18 Celebs Who Will Restore Your Faith in Having Babies Post 40

Despite the fact that the average age of first-time mothers is the highest it’s ever been (26.3, as of 2014) and celebrity men of a certain age seem to be having babies left and right (Mick Jagger is a dad again at 73 while Mel Gibson is soon to meet his ninth child at age 60), many were still shocked when Janet Jackson welcomed her first child, a bouncing baby boy named Eissa Al Mana, at the age of 50 earlier this month.

Studies show that women who wait to have children until later in life are offering these children a better quality of life, but health factors — such as fertility, gestational diabetes and premature delivery, to name a few — can also become an issue with time. While many squabble about the exact age that these things can begin to affect an expecting mother, those 35 or older are offered genetic counseling to plan for the unexpected. But is it really all that uncommon?

Not in Tinseltown! Below, find 18 Hollywood moms who bit the bullet and gave birth at age 40 or older, status quo be damned.

1. Halle Berry: Halle had both babies (daughter Nahla Ariela, eight, and son Maceo Robert, three) over 40, giving birth at age 41 and 47, respectively. (Photo via SMXRF/Star Max/Getty)

View this post on Instagram

Happy New Years!!! Gx

A post shared by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) on

2. Gwen Stefani: Though 47-year-old Gwen is no longer with ex hubby Gavin Rossdale, the former couple did have one last child prior to their 2016 split, with Gwen giving birth to the now-two-year-old Apollo in her 44th year.

3. Mariah Carey: Leave it to diva Mariah Carey to one up everyone (sans fellow divas Celine and Geena) and have not one, but two babes at the same time over 40: She had twins at 42. (Photo via Amanda Edwards/Getty)

4. Julianne Moore: Julianne Moore is now well into her 50s, but in her early 40s, her family wasn’t quite complete without the addition of one daughter, Liv (now 14), when she was 42. Not that you’d ever know it — these two could easily be sisters! (Photo via James Devaney/Getty)

View this post on Instagram

Hi!

A post shared by geri 💫✨ (@therealgerihalliwell) on

5. Geri Haliwell Horner: Spice Girl Geri Haliwell Horner may be 44, but she’s still giving us #PregnancyGoals as she shows off her bump with baby number two.

View this post on Instagram

Let's Swim.

A post shared by Uma Thurman (@ithurman) on

6. Uma Thurman: 46-year-old Uma gave birth to now four-year-old daughter Luna back in 2012, making her 42 when she welcomed her little girl into her family.

7. Tina Fey: Funnywoman Tina Fey’s second child, one Penelope Athena Richmond, put her at 41 when she gave birth five years ago. (Photo via Bobby Bank/Getty)

8. Susan Sarandon: Barring Eva Amurri (who is, incidentally, now expecting her second child), whom she had at 39, all of Susan’s children have been born post 40. Son Jack was born at 42 and Miles at 45: a miracle, of sorts, considering Susan had been told she would never be able to conceive at all. (Photo via Slyvain Gaboury/Getty)

9. Salma Hayek: Salma Hayek, believe it or not, is in her fifth decade on planet Earth (wut!), so it’s no surprise that she’d make 41 (the age at which she had her one and only daughter Valentina) look like the new 31 and do the damn thang: The woman’s aging like a fine wine! (Photo via Frazer Harrison/Getty)

10. Celine Dion: Prior to his passing at the age of 73, Celine’s late husband René Angélil gave his much younger — but still over 35, at 42 years old— wife twin boys with the help of IVF. (Photo via Ethan Miller/Getty)

11. Meryl Streep: Our feminist hero of the week, Meryl Streep (now 67 and still fierce AF, in case you missed her Golden Globes speech)’s daughter Louisa may be old enough to have a babe of her own now at 25, but when she was born in 1991, Meryl was closer to double her age at 42. (Photo via Monica Schipper/Getty)

12. Nicole Kidman: While Nicole struggled to conceive a fourth child, choosing surrogacy for delivering her youngest, Faith, she gave birth naturally at age 41 to daughter Sunday Rose. (Photo via Arnaldo Magnani/Getty)

View this post on Instagram

#aboutlastnight #GoKingsGo #TeamTouch Hat!

A post shared by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on

13. Alyssa Milano: Alyssa was also 41 when she was blessed with her second babe, Elizabella Dylan, but says she likely won’t be conceiving again anytime soon, telling People, “Why push my luck?”

14. Molly Sims: Despite giving advice that encourages others to plan for a family ahead of time (“Time doesn’t wait on you,” she says), 43-year-old Molly managed to hit the jackpot in the post-40 baby department not once, but twice: She had her second child, Scarlett, just last year (making her 42 at the time of birth), and son Grey Douglas Stuber just this past Wednesday.

15. Marion Cotillard: Marion Cotillard wasn’t afforded the luxury of a super sweet birth announcement, forced instead to give one when rumors began swirling of an on-set affair with then co-star Brad Pitt, but the expecting 41-year-old is glowing, nonetheless, with her ACTUAL baby daddy Guillaume Canet more than happy to defend her honor. (Photo via Tristan Fewings/Getty)

16. Alanis Morissette: Less than one month into her 42nd birthday, singer Alanis Morissette (who had some killer photoshoots during her pregnancy) expanded her family of three to four with the addition of daughter Onyx Solace Morissette-Treadway.

17. Tori Spelling: Tori Spelling is 43, but she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down — girl is on baby number five, even after a placenta previa scare (a condition where the placenta blocks the cervix) that took place during her pregnancy with her fourth child, Finn.

18. Geena Davis: Ever the Thelma to Susan Sarandon’s Louise, Geena also had all three kids post-40, with twins coming at age 48, two years after the birth of her daughter Alizeh at 46. (Photo via Carlo Allegri/Getty)

Did you have a baby over 40? Share you experience with us @BritandCo!

(Photo via Michael Tran/Getty)

Olivia Munn bared it all in her latest SKIMS ad, proving you don't have to hide your scars. The actress posed in a campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, supporting Susan G. Komen®and highlighting her own journey with the disease. She looked absolutely stunning in every photo, but the most gorgeous moment was the way Munn didn't shy away from showing her mastectomy scars. She spoke to TODAY about her experience during the shoot, and why she ultimately decided to ditch her insecurities. Here's what she had to say!

SKIMS

Munn shared with TODAYthat she didn't initially plan to show her scars on the set. The campaign was focused on her recovery post-breast cancer diagnosis, but the makeup artist had a hard time covering up the scars throughout the shoot. She explained that she took a look in the mirror and thought, "I’m done being insecure about my scars." From there, she took the idea to show them off to the SKIMS team — and the rest is history.

SKIMS

And while she was scared to be so vulnerable on camera, this was ultimately a really empowering move for Munn. She elaborated that there are "so many women that have these same scars" who feel just as insecure as she did about them — and she really hopes those women see this ad. "Skims is so iconic and associated with beauty and sex appeal, and cancer really doesn't have that same connotation," she said. "So I just really hope that other women who have gone through my same path feel a little better after seeing it."

SKIMS

The star also took to Instagram to give a behind-the-scenes explanation of her experience. She reiterated that she was "done being insecure" about her scars. "Every mark life has left behind on my body is proof of how hard I fought," she wrote. "I hope other women who have been self-conscious about their scars see these photos and feel all the love I’m sending."

She also shared that SKIMS will donate 10% of their bra sales (except bralettes) to Susan G. Komen® — a charity dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer — from October 23-31 in stores and online. "It’s really meaningful to be part of an initiative that supports research and helps countless individuals impacted by breast cancer," she said.

SKIMS

All of this comes on the heels of Munn's announcement earlier this year that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She revealed the diagnosis came after recently tested negatively for well-known breast cancer genes and had normal results from her annual mammogram — but her doctor to check her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score. The test showed Munn had a 37% risk of breast cancer, so she pushed for more answers that eventually lead to her diagnosis.

Since then, Munn shared with PEOPLE that she had 4 surgeries in 10 months and underwent medically-induced menopause — all the while juggling being a new mom with husband John Mulaney. She shared, "I'm lucky. We caught it with enough time that I had options. I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day."

SKIMS

After that March announcement, it's clear Munn is dedicated to raising awareness for women's health — and particularly their options. While chatting about the SKIMS campaign, Munn told TODAY, "You've got to go your doctor and you inundate them with information and you don't stop until they give you the test you need."

If you want to test your own risk for breast cancer, the National Institute of Health has resources here.

Looking for more celebrity news? Be sure to follow us on Facebook so you never miss a thing!

After revealing her breast cancer diagnosis on Pod Meets World in August, Danielle Fishel continues to prove she won't let the disease hold her back. The actress and director took the red carpet for the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere, and she opened up to PEOPLE magazine about how this disease continues to impact her. Here's what she had to say!

At the premiere, Danielle Fishel shared with PEOPLE that she was actually "back and forth" about showing up to the premiere. She said, "I obviously wanted to come tonight because I absolutely love this show. I'm so honored to have been able to direct a couple of episodes of it."

Still, there was something holding her back. She shared, "At the same time, everything I wanted to put on, I was like, 'I can see my scars in that. Oh, I can see my scars in that.'"

Instead of letting that hold her back, though, Danielle decided to push herself. "I was like, 'Why am I going to let that be a factor in deciding to live my life?'" she said. "I got dressed and I had my makeup artist do her magic and I feel fine." Ultimately, she said she was "happy" to be there — which is all you can ask for when you're facing down your fears!

Fishel told PEOPLE that her "whole life has changed" since her diagnosis. She explained that her life consists of "many doctor's appointments," check-ups, and side effects. She said, "It's not fun, but it is what it is. And with all that said, I'm very fortunate and I'm going to live, which is the most important thing."

Back in August, the star explained to Rider Strong and Will Friedle that was diagnosed with DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ — which she described as "a rare form of breast cancer." Even though she discovered the disease at "technically stage zero," she underwent surgery to remove the cancer, as well as follow-up treatments.

When she announced her diagnosis, Danielle explained that she thought she would "would suffer in silence" and "not tell anyone." However, it's clear she's made the conscious effort to not only lean on her community, share her story, and brave the aftermath — surgery scars included.

Fishel's brave red carpet move comes after another fellow breast cancer survivor, Olivia Munn spoke out earlier in October about how her own scars. Munn bared her scars for a SKIMS campaign, after deciding she didn't wanna cover them up anymore. We're so proud of all these strong women for telling their stories and fully embracing themselves, scars and all!

Looking for more inspiring news? Be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter so you never miss a thing!

Norman Mailer, I'm pregnant! This might be a memorable line from an equally memorable Gilmore Girls episode, but it's now also a reality for one of the show's stars because Milo Ventimiglia is expecting his first child! The actor married model and entrepreneur Jarah Mariano in the fall of 2023 at a tiny, private ceremony (a move that was very Jess Mariano of him), and on September 29, Jarah announced she's pregnant!

Milo Ventimiglia and Jarah Mariano just showed up at Brian Bowen Smith's ‘Joyride’ exhibit at Studio CT in California, and one source tells People Milo was “sweet and attentive to his wife throughout the whole event.” Duh!!

He “seemed very proud to be with her" while Jarah looked "radiant and glowing," as she always does. “Milo was kissing her and whispering into her ear," the source continues. "They were just genuinely lovely together.”

Is Jarah Mariano pregnant?

Jarah Mariano/Instagram

Yes, Jarah Mariano announced her pregnancy with an Instagram post featuring a surf session with Milo Ventimiglia. In the photos, Jarah is sitting on a surfboard wearing a brown bikini top, polka dot bikini bottoms, and a pink lei. "Baby on board!" she says in the caption.

After his time on Gilmore Girls, Milo played patriarch Jack Pearson on NBC's This Is Us, and told US Weekly in 2017 that "I think I’m built to want a strong family unit. “It will happen when it happens. I’m not out seeking it. It’s just kind of, I’m present in the space in my life that when it presents itself and it’s right, I’m sure it will work out.”

And it looks like it worked out at the exact right time.

Does Milo Ventimiglia have a wife?

Yes, Milo Ventimiglia & wife Jarah Mariano got married in the fall of 2023, and Jarah recently posted some new photos from the special day. "Last year I married my best friend," she says. "There aren’t enough words that exist to describe all the special qualities that make him who he is. AlI can say is that I am grateful for the life that we have together and the happiness that we have created🤍 Aloha wau iā 'oe my husband Milo."

"Things are good," Milo told Extra in February 2024. "We've had relationships that have come and have gone and then you get to a point where you kind of meet your match and meet someone that inspires you in a way different than anybody else...I'm grateful for her and I’m happy to have arrived in this moment, so married life is nice."

If you're loving the celeb baby news as much as we are, check out the latest news on Hilary Duff's Baby #4!

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.