Hilary Swank Isn't The Only Celebrity To Get Pregnant After 50

Will actor Hilary Swank have a blue or pink surprise? It's anyone's guess. The 52-year-old star revealed her pregnancy on Instagram in October 2026 without sharing gender details, but Swank has shared one aspect of her news: Some people are giving her grief for entering into motherhood a third time later in life. Yet she's hardly the only celebrity to take the baby plunge past 40. In fact, mature motherhood — or, medically, "advanced maternal age" — has become a more commonplace, though statistically rare, occurrence. For example, many celebrities have become parents after 40, and a few, like Swank, have done so in their 50s.

To be fair, doctors do generally recommend that women get pregnant earlier, with science saying the best age for a woman to have a baby falls between their late 20s and early 30s. There's a practical reason behind this recommendation: Women are born with all the eggs they'll have, and 90% of those eggs are gone by the time they turn 30. That said, medicine has made it possible through fertility solutions for older women to become moms if they can't get pregnant without some help. As bioethicist Bonnie Steinbock told AARP, "People should be able to make their own decisions. Others may not like it, but the argument is this: It is none of their business."

For the record, Swank hasn't discussed whether she conceived naturally or used a fertility treatment. Still, when the big day arrives, she'll join a few other celebs who had babies after turning 50.

By the time actor Brigitte Nielsen was into her fifth marriage, she already had four sons. Yet she and her current husband felt that having a child together was the right decision. Accordingly, Nielsen went through fertility treatments for a decade, despite being told by medical professionals that her odds of being able to conceive were 2% at most. She successfully conceived in her early 50s, unlike some other celebrities who were sadly unable to conceive via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other fertility treatments.

In 2018, at age 54, Nielsen gave birth to a baby girl, her first daughter. "The best part of being a mom at my age is being my age," she explained to ABC News months afterward, adding that she was both happy and mature at that point in her life. Nielsen also admitted, "I have to be realistic that in 15 years, she'll be 15 years old, I will be 70," quipping, "I will look 50." Speaking to Today in 2019, Nielsen gave older motherhood mad props. "Life is amazing!" she raved. "I was 20 years old when I had my first baby, and I was so green, so concerned, so scared. Now, I'm just excited."

Singer Janet Jackson stunned fans when she announced in 2016 that she was pregnant at age 50 after cutting that year's tour short based on her doctor's recommendations. Perhaps even more surprising, Jackson gave no indication that her conception was assisted by reproductive technologies like in-vitro fertilization. However, some wondered whether she might have had medical help, given that it can be difficult for a woman to conceive on her own after turning 50. Noted obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Yvonne Bohn, "The actual likelihood that a woman at 50 will conceive spontaneously is probably less than 1 percent" (via CBS News).

Regardless of how Jackson became pregnant, she gave birth to a boy in January 2017. On his third birthday, she commented on Instagram, "3 yrs ago today God blessed me, at the age of 50, with the greatest gift of all. My baby! Happy Bday sweetheart." By the time he turned five, she explained to Grazia that being a first-time mom was a rewarding thrill. "I never knew I was as patient as I really am. He's first and foremost in my life. I get up, I go to sleep — everything is about him." Jackson, who split with her baby's father during her pregnancy, also talked about single motherhood being a complicated but rewarding gift. "My mother did it. Her mother did it. Why can't I?"

When actor Trina McGee got pregnant in 2024 in her 50s, she wanted to let the world know, so she posted an Instagram reel with a simple message: "At the tender age of 54 I have found myself pregnant." McGee had three other babies when she was a young adult, and sounded as if she was ready for another round of motherhood.

In June 2024, McGee told "Good Morning America" that she hoped by sharing her news that other women might feel uplifted. "When I was typing [my Instagram post], that's what I was feeling, like there's somebody out there that is dealing with this that might need a little help and inspiration," she recalled. McGee also revealed that she took an exotic elixir made of wild yam extract and other ingredients to help keep her hormones at healthy levels for a pregnancy.

Sadly, the pregnancy wasn't meant to be. Appearing on "Tamron Hall" in September 2024, McGee revealed that she miscarried. Early pregnancy loss occurs in approximately 10% of pregnancies, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the risk rises if the woman is older than 35. Although her family was heartbroken, McGee remained positive about getting pregnant, telling Hall, "I was still so grateful to have the experience of being able to conceive at this age."