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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Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
Watch the full episode below:
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole
Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
Watch the full episode below:
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole