By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:30pm PDT, May 30, 2023
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Join us as we celebrate some of the stars who became moms later in life…
"Knots Landing" star Donna Mills became a mother for the first time when she was in her 50s. "I was very concentrated on my career, but at a certain point, I realized there was something missing — it was a child," she told People magazine in 2022. "So I went after it. I adopted [my daughter Chloe] when she was four days old. By that time, I was 54 and people said, 'You're going to be so old [to] have a little toddler running around.' I never felt that. I never felt older than the other mothers who were probably in their 20s." Donna said it was the right choice for her. "If you want to give to your career, I say having a child later in life is better than having a child early," she added. She and Chloe hit the red carpet together at the London premiere of "Nope" in July 2022.
Donna, of course, isn't the only star to experience motherhood at a more mature age. Keep reading for more celebs who gave birth or adopted when they were older…
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On Oct. 5, 2022, Oscar winner Hilary Swank announced that she was pregnant. And on April 9, 2023, she announced that she'd given birth to her first children — twins! — at 48, welcoming a son and a daughter with her husband, social venture entrepreneur Philip Schneider. "It wasn't easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it. Happy Easter! Posting from pure Heaven," Hilary captioned a photo of herself holding her babies.
When she first shared her pregnancy news, Hilary told "Good Morning America," "This is something that I've been wanting for a long time. I can't believe it." Later the same morning, she appeared on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" and called her pregnancy "such a blessing," "a total miracle" and "unbelievable." Making things even sweeter? She revealed her due date was April 16, 2023 — her late father's birthday. Though her kids ultimately arrived a bit earlier than her due date, it didn't make it any less special.
MORE: Celebrity couples with big age gaps
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Grammy-nominated rapper Da Brat is pregnant at 48. "It's been quite a journey," she told People magazine in February 2023 as she showed off her bare baby bump in the magazine — days before debuting her growing belly on the red carpet (right). Her wife of a year, Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart (left), is already a mom of three, but this is Da Brat's first child. "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," she explained. But after falling for Judy, "I started looking at life so differently. I was like, 'I want a little me with you.' Something special from the both of us that we can share and raise and love unconditionally."
Judy convinced Da Brat that she should be the one to carry their child. "We had a little tug-o-war in the beginning… but I felt like she should have the experience. She is so nurturing," explained Judy, who suffered health complications following her egg retrieval procedure. Da Brat also faced medical issues: Before they could transfer the embryo they created with the help of an anonymous sperm donor, Da Brat had to undergo surgery to remove fibroids and polyps — then she miscarried. "I had never been so excited about something that I didn't even know I wanted. I fell in love with the idea and then it was all snatched away from me," she shared. But the couple was lucky enough to have more eggs, and when they announced their happy news, Da Brat was well into her second trimester.
MORE: Stars expecting babies
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Christie Brinkley was 31 in 1985 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Alexa Ray Joel, with second husband Billy Joel. She was 41 in 1995 when she gave birth to her son, Jack Brinkley-Cook, with her third husband, Richard Taubman. The supermodel was 44 in 1998 when she gave birth to her third child, daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, with now-ex fourth husband Peter Cook, who also adopted Jack.
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Halle Berry was 41 in 2008 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Nahla, with then-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry. She was 47 when she welcomed her second child, son Maceo (pictured), with then-husband Olivier Martinez.
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Rachel Weisz was 36 in 2006 when she gave birth to her first child, son Henry, with her then-longtime partner, filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. In 2018 at 48, she gave birth to a daughter with husband Daniel Craig. (They've never publicly announced the little girl's name.)
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In December 2019, a 47-year-old Cameron Diaz welcomed her first child with hubby Benji Madden. The news came as a shock to fans, as the private star hadn't been seen with a baby bump. Cameron did not comment on whether they'd used a surrogate to start their family.
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Actress Chloe Sevigny was 45 when she gave birth to her first child, a son, with her art gallery director husband, Siniša Mačković, in May 2020.
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Hoda Kotb was 52 in early 2017 when she announced that she and then-boyfriend Joel Schiffman had adopted their first child, baby girl Haley Joy. Two years later in April 2019, Hoda announced that they'd adopted baby No. 2, daughter Hope Catherine. Though she voiced desire to adopt a third child in 2021, the coronavirus pandemic made adoptions difficult; she and Joel announced their split in January 2022.
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In June 2018 — after undergoing in vitro fertilization treatments for more than a decade — a 54-year-old Brigitte Nielsen gave birth to daughter Frida, her fifth child and first daughter, with her fifth husband, Mattia Dessi. She was only 20 in 1984 when she gave birth to her first child, son Julian, with first husband Kasper Winding. She was 26 in 1989 when she welcomed her second child, Killian, with former fiancé Mark Gastineau, and she was in her early 30s in the mid-'90s when she gave birth to sons Douglas and Raoul Jr. with fourth husband Raoul Meyer.
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Madonna was 38 in 1996 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Lourdes Leon, with then-boyfriend Carlos Leon. Four years later, she welcomed her second biological child, son Rocco, with then-boyfriend Guy Ritchie, whom she married in late 2000. The singer was 48 when she adopted son David Banda and 50 when she adopted daughter Mercy James. Finally, on the brink of her 60th birthday, Madonna became a mother once again when she adopted twins Stelle and Estere.
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Kelly Preston wasn't even 30 yet in 1992 when she gave birth to her first child — son Jett, who tragically died in 2009 — with husband John Travolta. The couple added daughter Ella Bleu to their brood in 2000. Kelly was 48 when she gave birth to another son, Benjamin, in 2010. She tragically passed away in 2020 after a private battle with breast cancer.
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Laura Linney became a mom at 49: She gave birth to son Bennett, whom she shares with hubby Marc Schauer, in 2014. "I'm certainly not an advocate for having children later, but for me, it's been wonderful and I'm deeply grateful," she told The Guardian in 2017. "People would say to me, 'Your life's going to change.' Good!" she added. "I want my life to change."
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Katey Sagal was 40 in 1994 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Sarah, with third husband Jack White. Two years later, they welcomed a son together, Jackson. The "Sons of Anarchy" actress was 53 in 2007 when she and fourth husband Kurt Sutter welcomed a daughter, Esmé, via surrogate. (She's pictured with Kurt and her two oldest children during the 2011 Golden Globe Awards.)
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In 2002, a 46-year-old Geena Davis welcomed her first child, daughter Alizeh, with then-husband Reza Jarrahy. Two years later, she gave birth to twin boys, Kian and Kaiis. She and the surgeon split in 2018.
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Holly Hunter was 47 in 2006 when she gave birth to twin boys, Claude and Press, with longtime partner Gordon MacDonald. The super-private actress is rarely photographed with her family.
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Jane Seymour was in her 30s when she welcomed her first two children — daughter Katie (center) and son Sean (second from right) — with third husband David Flynn in the mid-'80s. She was 44 in 1995 when she gave birth to twin sons, John (right) and Kristopher (left), with fourth husband James Keach, from whom she split in 2013. (Here, they're pictured with David's daughter from a previous relationship, Jenni Flynn.)
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Marcia Cross was nearly 45 when she gave birth to fraternal twin daughters Eden and Savannah in February 2007. Their dad is the "Desperate Housewives" star's husband, film producer Tom Mahoney.
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In January 2001 — with the help of IVF — a 49-year-old Beverly D'Angelo gave birth to twins, son Anton and daughter Olivia, with then-boyfriend Al Pacino. The uber-private actress has rarely been publicly photographed with her kids, who've often joined their father on red carpets.
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In September 1998, a month after her 39th birthday, Marcia Gay Harden welcomed her first child, daughter Eulala, with then-husband Thaddaeus Scheel. The actress was 44 in 2004 when they added to their brood with twins Hudson and Julitta (pictured).
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Gwen Stefani was 44 in 2014 when she gave birth to her third son, Apollo, with then-husband Gavin Rossdale. (She was 36 when they welcomed Kingston in 2006 and 38 when Zuma came along two years later.)
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When she was in her 20s, Nicole Kidman adopted two kids, Isabella and Connor, with then-husband Tom Cruise. It wasn't until she was 41 that the actress, who struggled with fertility issues during her first marriage, gave birth to daughter Sunday Rose, the first of her two girls with second husband Keith Urban. Two years later, they welcomed daughter Faith Margaret via surrogate.
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Susan Sarandon was 38 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Eva Amurri, with then-boyfriend Franco Amurri in 1985. Four years later at 42, she gave birth to son Jack Robbins, who's now a filmmaker, with then-partner Tim Robbins. She was 45 when their second son, "Blockers" actor Miles Robbins, arrived in 1992.
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Salma Hayek was 41 in 2007 when she welcomed her first and only child, daughter Valentina, with French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, who has three more children from previous relationships. He and the actress tied the knot in 2009.
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Eva Mendes was 40 when she had her first child with love Ryan Gosling, daughter Esmeralda. The couple's second daughter, Amada, came along two years later when Eva was 42.
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Uma Thurman was in her late 20s and early 30s when she welcomed her first two kids — daughter Maya in 1998 and son Levon in 2002 — with second husband Ethan Hawke. She was 42 when she gave birth to her third child, daughter Luna, with then-fiancé Arpad Busson in 2012. (She's pictured with Levon and Luna in 2018.)
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In 1995, a 41-year-old Kim Basinger gave birth to her only child, daughter Ireland Baldwin, with second husband (and now ex) Alec Baldwin.
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Celine Dion was in her early 30s in 2000 when she gave birth to her first child, son René-Charles, with manager husband Rene Angelil. After six rounds of in vitro fertilization, they added to their brood with twin sons Eddy and Nelson when the singer was 42 in 2010.
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Brooke Shields was 37 in 2001 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Rowan (top), with husband Chris Henchy. She was 40 when baby No. 2, daughter Grier (left), arrived.
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Julianne Moore was in her late 30s when she gave birth to her first child, son Caleb, with then-boyfriend Bart Freundlich, in 1997. Daughter Liv arrived in 2002 when the actress was 41. The following year, she and Bart tied the knot.
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Naomi Watts was in her late 30s in 2007 when she gave birth to her first child, Sasha, with then-partner Liev Schreiber. Their second little one, Kai, arrived a couple months after the actress turned 40 in 2008.
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Mira Sorvino was in her late 30s when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Mattea, with husband Christopher Backus in 2004. Two years later, their first son, Johnny, arrived. In 2009, when the actress was in her early 40s, she welcomed another little boy, Holden. Her youngest, daughter Lucia, was born in 2012 when Mira was 44. (The Oscar winner is pictured with her two oldest children in 2013.)
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Mariah Carey was 41 in 2011 when she gave birth to twins Monroe and Moroccan with then-husband Nick Cannon, who was 30 at the time.
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Jane Krakowski was 42 in 2011 when she gave birth to her first and only child, son Bennett, with then-fiancé Robert Godley, from whom she split in 2013.
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Helena Bonham Carter was in her 30s in 2003 when she gave birth to her first child, son Billy, with longtime partner Tim Burton, from whom she split in 2014. She was 41 in 2007 when their second child, daughter Nell, arrived.
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In 1999 — with the help of IVF treatments — a 40-year-old Emma Thompson gave birth to her first child, daughter Gaia, with then-boyfriend Greg Wise. The "Sense and Sensibility" co-stars tied the knot four years later. That same year, when the actress was 44, they adopted son Tindy Agaba, who was 16 at the time.
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Helen Hunt was 40 in 2004 when she gave birth to her first and only child, daughter Makena Lei, with then-partner Matthew Carnahan, from whom she split in 2017.
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Garcelle Beauvais was in her mid-20s in 1991 when she gave birth to her first child, son Oliver (left), with first husband Daniel Saunders. In 2007, after years of struggling with fertility issues, the actress — who was 40 at the time — welcomed twin boys, Jax and Jaid, with second husband Mike Nilon, whom she's since divorced.
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Annette Bening was in her 30s during the '90s when she gave birth to her first three children — Stephen, Benjamin and Isabel — with husband Warren Beatty. She was nearly 42 in 2000 when their fourth child, daughter Ella (pictured), arrived.
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In 2011, a 41-year-old Tina Fey gave birth to her second daughter, Penelope (pictured), with husband Jeff Richmond. Their first little girl, Alice, arrived in 2005 when the comedy star was 35.
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Molly Ringwald was in her mid-30s in 2003 when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Mathilda, with then-boyfriend Panio Gianopoulos. Four years later, they tied the knot. The former teen idol was 41 when they added to their brood in 2009 with twins Roman and Adele.
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Meryl Streep was only 30 when she gave birth to her first child, son Henry, with husband Don Gummer. Their first daughter, actress Mamie Gummer, arrived in 1983. A second daughter, Grace, came along in 1986. The Oscar winner welcomed her fourth child — "The Gilded Age" actress Louisa Jacobson (pictured) — a week before her 42nd birthday in 1991.
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In August 2000 — a month after she turned 45 — Iman gave birth to daughter Lexi Jones with second husband David Bowie, who died in 2016. The model was in her early 20s in 1978 when she welcomed her first child, daughter Zulekha, with her first husband, basketball star Spencer Haywood. (Iman is pictured with Lexi, who was rarely photographed in public as a child but is now active on social media, in 2011.)
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Jennifer Connelly was in her late 20s when she gave birth to her first child, son Kai, with then-boyfriend David Dugan in 1997. She was in her 30s in 2003 when she gave birth to son Stellan, the first of her two children with husband Paul Bettany. She was 40 when their daughter, Agnes, arrived in 2011.
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In June 2004 — just two days shy of her 40th birthday — Courteney Cox gave birth to her first and only child, daughter Coco, with then-husband David Arquette, following years of fertility issues.
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Jane Kaczmarek was 41 in 1997 when she gave birth to daughter Frances, the first of three children with then-husband Bradley Whitford. They welcomed son George in 1999 two days after her 44th birthday, and daughter Mary Louisa arrived in 2002 when the "Malcolm in the Middle" actress was 46. (She's pictured with her three kiddos in 2009.)
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Rachel Zoe welcomed her first child with husband Rodger Berman, son Skyler, when she was 39. She had son Kaius a few years later when she was 42.
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Back in 2011, Alyssa Milano welcomed her first child with husband David Bugliari, son Milo, at 38. When their second child, daughter Elizabella, joined their brood, the actress was 41.
