Eve Is 'Happy' She Waited To Have A Baby After 40, And So Do These Other Celeb Moms
Eve was 43 when she gave birth to her son Wilde Wolf, and while that is considered late to have a baby, she has no regrets. The "Tambourine" rapper stopped by BBC Radio show, Michelle Visage’s Rule Breakers, and shared her thoughts about having a child later in life. "I'm happy to be honest that I'm a older mom because I had a lot of things that I think I would have definitely unintentionally passed on 'cause I believe in that familial breaking of things," she said. "I do believe in all that, and I feel like I had to shed some things before I had a kid."
Before she became known as a "pit bull in a skirt," Eve grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, singing and rapping. When she got older, she worked in a strip club but decided it was time to go all in with her rap career. In 1999, she joined Ruff Ryders and dropped countless hits such as "Who's That Girl?," "Gangsta Lovin'," and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind." Since then, she pivoted into acting, starring in Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, her own TV show, Eve, and she was a co-host on The Talk.
The Grammy award winner married British multi-millionaire Maximillion Cooper in June 2014 and instantly became a stepmother to his four kids. Their son Wilde was born in February 2022. Leading by example, Eve gave some advice to women who pressure themselves to have kids in a certain time frame. "Some of my friends, mid-30s, they've frozen their eggs and things. I'm like, don't stress yourself out, do not stress yourself out," she hammered. "You are good. you have time. They make us feel like, hurry up. Why you not married?-- Why you don't have no kids yet?"
She continued, "I feel like I have the patience as well. I'm not chasing nothing."
Eve isn't alone in having kids after 40. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many women are delaying having kids, and a few of those reasons are new technology like in vitro fertilization (IVF). While Pew Research Center reported that it's taking longer to achieve economic stability due to student loan debt and other things, which also plays a factor in women having kids after childbearing years.
However, there are many other celebs who waited and are happy. See which ones below:
Naomi Campbell
In 2021, Naomi Campbell surprised everyone when she announced on Instagram that she was now a mother at 50 years old. The supermodel shared a photo of her daughter's feet with a lovely caption, saying how honored she was to be a mom. Two years later, she revealed that she was a mother again after welcoming a baby boy.
Kenya Moore
Kenya Moore announced the exciting news of her pregnancy during the season 10 reunion of Real Housewives of Atlanta. She was 47 at the time and conceived her daughter Brooklyn through IVF.
Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall had her first child with her husband, Steve Greener, at 48 years old. The couple used IVF treatments to get pregnant, and in an interview with Women's Health, she revealed that waiting to have a child gave her room to be a parent after accomplishing so much in her career.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry was 41 when she had her first child and 47 when she had her second. The Academy Award-winning actress told Women's Health she believes that women shouldn't be pressured to have a baby at a certain age. “If you’re in your twenties, own that. Own the era of exploration,” she said. “Earn the era of real curiosity. Earn the era of trying to figure out who you are.” She continued, “If you’re in your mid-thirties, don’t be bogged down by the idea that you have to have children by a certain age. You decide.”
Da Brat
Rap legend Da Brat got pregnant with her first child at 48 after tying the knot to Jessica "Judy" Dupart the previous year. Da Brat told People, "I never thought I was going to have kids. I just thought it wasn't in the cards for me. I've had a great career, a full life. I felt like, because I didn't get pregnant earlier on, then it just wasn't going to happen for me."
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson was 50 years old when she welcomed her first child in 2017. Shortly after giving birth, the legendary artist and her husband, Al Mana, split up. Janet keeps her son Eissa away from the spotlight but shared that he loves music.
Mariah Carey
In April 2011, Mariah Carey welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe with then-husband Nick Cannon. She was 41 and shared how "difficult" her pregnancy was with Barbara Walters. “I don’t think I understood the enormity or the magnitude of what it really does to your body. It's not just, ‘Oh, you don’t look pretty and you have a bump,’ ” she said.
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett welcomed twins, Bronwyn and Slater, via surrogate in 2006 after years of fertility issues. The beloved actress was 47 at the time.
Nia Long
While Nia Long had her first son when she was 29, she had her second son, whom she shares with Ime Udoka, at 41. She called having another baby the "sweetest surprise ever."
Kandi Burruss
Singer, songwriter, and Real Housewives of Atlanta reality star Kandi Burruss was already a mom of two before having Blaze via a surrogate at 44.
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Feature image by Gabe Ginsberg/ Getty Images
London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage
