Who was Robert Thurman? Everything to know about Uma Thurman’s father as he passes away at 84

Born during the Second World War in 1941, Robert Thurman, who is widely known as the father of Academy Award-nominated actress and the Mad Dog and Glory star Uma Thurman, has passed away at 84, according to People. As Robert Thurman drew his last breath on June 16, 2026, the unfortunate news of his passing was made public by Tibet House US on its Instagram page. The post, which received over a thousand comments as people paid their respects, read:

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Robert A.F. Thurman @bob__thurman, prominent American Buddhist scholar, co-founder of Tibet House US, author and translator whose teachings shaped countless lives, died Tuesday morning, June 16, in Woodstock, New York."

The post, which contained a Tibetan Buddhism mantra and urged people to give the Thurman family some privacy and space in this difficult time, further added:

"Om Mani Padme Hum. The Thurman family requsts privacy at this time."

As per reports, Robert Thurman, who, besides Uma Thurman, shares four other children from his two marriages with Swedish model Nena von Schlebrügge and Marie-Christophe de Menil, died at his Woodstock residence in New York. While he was not ill and suffering from any disease, Robert died in his sleep.

As cited by People, besides being the father of A-list Hollywood star and the Golden Globe-winning actress Uma Thurman, Robert Thurman made his name as a master and an authority figure on Tibetan Buddhism. The New York Times called him an expert on the subject, while Time magazine, in 1997, declared him one of the 25 most influential individuals in the United States.

As per people, Robert Thurman was the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor at Columbia University. He was a part of the Department of Religion and taught Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies for three decades. Not to mention, Robert Thurman was also widely known as the co-founder of the non-profit organization, Tibet House US, which was meant to safeguard and encourage Tibetan Culture in America.

According to People, during an interview with Spirituality & Practice, Robert, while talking about the distinctive nature of Tibetan Culture, said:

"Tibetan culture is based on a set of principles from the heart of the Buddha’s movement — individualism, nonviolence, educationalism, altruism, and egalitarianism — and could be said to have made not the perfect but the best effort so far in embodying those principles in social reality."

He continued and added:

"This is what makes it so specially worthy of preservation and restoration — though all human cultures are of great intrinsic value."

Robert Thurman opened up about being an advocate for Tibet while being around movie stars

During his conversation with Spirituality & Practice, Robert Thurman was asked about how he deals with being around actors and Hollywood stars while being a professor and an advocate for Tibet. Robert, who knew the Dalai Lama for a long time and was his close friend, said:

Trending

"Though I do have different sides and am still a highly imperfect individual, I don’t see any dichotomy between aspiring to practice Buddhist virtues, studying and teaching about the nature of the mind, reality, and history, and having good friends, whether famous or not. Of course, having a wonderful daughter like Uma is a special bit of good karma — and we are very proud of her."

Keep an eye on Soap Central for more.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback