success means Goth can afford her own daughter the sort of childhood stability she missed

More than anything, I’d say my daughter is my home,’ she said. ‘ I really hope to be something steady for her.’

For now, the actress is attempting to reconcile her chaotic past and address the feelings of rootlessness caused by her childhood

‘More than anything, I’d say my daughter is my home,’ she said.  ‘I really hope to be something steady for her. That no matter what happens in her life, she can return to me. 

‘No matter what her age – if she’s in a sh**ty relationship or something’s not going right at work – she can always come home. 

‘And she’ll always have a bed to sleep in and a home-cooked meal.’

For now, the actress is attempting to reconcile her chaotic past and address the feelings of rootlessness caused by her childhood.  

‘It’s something that I’m trying to work through and understand more deeply, so that it’s not something I give to my daughter,’ she said. 

‘If you feel comfortable within yourself, you’re going to feel good anywhere. Because wherever you go, you’re going to be confronted with yourself eventually.’ 

The November 2025 issue of ELLE is out now.  

Goth and LaBeouf welcomed daughter Isabel, now three years old, in March 2022 (pictured enjoying a day out in October 2024)