Patti Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patti Davis
Davis in 1983
Born	Patricia Ann Reagan (1952-10-21) October 21, 1952 (age 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Patti Reagan
Occupation	Actress author
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Paul Grilley ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1990)​
Partner(s)	Bernie Leadon
Parents	Ronald Reagan (father) Nancy Reagan (mother)
Relatives	Ron Reagan (brother) Maureen Reagan (half-sister) Michael Reagan (adopted brother)

Patricia Ann Davis (born Patricia Ann Reagan on October 21, 1952) is an American author and actress. She is the daughter of the 40th U.S. president, Ronald Reagan, and his wife, Nancy Reagan.

Early Life and Family

Patricia Ann Reagan was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the older sister of Ron Reagan and has two other siblings, Michael Reagan and Maureen Reagan. She attended The John Thomas Dye School and later graduated from The Orme School of Arizona in 1970.

After high school, she studied creative writing and drama at Northwestern University and the University of Southern California. To build her own career, she changed her last name to Davis, which was her mother's maiden name.

Having Her Own Voice

Even before her father became president, Patti was involved in social causes. She was active in the anti-nuclear movement, which was a group that wanted to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Her activism sometimes led to disagreements with her family because her views were different from her father's political policies. She has always been independent and has never been a member of the Republican Party, which her father led.

Career as a Writer and Actress

In the early 1980s, Patti Davis began her career as an actress, appearing in several television shows. Soon after, she started writing books.

Her first novel, Home Front, was published in 1986. She used parts of her own life to create a fictional story. This made the book a topic of much discussion. After her second novel, she wrote an autobiography called The Way I See It, where she shared stories about her family. Later, she said she wished she had written the book differently but still stood by the stories she told.

When her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a condition that affects memory, she wrote a touching book called The Long Goodbye, which was published in 2004. During this time, she also wrote for major magazines and newspapers like The New York Times and Time.

Her screenplay, Spring Thaw, was made into a Hallmark Channel movie in 2007 called Sacrifices of the Heart.

Personal Life

In the 1970s, Patti lived with Bernie Leadon, a guitarist for the band the Eagles. Together, they co-wrote the song "I Wish You Peace," which appeared on the Eagles' album One of These Nights.

Being the president's daughter came with challenges. The Secret Service had to monitor her for safety, which made dating difficult.

In 1984, she married yoga instructor Paul Grilley. They divorced in 1990 and did not have any children. Davis has not remarried. She is a vegetarian. In 2011, she started a support group at UCLA called "Beyond Alzheimer's" to help families and caregivers of people with the disease.

Speaking Out

Patti Davis has often shared her opinions on important events. After a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, she wrote about the need for national leaders to comfort the country during tragedies.

She has also spoken about her family's past. In 2019, when a recording of her father making negative comments was released, she wrote that there was no excuse for his words.

Because of her own family's experience with the 1981 assassination attempt on her father, she has spoken out against political violence. She believes that violence is never the answer to political disagreements.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Patti Davis para niños