Oscar De La Hoya Explains Why He Let Travis Barker And Shanna Moakler Raise His Daughter

Travis Barker is expecting his first baby with Kourtney Kardashian later this year, but this won’t be his first experience with fatherhood.

The Blink-182 drummer has two biological kids, Alabama and Landon, with his ex-wife, Shanna Moakler. He also adopted Shanna’s oldest daughter, Atiana, who she shared with boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

But why did Atiana need adopting? Well, Oscar didn’t feel like he was worthy of being a father.

In a new interview on the Allison Interviews podcast, the former boxing champion admitted he “ran away” from fatherhood.

I basically ran away. I was scared. I was fearful. I did try to be a father full-time for a few years, and it was beautiful. It was amazing to raise a little girl, but there came a point where you say to yourself, ‘Wait a minute. You’re not worthy of this.’ You try to convince yourself that you are not worthy of this; that love is not possible in your life, because of what I lived through, not receiving that love when I was a kid.

He revealed that neither his father nor his mother told him they loved him. He never felt that love and security as a child. Heck, he claims they never even hugged him!

For most of his life, he was trying to fight off the urge to drown himself in alcohol and drugs. Thankfully, boxing kept him in line for the most part.

He’s been working on his relationship with his daughter recently, and it appears they are getting along well, so that’s certainly great to hear.

Meanwhile, Oscar admitted he’s grateful for Barker stepping up to the plate…

I’m grateful that Barker was there, you know, as a father figure for my daughter. I have to be grateful that Shanna was a mother to Atiana, and just know my place, basically, you know? My place — I’m obviously a father, and I’m proud of it.