Motherhood at 40: Celeb mums who gave birth in their 40s

Taiwanese actress Alyssa Chia tied the knot with fellow actor Xiu Jie Kai in Bali in 2015. At age 40, the award-winning actress — who most recently bagged the Best Leading Actress award at the Golden Horse Awards in 2021 for her stunning performance in The Falls — gave birth to two daughters Hsiu Yun Fei and Hsiu Shih Yu in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

J-pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 43, is a mother of two. She gave birth to her second child in May 2021, announcing on her official website that she had “added an important family member in spring”, and believed that she “can bring happiness to my children”.

Most recently, Hamasaki released her new single titled Nonfiction. This year marks the 24th anniversary of her singing career. She made her debut in 1998 with the single Poker Face and went on to become one of the best-selling Japanese solo artistes of all time.

South Korean actress Choi Ji-woo, 46, welcomed her first child in May 2021.

Known for her roles in many TV series, including Stairway To Heaven (2003) and Temptation (2014), Choi surprised her fans in March 2018 when she announced her marriage to her boyfriend, who is nine years her junior and the owner of an information technology firm.

This month (May 2022), Choi makes a special appearance in tvN rom-com series Sh**ting Stars, playing a legendary actress who’s revered for her acting chops.

The 41-year-old actress and model gave birth to son earlier this year in January. This is her second child with Chinese rock musician Wang Feng after tying the knot in 2015. She gave birth to her first child, Wang Xingxing, in December 2015.

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Iconic Korean actress Lee Young-ae who’s most famous for her role in Dae Jang Geum, gave birth to twins in 2011 when she was 40. She’s known for her appearances in thriller film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and historical television series Saimdang, Memoir of Colours.

This 67-year-old Taiwanese actress was the talk of the town decades ago when she starred in numerous films and television shows such as Love Massacre (1981) and Peking Opera Blues (1986).

In 1994, she married Chinese businessman Michael Ying and gave birth to her first child at 42 years of age. She became pregnant again in 2001 and gave birth to her second daughter at 47.

Our Ah Jie Fann Wong, 51, gave birth to her son Zed Lee in 2014. Even more special: He was born on National Day (August 9).

Halle Berry became pregnant for the first time at 41 years old and gave birth to her daughter, Nahla in 2008. The 55-year-old Oscar-winning actress welcomed her son Maceo Robert Martinez in 2013.

Singer Gwen Stefani gave birth to her third son at 45, in 2014.

Movie star Eva Mendes, 48, and her partner Ryan Gosling, 41, welcomed their first child, Esmeralda Amada Gosling in 2014. Two years later, they welcomed their second child, Amada Lee Gosling.

In a recent Mother’s Day interview with TODAY, Eva revealed more about her choice of becoming a mum in her 40s. “I just didn’t feel — really it wasn’t until I met Ryan and fell in love,” she said. “But also as a woman, I just wasn’t ready. It’s such a personal choice for a woman, obviously.”

In 2002, at the age of 42, American actress Julianne Moore gave birth to her second child, Liv Freundlich. The mother-and-daughter recently fronted a Bulgari photoshoot for Harper’s Bazaar US (see above).

Together with her hubby, American film director Bart Freundlich, Julianne also has an elder son named Caleb Freundlich.

Uma Thurman gave birth to her third child, a daughter, when she was 42 in 2012.

Actress Salma Hayek told Oprah she waited until she was 41 to have her daughter in order to “relax into being a mother.”

Tina Fey welcomed her second child almost a decade ago in 2011, with husband Jeff Richmond, when she was 41.

Game of Thrones star Lena Heady was 42 when she gave birth to her second child in July 2015.

The iconic, Grammy-winning singer welcomed two bundles of joy at 42, when she gave birth to twins after multiple IVF sessions.

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman gave birth to her daughter at age 40 in 2008, in what she described as a “roller coaster ride with fertility.”

Singer Mariah Carey gave birth to twins at age 40, after a 47-week-long pregnancy. Her then-husband Nick Cannon celebrated by giving her a US$12,000 pink diamond and sapphire necklace, engraved with the twins’ names.

Not much is known about Meryl Streep’s private life, but it is known that she gave birth to her fourth child, Louisa Jacobson Gummer in 1991, days before her 42nd birthday.

American actress Susan Sarandon was told by doctors that she’d never have children due to a medical condition, but she gave birth to two sons when she was 42 and 45.

Before she adopted her son David in 2006, 63-year-old Madonna gave birth to her first child at age 41, together with her then-husband, Guy Ritchie.

A portion of this article was originally published on The Straits Times and AsiaOne.

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