Celebrities Who Became Parents After 40 And Didn't Hold Back About The Experience

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After continuing on their years-long downward trajectory, birth rates in the US hit their all-time low in 2025, according to statistics compiled by the National Vital Statistics Reports. The data found that the birth rate, which is the number of births per 1,000 women, declined from 53.8 in 2024 to 53.1 in 2025. That 1% cemented a steep 20% decline in fertility rates over the past two decades. During this historic decline, there was a noticeable increase in women in their 40s giving birth. 

A 2023 report by the National Vital Statistics Reports showed that the birth rate for women between the ages of 40 and 44 jumped by 127% between 1990 and 2023. Even the birth rate for women over 45 showed a whopping 450% increase during that period. Speaking to Parents, OB-GYN Dallas Reed professed that there could be numerous reasons for the rising birth rates amongst women in their 40s and above. For starters, the advancements in in vitro fertilization and egg freezing have enabled people to do their family planning at their own pace while also reducing the risks involved with getting pregnant at an older age. Moreover, in a chat with CNN, Dr. Sigal Klipstein, a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, said that many women were putting off family planning until they found the right partner. 

Over the years, we have seen many celebrities candidly discuss why they chose to have a child in their 40s and beyond, and how their decision changed their lives.

In April 2023, 48-year-old Hilary Swank became a mother for the first time, welcoming twins Aya and Ohm with her husband, Philip Schneider. Speaking to Women's Health Magazine in April 2025, the "Million Dollar Baby" star revealed that she had frozen her eggs at 37 so that she could comfortably plan her family at her own pace. Swank, of course, wasn't alone in this, as fertility clinics reported a surprising stat caused by the pandemic that was related to egg freezing.

Although Swank acknowledged that she hadn't consciously decided to wait until she was 47 to get pregnant, she still felt that things couldn't have fallen into place more perfectly. According to her, becoming a parent later in life had actually worked in her favor: "I'm much more patient. I'm much more understanding. I am much more, I think, interested in a different way than I would've been." 

Likewise, in an April 2026 interview with E! News, the Oscar winner admitted that she may not have been able to give her kids undivided attention had she had them earlier. Swank also made it clear that she wasn't losing sleep over people labeling her situation a case of "geriatric" pregnancy, saying, "It all depends on what you think about yourself." Additionally, in an April 2025 YouTube video for Women's Health Magazine, the "P.S. I Love You" star shared that she wasn't using exercise as a means of getting back to her pre-pregnancy body but rather a way to honor the body that had enabled her to become a mother. 

In April 2019, 49-year-old Tamron Hall and her husband Steve Greener became first-time parents by welcoming their son, Moses. During a May 2019 People interview, the talk show host revealed that she had conceived through IVF following an emotionally draining journey. Hall recalled how she had viewed the fertility clinic as a bright place that was filled with hope when she started her journey in her 30s. However, as she faced numerous unsuccessful attempts to conceive and entered her 40s, her perspective on the building completely changed, and she started to see it with a dreary gray tint. 

Although the former "Today" show host was incredibly frustrated about why her IVF attempts weren't working, she still refused to give up hope. Notably, in a September 2019 Allure interview, Hall recalled how she had to return home from a trip early because she had forgotten her IVF medication at home, and she couldn't find it at a pharmacy near her. Moreover, Hall said that she felt that people talked a lot about what happens to your body when you do IVF treatments, but few discussed the emotional toll the isolating journey really took.

Speaking to Women's Health Magazine in February 2023, Hall shared that her struggles didn't end after she got pregnant either, as she then had to listen to other people's scary experiences with their pregnancies. Still, she refused to be deterred and was ultimately better for it. "I see my choices as perfect for me, and I'm grateful for every one of them," Hall said.

After turning 83 in 2023, Al Pacino became a father for the fourth time, welcoming son Roman Pacino with his then-girlfriend, 29-year-old Noor Alfallah. Speaking to BBC in October 2024, the iconic actor confirmed that his little bundle of joy had partially inspired him to write his memoir, "Sonny Boy." After explaining that the book would be a surefire way for Roman to know all about his father's life, Pacino said, "I want to be around for this child [...] I hope I stay healthy, and he knows who his dad is, of course." 

However, Pacino also didn't shy away from admitting that the idea of becoming a father at his age did give him pause initially. However, he ultimately found that fatherhood at his age had been incredibly "fun" and detailed how he would play harmonica for his little one over video calls so they could stay connected even when he was away. Likewise, in an October 2024 People interview, he dubbed his youngest child a "mini miracle." Sadly, all of Pacino's enthusiasm for parenting wasn't enough to fend off social media hate comments labeling him "selfish" for choosing to have a child at his age. 

While having a child in your 80s is unconventional, Pacino has quite the experience being an older father since he welcomed his first child, Julie Pacino, when he was 49 and twins, Anton and Olivia Pacino, at the age of 61. During the "Scarface" star's chat with People, he stated that fatherhood had completely transformed him in the best way possible. 

During a December 2015 interview with The Standard, 41-year-old Chloë Sevigny admitted that she felt it was "now-or-never time" to make her dreams of having children a reality. At the time, the "American Psycho" star was dating a younger man, who wasn't ready for the responsibility. Sevigny then detailed how women had to deal with the struggle of breaking up with someone they liked or had to go out and seek an older partner, all because their biological clock was ticking. She also acknowledged that although she had always dreamt she would have children naturally, she had eventually started to see alternative family expansion means as viable options. 

The 45-year-old would go on to welcome her son Vanja in May 2020 with her husband, Siniša Mačković. Speaking to Rolling Stone in May 2024, the "Kids" star shared that alternative avenues for conceiving hadn't worked for her, and she had only gotten pregnant naturally. Meanwhile, during a July 2025 chat with The Cut, Sevigny revealed that she had to get labor induced so that she could enter the hospital to get a COVID test before birth. Her birthing experience only got more complicated from there, and her infant son eventually wound up in the NICU. Thankfully, everything worked out just fine.

Sevigny credited her incredibly supportive husband with making their parenting journey easier, saying, "When I'm having one of my anxiety spirals, he'll always talk me down," she continued. "I can trust he can take care of everything, so I don't have to, and that's really relaxing."

Speaking to SELF Magazine in July 2019, Alanis Morissette shared that she always dreamt of having three children. However, after welcoming son Ever and daughter Onyx in 2010 and 2016, the musical icon struggled to conceive and faced pregnancy losses. Morissette wound up doing a deep dive into medicine to figure out how to make her dreams a reality. Thanks to all her hard work, which included everything from "extensive consistent blood work monitoring to trauma recovery work to multiple doctor and midwife appointments to many tests and surgeries," Morissette was able to welcome daughter Winter in 2019 at the age of 45. 

The "Ironic" hitmaker had already joined the ranks of celebrities who have been open about their postpartum mental health issues. So, she naturally didn't hesitate to share her postpartum mental health following her third pregnancy in an October 2019 CBS interview. Morissette shared that she was dealing with compulsive thoughts and terrifying images about the well-being of those who mattered the most to her. The Grammy winner was tackling the issue head-on through medication, meditation, and relying on her support circle. 

However, based on her past experiences, she knew that it would take her around two years or more to fully recover. Additionally, during an April 2020 chat with The Times UK, Morissette shared that she was tackling a culmination of two wildly different phases of life, labeling the period "lacto-menopause." To curb mood fluctuations that came with the phase, she had to actively distance herself from her family for a few minutes.