When someone pursues a career like acting, singing, modeling, or even professional sports, there is a certain lack of privacy that comes with that success. Dealing with paparazzi and the endless gossip coverage on social media is often seen as basically a fair trade for the perks that come with being rich and famous. But while there are those who argue that celebrities are fair game for relentless media coverage, many famous parents are taking a stand when it comes to the privacy of their kids.
There has always been an appetite for pictures and information about the kids of our favorite celebrities — even more so when two celebrities make a baby together. While it is reasonable that people would be curious about the family lives of celebrities, especially when they give little glimpses through social media, it's also true that some paparazzi and media outlets have pushed the envelope when it comes to trying to get pictures of awfully little kids.
From telephoto lenses pointed at preschool windows to trying to bribe medical workers for secret tips about pregnancies and deliveries, there has been behavior that is invasive and even dangerous. That's why these 15 famous parents have chosen to take real steps to protect their kids' privacy.
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner has been fighting to safeguard her three kids' privacy for almost a decade. In 2013, she participated in efforts to pass new laws in California to protect celebrity kids from the paparazzi, even testifying in the state legislature about the damaging impact constant attention from aggressive photographers has on young children.
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have two daughters and they are fiercely protective of the girls. Not only are they advocates for the No Child Policy when it comes to paparazzi pictures, but in 2019 Kristen publicly confronted a photographer who was taking pictures at her daughter's preschool and made him delete the images.
Meghan Markle
There are likely few babies and toddlers in the world who have been the subject of as much public curiosity and paparazzi interest as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's son and daughter. While the couple's move to the US was likely a result of a lot of factors, there is no question that they are motivated to give their kids more privacy than the Duke of Sussex had growing up. So far, it is working. Baby Lilibet managed to reach 6 months old without any publicly released photos of her.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds may enjoy trolling each other on social media, but the couple aren't joking around when it comes to expressing anger about people violating their kids' privacy. In October, Blake posted a passionate message on social media where she called out an Instagram account for posting pictures of her family, writing: "I've personally shared with you that these men stalk and harass my children. And you are still posting. You said you would stop. You personally promised me. This is not casual appreciation. This is YOU also exploiting very young children. Please. Delete. Please."
Gigi Hadid
Supermodel Gigi Hadid may be fairly new to motherhood, but she's already taken a stance on trying to keep some privacy for her daughter, Khai. She posted a plea on Instagram asking photographers to blur her baby's face so that "she can choose how to share herself with the world as she comes of age" and also thanked the paparazzi who kept their distance when she was walking with her baby.
George Clooney
George Clooney penned an open letter to the Daily Mail asking the outlet to refrain from publishing pictures of the twins he shares with his wife Amal. Amal, who is an internationally known lawyer, often works on high-profile cases, and George noted that publishing pictures of his kids may jeopardize their safety. "I am a public figure and accept the oftentimes intrusive photos as part of the price to pay for doing my job. Our children have made no such commitment," he wrote.
Pharrell Williams
Singer and producer Pharrell Williams is serious about keeping his kids private. While there are a few photos posted online of his 12-year-old son, Rocket, there is almost no known information about his triplets, who were born in 2017. Not only are there no pictures of them online, but their names have never been released.
Emily Blunt & John Krasinski
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski have two children, but they're committed to keeping them largely offline. John — who has stated that "pics of kids should only come direct from parents" and not paparazzi — has shared a picture or two, but he and Emily are also proponents of the No Kids Policy.
Björk
Icelandic icon Björk is known for her inventive fashion and cool music vibes, but many fans may not realize that she also has some fierce mama bear instincts when it comes to protecting her kids. Back in 1996, she even physically attacked a reporter who approached her son in an airport, knocking the reporter to the ground and slamming her head into the concrete. She later said she acted out of motherly instincts. Those are some instincts that weren't messing around!
Halle Berry
In 2013, Halle Berry was one of the lead activists for a California bill that put regulations around paparazzi pictures of children, including enacting penalties for aggressive behavior and photographing children without parental consent. The bill passed after Halle gave testimony to the state legislature and helped rally other famous moms to join the cause.
Adele
Adele is a devoted mother to her 9-year-old son, Angelo, but fans won't find many pictures of him online or in Adele's social media feeds. She also testified in 2013 for the anti-paparazzi bill in California and she sued (and won!) when photos of her child were sold and published without her consent in England.
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling has two young children and she is super protective both of their images (she rarely posts photos of them and never shows their faces) and of their personal histories, refusing to disclose who might be their father or fathers. She has said that she won't share identifiable images until the kids are old enough to give meaningful consent.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz and husband Benji Madden welcomed daughter Raddix in 2020 and have been keeping her private since then. In their announcement of her birth, the couple stated that while they were "overjoyed to share the news," they also had a "strong instinct to protect our little one's privacy" and the couple decided not to share any photos or additional information about her life.
Beyoncé
There is perhaps no celebrity who is more in control of their own narrative than Beyoncé. She famously keeps a tight lid on her private life and only reveals what she wants to, when she wants to, in the way she wants to (we're still in awe of how she did that on Lemonade!) — and that includes details about her kids. While oldest daughter Blue Ivy has spent time in the spotlight with her famous parents, 4-year-old twins Rumi and Sir are rarely seen in social media or paparazzi pics.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is a proud mama and stepmama who has shared that sometimes it is hard to avoid the temptation to post pictures or videos of her kids but that she is "really, really vigilant" about keeping them safe by keeping them private. Instead, she opts to send the pictures to "my parents or my shrink."
