The New Breed of Hollywood’s Single Mums
No man, no problem. These sisters are doing it for themselves and making it work. We salute them.
PA PhotosChristina Aguilera grew up in a single parent household but until she found herself in the same situation as her mum had been, she didn’t realise how difficult a job it really was. She confessed: “It’s hard, definitely. It’s hard just even being a working mum and trying to balance and juggle everything on your plate."
PA PhotosMinnie Driver once referred to her life as a single mother to being like an “insane earthquake”. The British actress has yet to spill the beans on who the father of her son Henry is, but who needs a man when you’re doing such a great job on your own?
PA PhotosPatsy Kensit has yo-yoed back and forth into the role of a single mother. She first had to come to grips with the single lifestyle when her marriage to Jim Kerr ended. After marrying and subsequently splitting from Liam Gallagher, she was back in single mum territory – and, after her fourth marriage fell apart, she was right back there again. Maybe fifth time lucky?
PA PhotosAfter a brief fling with Steve Bing, Liz Hurley fell pregnant and gave birth to her son Damian. It took a paternity test to establish he was indeed the father but, due to the couple’s relationship fizzling out, she went it alone.
Rex FeaturesWhen Sadie Frost and Jude Lawsplit in 2003, she had to juggle working life with caring for two children. Sadie confessed that being a single mum was hard work, "but the children are so amazing. They're so entertaining to have around and so easy. We have our little community at home how we like to live. It's so nice”.
PA PhotosWhen Liv Tyler split from husband Royston Langdon, she took some time out of the limelight to concentrate on looking after her son, Milo. She confessed to finding being a single parent tough. "I took a little time off. I just had a rough couple of years, having Milo and then getting divorced and trying to rebuild my life. Milo and I have been in such transition. I've been rebuilding and trying to be patient.”
PA PhotosSandra Bullock and hubby Jesse James were already in the process of adopting New Orleans baby boy, Louis, when news broke of his infidelities. Sandra admitted she was “sad and scared” when she filed for divorce, but “my main concern was for Louis.” The Oscar-winning actress went on to finalise the details of her son’s adoption as a single parent. You go, girl.
PA PhotosWe were stunned to hear that Kate Winslet was splitting from Sam Mendes, her director hubby of seven years, in March 2010, but what is admirable is Kate’s determination to make the split as amicable as possible for their children. The pair are even said to be planning a summer holiday together to help maintain a good relationship for Joe and Mia – Kate’s daughter from her first marriage.
PA PhotosHalle Berry joined the ranks of Hollywood single mothers earlier this year when her boyfriend of five years, Gabriel Aubry reportedly left her. Halle has since cemented an amicable relationship with her model ex for the sake of their gorgeous daughter, Nahla, saying recently: “I’m a mother now, and when you become a parent, you just look at the world a little bit differently.”
PA PhotosBridget Moynihan - AKA Big’s ex-wife Natasha in Sex And The City – discovered she was pregnant with son, John (now two) two months after splitting from NFL star Tom Brady. “When you’re suddenly pregnant and no one is standing by your side, even in your 30s, it’s…hard…For a moment, it was hard for me to accept that this was the way I was going to have a family.” Bridget admits that “traumatic time of being heartbroken” and pregnant was difficult, but says today: “now I have a child, and it’s the best thing in the world.”
PA PhotosSheryl Crow added to her family of two (she and three-year-old son Wyatt) when she adopted one-month-old baby boy, Levi. The singing star recently revealed that just an hour and a half before she hit the Country Music Awards red carpet, she was strictly in ‘single mother mode’: “I was in sweats bottle feeding one, reading to the other…[but] you make it happen.”
PA PhotosNot only has Teri Hatcher survived Hollywood as a single mother, but the starlet is now looking to share her wisdom with other mums. Teri recently created online blog www.gethatched.com, saying she is ‘one of those women that does the laundry, cleans the house, feeds the pets, drives the carpool…brings home the bacon (and then cooks it too!)’. Sounds like the former Superman actress could have given him a run for his money!
PA PhotosBefore there was Angelina Jolie, there was Mia Farrow. The Hollywood legend raised fifteen children mostly as a single mother; eleven of them adopted. And as if that wasn’t hard enough, Mia then had to deal with one of her children, Soon Yi, famously shacking up with her husband, Woody Allen. This woman deserves a parade!
PA PhotosIt’s fair to say that Kate Gosselin of Jon & Kate Plus 8 US reality show fame hasn’t exactly warmed herself the American public, but even they can’t deny that she’s taking the initiative to provide for her eight children. If reports are to be believed, her ex-husband Jon Gosselin, whom she divorced amidst rumours of his infidelity, isn't exactly providing for their brood…
PA PhotosMadonna’s been a single mother twice in her life, most recently after splitting from Guy Richie, but the Material Girl seems to balance motherhood, fame and business without breaking a sweat. Well, if ever there were a strong, independent woman who could raise a brood of four alone, it’s Madonna!
PA PhotosDenise Richards split with ex Charlie Sheen when she was six-months pregnant with their second daughter. The star has since said the secret of single motherhood is “prioritizing. I’m still trying to figure it out myself, but I’ve definitely turned down jobs because it would take me away too long from the girls… I’m never going to get these years back with them and I’m a single parent, so I especially need to be there for them. I put them first, always.”
PA PhotosMichelle Williams’ engagement to Heath Ledger had ended when the actor’s death sent shockwaves through the world in 2008, but admits that their daughter, Matilda (3) gives her strength: “Every time I really miss him and wonder where he’s gone, I just look at her.”
PA PhotosIn 2004, actress Mary Louise Parker was seven months pregnant when her partner Billy Crudup left her – reports at the time claim it was for his co-star Claire Danes. However, Mary not only survived the breakup, but went on to star in award-winning TV show, Weeds – bagging a Golden Globe in the process – whilst raising son, William (6). In 2007, the starlet added to her family of two, adopting baby daughter, Caroline, from Ethiopia.
PA PhotosSharon Stone adopted her first son, Roan, when she was married to journalist Phil Bronstein in 2000. The pair divorced in 2004 but that didn’t stop Sharon adding to her family, adopting sons Laird in 05 and Quinn in 06. The award-winning actress has praised single mothers, insisting it is an "amazing accomplishment" to raise children alone, "the most surprising part of being a mom is that I can actually accomplish it all every day. And get them all under the blankets every night."
PA PhotosAfter the sudden, tragic death of her husband, Dr Martin Kelly, brave Californication actress Natascha McElhone gave birth to their third son, Rex alone. “I wanted to be on my own because that was the way it was going to be. I was going to be my baby’s only parent so I may as well get used to it…It just felt right somehow.”
PA PhotosAfter a very public and nasty split from Hollywood heavyweight Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva is now facing the prospect of single motherhood for the second time. The Russian musician is raising her and Mel’s eight-month-old daughter, Lucia and Alexander – her son from previous relationship with Bond star Timothy Dalton. She recently admitted: "I didn't plan on being a single parent again. It's a recent, sudden thing for me,” but said she would get on the best she could.
PA PhotosRom-com favourite Meg Ryan, mother to 16-year-old Jack and five-year-old Daisy, says: “being a single mother is just a fact right now, and adoption is just the way I met my daughter. We have a different story than ‘I went to the hospital…’ but it’s just as enormous. I never had a set of rules about the way things were supposed to be.”
PA PhotosDouble-Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster is notoriously mute when it comes to her private life. The actress has never revealed her sexual orientation, nor the father of her sons, Charles (12) and Kit (8), but one area she isn’t shy in is her love for her boys: “What I didn't realise is how completely consumed I would be by my sons. I didn't know that the rest of my life would become so little a priority.”
