Eva Mendes – 40 & 42
Actress Eva Mendes had often said in interviews that she didn’t want to have children, but all of that changed when she met her current husband. Considering she’s married to Ryan Gosling, we can all understand her change of heart. Who wouldn’t want to procreate with a man who looks like that?
Mendes has explained that after falling in love with Gosling, she wanted nothing more than to have his children. They welcomed their first child, Esmeralda Amada, in 2014 when Mendes was 40 years old. Their second daughter, Amada Lee, was born two years later in 2016 when the actress was 42.
Christie Brinkley - 40 & 44
Over the years, Christie Brinkley has been married four times, three of which resulted in children. She had her first child when married to a famed musician, Billy Joel. Alexa Ray was born in 1985 when Brinkley was barely 30-years-old. Nearly a decade later, Brinkley welcomed her second child, Jack. Born in 1995 during her marriage to real estate developer Richard Taubman, the former model was 40 years old.
Brinkley’s marriage to Taubman was short-lived, though, and the model married her fourth husband, architect Peter Halsey Cook, in 1996. Their daughter, Sailor Lee, was born just two years later through the use of IVF when Brinkley was 44. She and Cook split in 2008.
Rachel Zoe - 42
Fashion designer and reality star Rachel Zoe was already a mother when she learned that she was pregnant in her forties. She and her husband, Rodger Berman, welcomed their second child in 2013. Their son Jack was born when Zoe was 42 years old and was a massive surprise to the couple.
While the pregnancy may not have been planned, their son was a blessing nonetheless. In an interview, Zoe expressed their gratitude saying, "We are beyond excited for Skyler to have a sibling and for us to fall in love all over again. We feel incredibly blessed." Too sweet!
Salma Hayek - 41
Actress Salma Hayek married French businessman François-Henri Pinault in 2009. Before that, the actress gave birth to a daughter, Valentina. Since she was focusing on her career for most of her twenties and thirties, Hayek was 41 years old by the time she started a family. She has often noted in interviews how pregnancy helped her fall in love with her body.
"I gained so much weight,” Hayek explained. “I got an opportunity to see myself completely disfigured in many different ways — for an excellent reason — and I don't regret it for a second.” She learned that the parts of her body that she would often criticize held a purpose, and they weren’t as bad as she had initially thought. While Hayek feels her childbearing years have come to an end, you never know these days!
Laura Linney - 49
American actress and singer Laura Linney had a child later in life when most women have long since begun menopause. She married her second husband, Marc Schauer, in 2009, and after many years of trying, she finally got pregnant. Together they have a son, Bennett Armistead.
Born in 2014, Linney gave birth to Benett at the age of 49. She was able to conceal her pregnancy well and even skipped significant award shows to keep her baby bump hidden. While she doesn’t suggest becoming a parent late in life, she’s incredibly grateful for the opportunity to raise a child. She often refers to her experience as life-changing!