Worth the wait: Celebrity mums who gave birth after 40
When it comes to starting a family, there are some celebrities who have waited until later in life before welcoming kids.
But it just proves that sometimes there are things in life that are worth the wait.
Naomi Campbell has previously said that it's never "too late" to have kids, while Eva Mendes admits that she couldn't have raised kids in her 20s.
One thing is clear, they're absolutely loving motherhood and so grateful to be able to add that role to their long list of accomplishments in life.
Read on to see what these ladies had to say about being mums and welcoming their kids after turning 40.
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Naomi Campbell
Motherhood truly is a blessing and that's exactly how model Naomi Campbell feels about it.
She welcomed her second child – a son – in 2023, at age 53, and announced the news on Instagram writing, "It's never too late to become a mother 🙏🏾."
The supermodel and actress welcomed her first child in May 2021.
In 2017, Campbell told Evening Standard magazine she has thought about becoming a mother but wasn't in a rush to make it happen at a specific time.
"I think about having children all the time," she said.
"But now with the way science is I think I can do it when I want."
Brigitte Nielsen
At 54, Brigitte Nielsen took to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to announce she was pregnant with her fifth baby.
In May 2018, the Danish model shared the news, alongside a photo of herself showing off her baby bump with the caption: "Family getting larger."
Frida was born in June 2018 - her first child with husband Mattia Dessi.
"We are overjoyed to welcome our beautiful daughter into our lives," the proud parents, who underwent 13 rounds of IVF before Nielsen gave birth to Frida, told People at the time.
"It's been a long road, and so worth it. We've never been more in love."
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson welcomed her first baby at 50.
"Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son Eissa Al Mana into the world," a rep for the singer said in a statement after his birth in January 2017.
Speculation mounted that the pop star was pregnant in April 2016, when she cancelled her world tour to focus on her family.
Alanis Morrisette
Singer Alanis Morissette announced she was pregnant with her third bub in March 2019, at the time she was 44.
She shared the news by posting a black-and-white snap while recording music, with the caption: "So much NEWness."
Morrisette welcomed a son named Winter in August 2019.
The singer is married to rapper Mario "Souleye" Treadway. They welcomed their son, Ever, in 2010, and their daughter, Onyx, was born in 2016 when the singer-songwriter was 41.
Eva Mendes
Actress Eva Mendes welcomed both of her daughters with Ryan Gosling when she was into her 40s.
She gave birth to their daughter Esmeralda when she was 40, and then their second child, Amada, when she was 42.
But looking back, the star admits she couldn't have been a young mum.
"When I was 40, it was a big deal for people when I was pregnant, and it wasn't for me," Mendes told People.
"And then I was 42 and I was pregnant with my second one and people were like, 'Oh my God, you're going to be so tired. That's why people have kids in their 20s.' I was like, that's the most sorry, asinine thing I've ever heard.
"It takes more patience. In my 20s, I shouldn't have even been around a child. I was just foul-mouthed and smoking.
"I could not have raised kids in any other era of my life but now, for sure."
Salma Hayek
When Salma Hayek was pregnant with her daughter her body changed dramatically but it's something she found a way to appreciate.
The actress was 41 when pregnant with Valentina in 2007 and admitted she put on 50 pounds – or around 22kg – during that time.
"I gained so much weight, I got an opportunity to see myself completely disfigured in many different ways – for a very good reason – and I don't regret it for a second," Hayek told Glamour in 2013.
"That's when I started appreciating my body. The things that I used to criticise, they were not that bad after all."
Celine Dion
When it came to growing her family, Celine Dion never lost hope.
In May 2010, Dion announced she and her husband, Rene Angelil, had conceived twins, following five failed IVF attempts.
"I never gave up," Dion, who was 42 at the time said of the "exhausting" struggle.
The couple went on to welcome twin boys, Eddy and Nelson, in October 2010. They welcomed their first child, a son named René-Charles, in 2001.
In 2007 she admitted singing never really gave her life purpose, unlike her children.
"I'm not really a singer. My life is to be a mum," she told People at the time.
"It is what I enjoy the most. It is my most amazing reward. I will take a chance with my music. I don't take risks with my family."
Julia Stiles
Another star who has quietly welcomed children away from the spotlight is Julia Stiles.
The actress gave birth to her son Strummer in 2017 and then debuted her second pregnancy in 2021, when she was 40.
Her son Arlo was born in 2022 and she quietly welcomed her third child – whose name has not been revealed – in 2023.
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