There's an old children's rhyme: "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage." And while it still describes some people's timelines, it now seems both super heteronormative and out of touch with this reality: More than one quarter of all children in the US live with just one of their parents. Whether through intentional choice, unexpected circumstances like becoming widowed, or through the end of a relationship, there are many single parents raising kids on their own.
And while taking life advice from celebrities always has some risks (stars, they aren't always just like us!), it is actually really nice to hear some of our favorite celebs share their personal feelings on the experience of single parenting. From those who felt called to be a parent and just couldn't wait to see if they ever found the right person to those who never intended to be a single parent but had to navigate those waters following a loss or a breakup, there have been some surprisingly candid comments by celebrities who know that no amount of money and fame can make the whole solo parenting thing 100% easy (even if it is always 100% worth it).
Read on for real talk about the highs and lows of single parenting from stars who are living it.
Mindy Kaling
Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian has been through plenty of public ups and downs with Tristan Thompson, the father of her daughter, True. Although the two are navigating the waters of co-parenting, the reality star has pushed back on the idea that being a single mother is something that is "frowned upon." She's said that she wants to think of single parenting as being "empowering" instead.
Andy Cohen
One of the things that single parents have to navigate is the world of dating when they have a tiny chaperone waiting at home. In a 2019 interview with People, Bravo host Andy Cohen revealed that becoming a single father to son Wyatt has made him more thoughtful about who he dates. "I think that I will probably be looking for different types of guys. I'll be looking for guys you want to bring home to Mom or bring home to your son," he said.
Minnie Driver
One thing that all parents know but perhaps single parents understand the best is that there are all kinds of love in the world — and romantic love isn't always the most important. Minnie Driver is a single mom who touchingly described her son as the "greatest love affair" of her life.
Angelia Jolie
Angelina Jolie has gone full circle on the single mother experience. She was a single mom to oldest son Maddox before connecting with and then marrying Brad Pitt. The two are now divorced, and Angelina is a mom of six. She raised some eyebrows in 2005 for giving a very candid interview to Vanity Fair in which she openly discussed how to still have a sex life while being a single mom. The whole article is worth a read, but we'll share a spoiler: It is all about having lovers and getting a hotel room!
Jean Smart
Jean Smart is a Hollywood example of someone who became a single parent following a devastating loss. Her husband of more than 30 years died in 2021, leaving Jean to continue to raise their teenage son alone. In an emotional speech at the 2022 SAG Awards, she described becoming a single parent at the age of 70 as the hardest thing she's ever done.
Connie Britton
Connie Britton is the proud single mother of one, and she's honest about the joys and challenges of that experience. "Being a single mom is challenging, but never in a million years would that have stopped me," she said a few years after adopting son Eyob from Ethiopia.
