Celebrities Who Had Kids Out of Wedlock
By Amy Harrington & e67f7217319b3210VgnVCM100000a0c1a8c0RCRD
Published August 21, 2009
| Getback
Considering that Penelope Cruz has never publicly admitted that she's been dating Javier Bardem since 2007 (and believe us, if we were dating Javier Bardem, we'd be bragging about it), it makes sense that she's declined to address recent pregnancy rumors.
Still, when the always sexy Spanish starlet was photographed in baggy clothes, she had tongues wagging that un niño might be on the way.
While it may have been shocking in the past when stars gave birth to children out of wedlock, nowadays more and more celebrities are having kids without first tying the knot. Cruz's best friend, Salma Hayek, ultimately married her baby daddy. But other famous Hollywood couples have decided to have families without the benefit of marriage.
Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry
Halle Berry had tried marriage twice, and it didn't go all that well either time. Her first husband, Atlanta Braves outfielder David Justice, reportedly left Halle suicidal. Her second union, to musician, Eric Benet, ended in 2005 amid claims that he cheated. The most beautiful actress in the world deserved happiness. It seems she finally found it with longtime boyfriend, (the equally attractive) model Gabriel Aubry. Two-and-a-half years after they started dating, Halle gave birth to their daughter, Nahla Ariela. And while Berry has said she'd like to give her baby girl a little sister or brother, she's also been clear that she has no intentions of walking down the aisle for a third time, telling the London Daily Mail, "Gabriel and I have a great partnership and a lovely daughter. But I once was stupid enough to say, in a previous relationship, 'I'm going to be with this person forever,' and realized, as I grew, that I don’t know if forever is possible."
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves
Matthew McConaughey seems to be on a love child roll with model girlfriend Camila Alves. She gave birth to their son, Levi Alves, in 2008 and is due to give produce another McConau-spawn in late 2009. Maybe it's the fact that the shirtless-surfer doesn't want to put on a tuxedo or that his motto, "Just keep livin'" doesn't end with "and settle down," but either way, wedding plans do NOT seem to be on the agenda anytime soon.
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber
Naomi Watts met actor Liev Schreiber just prior to filming 2006's "The Painted Veil," and they've been dodging speculation about whether or not they're married for years. While Liev has called Naomi his wife on a couple of occasions, no evidence exists that the two actually tied the knot, and earlier this year Naomi said that Schreiber had given her a ring but they weren't rushing to the altar. They will, however, be forever bound by their two sons: Alexander, born in 2007, and Samuel, who came along less than a year and a half later.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
The relationship of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" co-stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie provided the biggest gossip fodder of 2005. Were they or weren't they? Did he leave wife Jennifer Aniston for Angie? On January 11, 2006, not only did Jolie confirm that she and Brad were a couple, she also announced that she was pregnant with his child. It wouldn't be their first or their last. The couple has five other children: three adopted kids (Maddox, Zahara, and Pax) and biological twins (Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline). Rumors that managing such a big brood has doused the passion that once fueled their romance were kicked up again recently with gossip that Brad was unhappy with Angie's attention-grabbing antics on the red carpet at the "Inglorious Basterds" premiere. But they still look happy to us.
Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams
Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams met and fell in love while playing a married couple in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain." Not long after, they were engaged, and baby girl Matilda Rose was on the way. Their unfortunate split just two years later preceded Ledger's tragic death in 2008. Williams has said it's been hard for her to balance being a single mother with her career, but it looks like help at home might be on the way. She's rumored to be engaged to director Spike Jonze, whose upcoming film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book "Where the Wild Things Are" should make Matilda and lots of other kids very happy.
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck might have made more tabloid headlines as half of Bennifer, but it was Jennifer Garner not Jennifer Lopez who ultimately won his heart. Garner started dating her "Daredevil" co-star in 2004 (after Ben and J-Lo's September '03 wedding was canceled), and the couple married less than a year later. With the wedding news came confirmation that Jen was pregnant and little Violet Anne was born five months later. The Afflecks seem like a pretty normal couple – this is not the spotlight-seeking Bennifer of years gone by. In fact, Bennifer II seems more content to stroll to the local market with Violet and her little sister, Seraphina, than to walk the red carpet.
Heidi Klum and Seal
Seal was either a really, really good guy or blinded by Heidi Klum's dazzling beauty when he married her in 2005. Not only had Heidi just given birth to a love child, it wasn't even his. The "Project Runway" host had recently said auf Wiedersehen to Flavio Briatore and was pregnant with his child when she met the British musician. Heidi and Seal fell in love, she had baby Leni, they married, have had two baby boys, and are expecting a girl in October 2009. Everything is wunderbar.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
Perhaps not surprisingly, controversial pop icon Madonna has had not one, but two love children. The first, her daughter Lourdes, was born in 1996 to the singer and her personal trainer boyfriend, Carlos Leon. The second, Lourdes' half-brother, Rocco, is the son of British film director Guy Ritchie. While Madonna and Leon never wed, she did walk down the aisle with Guy just four months after Rocco's birth. The couple later adopted a son, David, in 2006 but split in 2008, which caused a bit of a headache for Madonna when she went back to Malawi to adopt another child on her own. But the Material Girl won out in the end and was granted sole custody of little Mercy in 2009.
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
Trailblazers in the art of staying happily unwed, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn hooked up on the set of "Swing Shift" in 1983 and have been together ever since. Three years into their relationship, they had a son, Wyatt (now 23). Goldie's daughter, Kate, might have been rebelling when she gave birth to her own son, Ryder, in 2004: she'd actually been married to his dad, Chris Robinson, for four years. Go figure.
Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal
Days before Farrah Fawcett succumbed to cancer in June of this year, she got a visit from her only son, Redmond. Red's dad, Ryan O'Neal, made his boy promise to tell his mother that he got out of rehab for the day and to conceal the ankle shackles that would tip Farrah to the fact that Redmond was actually just out of jail for a couple of hours to see his mom one last time. The only child of the "Charlie's Angels" and "Barry Lyndon" stars has had a slew of personal problems in his 24 years, among them, witnessing the turmoil in his famously unwed parents on-again/off-again, 30-year love affair.
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
File this in the "could-be" category as no baby has yet been birthed. But it's not often that Kourtney Kardashian makes headlines without Kim or Khloe. But recently the oldest DASH owner revealed that she's five months pregnant with Scott Disick's baby. She and Scott have had an on-again/off-again relationship, which included a few very public rocky moments. On her family's reality show, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," one episode revolved around mom Kris Jenner's suspicion that Scott was cheating on her daughter, and on last season's finale, Kourtney and Scott broke up after she heard another girl in the background of a phone call (in a true act of maturity, he hung up on her, and then said she disconnected him). All of this is to say, we wish them lots and lots of luck.
We have talked in class about how the average age of marriage is getting later and also about how back in the 1950s when people got pregnant, they got married. Here are some things I thought about after reading this…
1. Why does it seem to be okay for so many celebrities to be having children out of wedlock? Is it because of their age? Is it because they are financially stable? Is it because they are famous? Do you think non-famous people who are the same age and have careers are viewed in the same way if they have children out of wedlock?
2. We talked in class a lot about “the path” that society has deemed acceptable… is it considered acceptable to have a child out of wedlock if you at least have the career part of your life figured out?
3. Does it change the situation if people have a child without being married but intend on getting married later on to that partner?
4. This article uses the phrase “the benefit of marriage.” What are the benefits of marriage? Is marriage a benefit at all?
Alyssa K.
1. I believe so many celebrities have children out of wedlock because mainly they can. Our generation has changed substantially in that people don’t have to get married to have children. Marriage today in our society has become less of a lifelong commitment. Divorce is so common today that it has almost become a societal norm. A lot of people believe that if famous men and women, like those listed above, are getting divorces than its okay for everyday people to do the same. Whether we like it or not, these famous people do have an effect on us and what we believe.
ReplyDelete2. If you decide to have a child out of wedlock there are many factors that play into the situation. If you are financially stable and know that you would be able to give the child the life it deserves then I believe it is acceptable. The only issue I would have with having a child out of wedlock is the question of is the father going to be around for this child if you decide to split? Simply having your career figured out though I believe is not enough.
3. In my opinion, having a child with your partner with the intention of getting married is almost considered the same to me as a person having a child while married. Since divorce is so common what would be the difference if the couple broke up versus getting a divorce? If the couple is not meant to be together, whether they are married or not, they will eventually break up.
4. Marriage definitely has its benefits but I believe it depends on the type of person. Those who are religious tend to think more highly of marriage and the bond that comes with it. I believe it all depends on your beliefs in marriage and what it personally means to you.
-Lauren B.
1. I believe that it seems okay for celebrities to have kids out of wedlock for several reasons. Primarily, society views celebrities as exceptions to normal people because they never get the same punishments as their non celeb counterparts after committing equal crimes. Also, these stars are usually older and obviously financially stable which plays a large part as well. For that reason I think non-celebs are viewed equally positively as long as they are older and have careers.
ReplyDelete2. It is coming more and more popular for independent women to have children on their own who have stable careers and financial standing. I think society is becoming more accepting of the idea.
3. I think regardless of marriage plans, out of wedlock child birth is looked down upon.
4. The benefits of marriage include financial support, legal commitment, and a ‘traditional family model.’
-Cheyane Frizzell
1. I think it seems okay for so many celebrities to be having children out of wedlock because the majority of them are in long-term committed relationships. I feel like if celebrities were getting pregnant after having casual sex it would be totally different. Another reason why I believe it seems to be okay for celebrities to be having children out of wedlock is because simply that they are celebrities. People adore them and most likely don’t see it as a big deal if they have children out of wedlock.
ReplyDelete2. I still think that our society is old fashioned and expects for women to have children when they are married, regardless of how successful they are in their career.
3. No I don’t think it changes the situation if a couple has a child without being married but intends on getting married later on to that partner. Like I said previously in my last answer, our society expects couples to bare children while married. I believe our society still prefers “shot gun weddings” rather than a child being born without their mother and father being married.
4. There are many benefits of marriage. If you are in a happy and stable relationship you marriage provides a benefit of a common bond. Financial support is also a benefit of being married. There are also law benefits that you receive from being married that you wouldn’t have if you were single. For instance married couples benefit from visitation rights and being able to make medical decisions that others aren’t allowed to do, and discounts on auto and health insurance.
-Chris M
1) Although I don't think it's ok ,but when you look at how long celebrity marriages last it looks like a safe bet for the celebrity as well as the child. I don't think their age has anything to do with it ,but the fact that they are financially stable could have something to do with it. Majority of celebrities adopt anyway but it's ok cause they can afford it and their schedule doesn't allow them to have time for a baby.
ReplyDelete2) In society today that it acceptable if you can provide for that child by yourself then it's not a problem only when you're struggling do you see it as a problem in society. As far as wedlock people are holding off on marriage until they are financially stable likewise for children too.
3) I don't think it changes or/posses as a problem it's more acceptable and it's seen as being cautious. Even though its the complete opposite cause now it's a child involved.
4) Marriage is beneficial in my opinion because you're gaining another support factor but also problems come alone with that. I feel like it depends on the partner to cause each should bring something to the table.
Dorsey