Why Angelina Jolie Is a Breast Cancer Previvor and a Hero

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Dina Roth Port, mom of two children and frequent contributor to Parents. She is also the author of Previvors: Facing the Breast Cancer Gene and Making Life-Changing Decisions.

You might not like some of her movies. You might think she’s a little out there (at least during those Billy Bob Thornton years.) You might be a little peeved that she can take care of six kids and still look poised and breathtakingly beautiful all the time.

Whether you like her or not, one thing is for sure: Angelina Jolie is a hero. She’s using her celebrity for good by telling women with a genetic predisposition for breast cancer that they are not alone. Some may fear dealing with tough decisions alone, not realizing there are thousands upon thousands of other women who completely understand what they’re going through.

In today’s issue of The New York Times, Jolie publicly shared her very personal decision to have a prophylactic double mastectomy. As she says in her op-ed piece, “I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.”

Jolie’s letting women around the world know that they no longer have to live in fear of breast cancer. They have options. They can determine cancer risk by testing for a BRCA mutation and taking charge of their health in ways that previous generations never could. Jolie knows this all too well. When she tested positive for a BRCA1 gene, she knew she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer and a 44% chance of developing ovarian cancer. She knew she was a previvor — someone who has not had cancer but who has a high risk for developing it. Since her mom died of ovarian cancer just six years ago, Jolie knew that it was a major red flag that there might be a BRCA mutation in the family. After finding out that she did inherit the mutation, she decided to do something about it.

Of course, there are naysayers: “I can’t relate to Angelina Jolie. She’s a celebrity with endless resources. Her life is nothing like mine.” But getting a double mastectomy is a very difficult, personal decision for any woman, as I learned interviewing the five women featured in my book, Previvors: Facing the Breast Cancer Gene and Making Life-Changing Decisions, all of whom had to make choices — some had surgery, some did not — just like Jolie. Sure, she may be a famous, multimillionaire engaged to Brad Pitt, but Jolie’s still a woman taking steps that can potentially save her life. And, as a mother, Jolie decided she would do what she needed to do to protect her children (just like any mother would). She is showing women that, after surgery, it is still possible to look and feel feminine and whole. She is also showing women that it’s possible to make tough decisions and still have the support of a loving partner.

I thank Jolie for sharing her story and for encouraging women to learn about the ways they can protect themselves. She is incredibly brave for doing so, particularly since her journey is not over. Thank you, Angelina Jolie, for putting such a public face to the word “previvor.”

More about breast cancer on Parents.com

• Doing Battle Against Breast Cancer
• 6 Ways to Tell Your Kids About Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer Risks and Myths

Image: Angelina Jolie in Berlin via Shutterstock.

Celebrity Couples Share the Joys of Parenthood

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

From Angelina Jolie’s hope of being a good role model to Victoria Beckham’s wish for a manual on motherhood, let’s see what Hollywood parents have to say about parenthood.

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are parents to six children: Maddox, 12, Pax, 9, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 6, and 4-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. While the high-profile couple try to maintain a private life, they’ve been known to gush about their kids every now and again.

“There are far too many things to count,” Angelina said about the joys of motherhood. “But everything that matters in life has to do with being a parent.”

While she’s had a colorful past, the actress is honored to be considered a role model.

“I was such a punk for so long, you can’t imagine you’d be anybody’s role model,” she said. “I’m very grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to do some things that have allowed me to be a role model. I hope I’m [a role model] for my children, and especially for my daughters.”

And Brad recently opened up about his favorite role — fatherhood. “It’s been a family type of year, a down-home type of year,” he said. “Mama’s worked more. And quite frankly I’ve really enjoyed it.”

According to the Golden Globe-winning actor, nothing brings him greater joy than his family-of-eight.

“You know, I don’t know that we’re finished,” he said of adding to their brood. “Those late nights are so fun when one of them’s up or those mornings when they get up and make pancakes or something. That’s what it’s about.”

David & Victoria Beckham

Soccer star David Beckham and his wife of thirteen years, Posh Spice Victoria Beckham, are parents to four kids: sons Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, 10, Cruz, 8, and daughter Harper, 1.

The famous footballer said another child would be “amazing,” and he is often heard gushing about his big brood.

“She’s so beautiful,” David said about his baby girl. “There’s no more love for a daughter than there is a son, but it’s just different…I still think ‘Oh God, I can’t believe this, I’ve got a girl.’ And to see the boys with her it’s incredible. When they walk into the room, her little face lights up.”

And the singer-turned-fashion designer mama has also spoken about the joys of family life.

“Well, you know when you get a TV you get a manual? Well, there isn’t one for motherhood,” Victoria said. “I’m constantly trying to figure it out and questioning whether I’m doing it right. But I’m so proud of my kids. They are very well-mannered. We’ve always been very strict with the kids. That’s the way David and myself were brought up. But they’re free spirits as well. They laugh. They joke. They have fantastic personalities. I love hanging out with them.”

Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner

Married for seven years, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck seem like one of the happiest couples in Hollywood with their three adorable kids: daughters Violet, 7, and Seraphina, 4, and 1-year-old son Samuel.

“It’s so important to me that they grow up with a healthy self-esteem, confidence and knowing just where to kick if they need to,” Jennifer said of raising her kids. “You want to set the best example you can for them in every way. You want them to grow up and be proud of you.”

During one of his many acceptance speeches this awards season for his mega hit Argo, Ben couldn’t help but gush about his seemingly-perfect family-of-five.

“I want to thank my three kids Violet, Sera, and Sam, I love you guys,” Ben said. “And I want to thank my wife. She’s the reason I’m standing here. I adore you, I love you so much. Thanks for sitting through this. You’re my everything.”

He added: “I want our daughters to break boundaries.”

Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale

Rockstar couple Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani have been married for ten years and are parents to sons Kingston, 7, and Zuma, 4. The longtime couple have spoken about their happy family life.

“Kingston still likes the drums, but he’s into everything now,” Gavin gushed. “He’s always busy doing things. We’re just trying to give them lots of opportunities. Zuma is really into the guitar. If I’m playing he’ll come and jam with me – he’ll sit with me, it’s really fun. He moves his hands up and down. His positioning and charisma are amazing. He’s so relaxed, looks great!”

And Gwen has been open about the challenges and rewards of motherhood.

“It’s super fun being a mom, but it’s not what you think it’s going to be,” Gwen admitted. “And it’s really gradual. At first, your life is totally the same. You have this cute little thing that you get to drive around everywhere and you’re so proud and it’s amazing. And as they grow older, it really does start to change your life. Like, oh my God, they have school, they have to get through first grade, they have to learn to read.”

More Celebrity Parenting News:

Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals Tragic Miscarriage

Tina Fey on Mommy Chat Rooms

Jessica Simpson Brings Daughter Maxwell to Work

CelebrityBabyScoop.com is one of the most popular blogs on the topic and the foremost provider of everything celebrity-baby, featuring baby fashion, baby names, baby trends and up-to-the-minute celebrity baby gossip and pics. Get all the latest news, updates, and photos about Hollywood’s most beloved celebrity moms, dads and their babies. Who’s the latest Tinseltown baby? Who’s due next and who just announced a pregnancy? It’s all on Celebrity Baby Scoop.

Tinseltown’s Tots Go Trick-or-Treating

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

Could you imagine the likes of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt or Honor Warren coming to your front door on Halloween night? Celebrity Baby Scoop is taking a look at 15 celebrity families that love to go trick-or-treating with their tots in their swanky neighborhoods.

1. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

RadarOnline caught Brangelina and their brood trick-or-treating in the Los Angeles area on Halloween night.

Brad Pitt looked hilarious dressed up as DJ Lance Rock from the kids TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! His leading lady, Angelina Jolie, went as the walking dead, while Maddox was a dead army soldier, Zahara was Batgirl, and Shiloh was a jet fighter.

2. Christina Aguilera

Grammy Award-winning singer Christina Aguilera was spotted with son Max trick-or-treating in Brentwood, Calif. on Halloween night. The mother-son duo looked adorable in their matching skeleton costumes.

3. Scott Baio

See Dad Run star Scott Baio and wife Renee have big plans for their daughter Bailey, nearly 5, this Halloween.

“Bailey got a witch Minnie Mouse costume that has orange and black polka dots, and we will go trick-or-treating up in our neighborhood,” Scott recently told Celebrity Baby Scoop. “There are hundreds of kids that come up here, so it is a lot of fun.”

When she was just 2, Bailey buzzed along as a bee in their Los Angeles neighborhood.

“We went trick-or-treating in our Toluca Lake neighborhood,” Renee said. “It’s very festive for Halloween. They close down some of the streets. Buses drop children off by what looks to be in the hundreds. A lot of the parents/adults dress up too. A few of the homes (the Kerns family – the juice makers – and the Disney family) really go out with turning their property into a haunted house scene.”

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Spitting Image: Celebrities and Their Little Lookalikes

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

Who are some of the closest lookalike mother-daughter duos in Hollywood? What about father-son, or father-daughter, or even mother-son pairs?

Celebrity Baby Scoop takes a look at 15 celebrities and their spitting images. From Reese Witherspoon and daughter Ava, to the late Heath Ledger and daughter Matilda, to Gwyneth Paltrow and daughter Apple, here’s a look at Tinseltown’s mini-me’s.

1. Reese Witherspoon and her 13-year-old daughter Ava might be the closest lookalike pair in Hollywood! Reese and her 8-year-old son Deacon also look similar, but we think he looks more like papa Ryan Phillippe. No?

2. Cindy Crawford and her 11-year-old daughter Kaia are a close second to Reese and Ava. This gorgeous mother-daughter duo are spotted all over Los Angeles in their funky duds. Not to mention, Kaia’s 13-year-old brother Presley and dad Rande Gerber are just as beautiful.

3. Gwyneth Paltrow‘s daughter is the apple of her eye! There’s no doubt about it, Apple, 8, looks just like her mama. Gwyneth and her husband Chris Martin are also parents to 6-year-old son Moses, another close lookalike for the stunning actress.

4. Tina Fey has a mini-me: her 7-year-old daughter Alice! Tina and her longtime love, husband Jeff Richmond, are also parents to 1-year-old daughter Penelope. We hope to see more of Tina’s baby to see if she is also looks like her hilarious mama.

5. Julianne Moore and her 10-year-old daughter Liv are one of the cutest mother-daughter duos in Hollywood! We love this redheaded pair who look so much alike. Julianne and her husband Bart Freundlich are also parents to 14-year-old son Cal — not so much of a resemblance there!

6. Adam Sandler and his 6-year-old daughter Sadie look so much alike that she was cast to play his young identical twin sister in his movie Jack and Jill! Adam and his wife Jackie are also parents to 3-year-old daughter Sunny, who also resembles her funny dad.

7. Mark Consuelos and his 15-year-old son Michael have often been called one of the closest father-son lookalikes in Hollywood. Mark and his lovely wife Kelly Ripa are also parents to daughter Lola, 11, and son Joaquin, 9, but we don’t see the strong resemblance with the younger two. Do you?

8. Teri Hatcher and her 14-year-old daughter Emerson are such a pretty pair! The lookalike mother-daughter duo seem like the best of friends and are often seen out lunching and shopping together. Emerson is Teri’s only child, whom she had with ex-husband Jon Tenney.

9. Heidi Klum and her 8-year-old daughter Leni are blonde beauties! Often seen at the playground, out for lunch, or just strolling in SoHo, Heidi’s oldest child is definitely her mini-me. Heidi and estranged husband Seal are also parents to sons Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and 2-year-old daughter Lou.

10. Angelina Jolie seems to have passed down her luscious lips and overall stunning good looks to her 4-year-old daughter Vivienne. There’s no question that her other biological children – Vivienne’s twin Knox and 6-year-old daughter Shiloh – also look like her, but we think the strongest resemblance is with Vivi. No?

11. Jennifer Garner finally got her boy, and we think he’s the spitting image of mama! Baby Samuel, 6 months, seems to have Jen’s beautiful eyes. While big sisters Violet, 6, and Seraphina, 3, also look like mom, we think Jen’s boy looks most like her.

12. Heath Ledger died too soon at the age of 28. But before his tragic passing, he welcomed a daughter, Matilda, with actress Michelle Williams. Now nearly 7, Matilda is the spitting image of her late father. May his memory live on in her beautiful smile.

13. Britney Spears‘ boys – Sean Preston, 7, and Jayden James, 6 – are both little lookalikes to their gorgeous mama! It seems the boys have gotten their mother’s good genes, making them some of the cutest celebrity kids around. The boys’ father is Brit’s ex-husband, former backup dance Kevin Federline.

14. Uma Thurman‘s 14-year-old daughter Maya could play her younger self in a movie! We recently spotted the pretty pair out with Uma’s newborn daughter and we couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance. Uma and her ex-husband Ethan Hawke are also parents to 10-year-old son Levon.

15. Kris Jenner and her infamous daughter Kim Kardashian, 31, are one of the most photographed lookalike duos in Hollywood. The mother-daughter team not only look like each other, they spend countless hours working together on their reality TV show and many other endeavors. Kris’ five other children also share a strong resemblance with the famous matriarch.

More Celebrity parenting stories from Celebrity Baby Scoop:

Jessica Simpson’s Bikini Baby

Most Adorable Celeb Mom and Baby Pics Of The Week

Ali Landry: “We are Open To Having Another Baby”

5 Celebrity Moms Share Back-to-School Tips

Fun In The Sun: 15 Celebrity Families Hit The Beach

Celebrity Baby Scoop is one of the most popular blogs on the topic and the foremost provider of everything celebrity-baby, featuring baby fashion, baby names, baby trends and up-to-the-minute celebrity baby gossip and pics. Get all the latest news, updates, and photos about Hollywood’s most beloved celebrity moms, dads and their babies. Who’s the latest Tinseltown baby? Who’s due next and who just announced a pregnancy? It’s all on Celebrity Baby Scoop.

The 10 Best-Dressed Celebrity Moms

Thursday, August 16th, 2012

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

We love seeing our favorite celebrity moms in their everyday funky fashions. Whether it’s Jessica Alba’s newest scarf, or Victoria Beckham’s sky-high stilettos, we can’t get enough of Tinseltown’s latest trends.

According to CelebrityBabyScoop’s recent Readers’ Choice Awards, these are the 10 best-dressed, high-profile mamas in Hollywood:

1. Victoria Beckham

Mom-of-four Victoria Beckham never ceases to amaze us with her signature Louboutins, sleek designs and overall flair for fashion. Does she ever wear yoga pants and jeans like most moms? Probably not, and that’s why we love Vicki’s mom style the most.

2. Jessica Alba

Often seen in scarves, fedoras, and carrying oversized bags, actress Jessica Alba is dressed to impress while out and about with her two daughters. While her daughters sometimes steal the show in their own fashion statements, Jessica keeps the trends current with layers, patterns, and bright splashes of color.

3. Jennifer Garner

Mom-of-three Jennifer Garner is our favorite celebrity mom year after year. And it’s her carefree, casual fashions that make us love her even more! Often spotted in jeans, tees, and cardigans, Jen usually keeps it low-key in little to no makeup and sneakers. While some criticize the actress for her casual attire, most of us are happy to see a Hollywood star dress like us everyday moms!

4. Gwen Stefani

From street chic to Hollywood glam, Gwen Stefani knows how to rock the trends! A successful fashion designer in her own right, Gwen often talks about the importance of fashion and maintaining her image in Hollywood. And not to mention her sons’ funky duds! We always love seeing what Gwen and her boys are wearing.

5. Angelina Jolie

It’s rare to see Angelina Jolie in casual clothes and colors. The mom-of-six is often sporting black skirts and dresses, paired with heels and shades. Although she has such a busy household, Angie always looks polished and stylish, giving her the No. 5 spot on our best dressed list.

And rounding out the top 10 best dressed celebrity moms are Nicole Richie, Selma Blair, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, and Pink.

Who’s your favorite fashionista?

More Celebrity Mom & Baby Stories from CelebrityBabyScoop:

Pics: Favorite Celebs & Their Adorable Families

Alison Sweeney: “I Stay Healthy For My Kids, My Husband & For Me”

5 Celebrity Moms Explain Their Colorful Past To Their Kids

Celebrity Moms On Losing the Baby Weight

Kendra Wilkinson On Playboy Past, Motherhood, Baby No. 2

Celebrity Baby Scoop is one of the most popular blogs on the topic and the foremost provider of everything celebrity-baby, featuring baby fashion, baby names, baby trends and up-to-the-minute celebrity baby gossip and pics. Get all the latest news, updates, and photos about Hollywood’s most beloved celebrity moms, dads and their babies. Who’s the latest Tinseltown baby? Who’s due next and who just announced a pregnancy? It’s all on Celebrity Baby Scoop.

A Look at 10 Hollywood Adoptions

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

Thanks to A-list couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Hollywood has put adoption in the spotlight.

From Malawi, to Korea, to the United States, CelebrityBabyScoop takes a look at some international and domestic adoptions from our favorite celebrity families. And hear about the joys from some of the most high-profile adoptive parents.

Jillian Michaels:
The Biggest Loser star Jillian Michaels and her partner Heidi Rhoades became parents to two children in May: A 2-year-old daughter Lukensia and a newborn son Phoenix.

“About three and a half years ago I began dating my partner Heidi,” Jillian shared on her road toward motherhood. “We had a very easy going, comfortable and no-pressure relationship. And a year or so into our relationship, I decided I want to adopt.”

The celebrity trainer went on to say the adoption process was not easy, and after a year and a half of waiting for a referral from Africa, she switched gears.

“I switched all my paperwork over to Haiti and I get a phone call one day,” she shared. “Heidi is now trying to get pregnant for five months now. They say, ‘We have a referral for you,’ which means they’ve matched you with a child. I was like, ‘This is unbelievable, this is great!’ I come home and tell Heidi, and in less than 24 hours she says, ‘By the way, I’m pregnant.’ ”

Charlize Theron:
Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron, who stars in Snow White and the Huntsman and Prometheus this summer, shocked fans with her baby news in March. The actress adopted a baby boy named Jackson.

Charlize recently opened up about a letter she wrote at 8-years-old, sharing her plans for a future adoption.

“My mother found [it]. It said, ‘Would you please take me to orphanage, so that I can go and adopt a baby?’ I always knew I would adopt – always,” she shared.

Sandra Bullock:
Not only did Sandra Bullock become an Academy Award-winner in 2010, she also become a mom. The Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close actress adopted a New Orleans-born boy, Louis, in January 2010.

Now 2-years-old, Louis has become Sandra’s greatest joy: “He’s just perfect, I can’t even describe him any other way.”

Sandra opened up about the first time she laid eyes on her gorgeous son:

“The first time I met Louis, it was like the whole outside world got quiet,” she said. “It was like he had always been a part of our lives. All I said when I met him was, ‘Oh, there you are.’”

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10 Fashion Forward Celebrity Kids

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

Move over young Hollywood — these mini fashionistas are taking over as the new trendsetters in Tinseltown!

With fashion designers as moms, it’s no wonder that celeb kids such as Kingston Rossdale, Skyler Berman, Suri Cruise and Harper Beckham are seen in today’s top fashions.

“It is too much fun. It is like dressing a live doll,” Rachel Zoe said of dressing her 1-year-old son Skyler with husband Rodger Berman. “He has no opinion. Every minute I have to buy things for my son,” she confessed.

And not to mention Suri Cruise‘s fashion statements!

Her mom Katie Holmes came clean about Suri’s lack of weather-appropriate attire, admitting it can be “embarrassing.”

“Recently, Suri and I were taking a walk and a fight got started because it was cold outside and she didn’t want to wear her coat,” Katie said. “My philosophy is, well, fine, because after a block of walking you’re going to ask me for your coat. So the pictures of her [without a coat in cold weather] are sort of embarrassing.”

Suri’s Top Gun papa, Tom Cruise, has also weighed in on Suri’s much-talked-about fashion choices — such as her heels and lipstick.

“Listen, I believe that she (should wear) whatever she wants to wear,” Tom said. “She dresses herself. I want to encourage her creativity and her own self-expression. I think that’s important for the child’s own identity.”

The doting daddy went on to say that Suri is “so sweet” that it’s hard to say “no” to her.

With Harper Beckham‘s mom making a name for herself in the fashion industry, it’s no stretch to hear that her wardrobe is full of fancy duds!

“She has so many little dresses!” dad David Beckham said of his 11-month-old daughter with Victoria Beckham. “I didn’t realize how excited I would get over buying hair bows.”

Harper looked cute as a button when we spotted the mini-fashionista with her posh mama at LAX, sporting a Little Marc Jacobs Isis Even Stripe Dress ($119) and a pair of Chloe tights ($50).

The always stylish Gwen Stefani said she lets her stylish 6-year-old son Kingston pick out his own clothes.

“At that age they like to be in control of everything, so I let him choose,” the L.A.M.B. designer said. “Luckily, everything in his closet is cute so no matter what he picks, he’s gonna look good. For a while he was into costumes. Now he doesn’t even want to wear shoes.”

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10 Celebrities Who Give Parenting Advice

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.

Who do you turn to for parenting advice? Your own mother, your friends or other family members?

Or maybe you look to celebrity parents for their thoughts on parenting? Angelina Jolie advises parents to let their children “express themselves,” Tom Cruise says he doesn’t like to say “no” to his little girl, while Gisele Bündchen feels all new moms should be legislated to breastfeed. Take a look through our list of 10 celebrities and their top parenting advice.

Angelina Jolie:

Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie and her longtime love Brad Pitt are parents to six kids: Maddox, 10, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 5, and 3-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. And although they have such a big brood, their 5-year-old sure knows how to make headlines with her tomboy image!

Angle has said that Shiloh is “fascinating,” and elaborated on the fact that her daughter dresses “like a little dude…I would never be the kind of parent to force somebody to be something they are not,” Angelina said. “I think that is just bad parenting… Children should be allowed to express themselves in whatever way they wish without anybody judging them because it is an important part of their growth.”

Katie Holmes:

Dawson’s Creek alum Katie Holmes and husband, Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise, have a 5-year-old fashionista on their hands! While everyone around her is bundled up in warm winter sweaters or coats, their daughter Suri is often seen with bare arms and legs.

Katie came clean about Suri’s lack of weather-appropriate attire, admitting it can be “embarrassing.”

“Recently, Suri and I were taking a walk and a fight got started because it was cold outside and she didn’t want to wear her coat,” Katie said. “My philosophy is, well, fine, because after a block of walking you’re going to ask me for your coat. So the pictures of her [without a coat in cold weather] are sort of embarrassing.”

Suri’s Top Gun papa has also weighed in on Suri’s much-talked-about fashion choices — such as her heels and lipstick. “Listen, I believe that she (should wear) whatever she wants to wear,” Tom said. “She dresses herself. I want to encourage her creativity and her own self-expression. I think that’s important for the child’s own identity.”

The doting daddy went on to say that Suri is “so sweet” that it’s hard to say “no” to her.

Gisele Bündchen:

Model mom Gisele Bündchen has been known to speak her mind! Seven months after welcoming her son Benjamin with husband Tom Brady, the Brazilian beauty declared that breastfeeding should be made mandatory by law. “Some people here (in the US) think they don’t have to breastfeed, and I think ‘Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?’ I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months,” Gisele said.

After a public uproar, the new mom clarified her thoughts about breastfeeding and the impact caused by her comment. “My intention in making a comment about the importance of breastfeeding has nothing to do with the law,” Gisele wrote on her blog. “It comes from my passion and beliefs about children. Becoming a new mom has brought a lot of questions, I feel like I am in a constant search for answers on what might be the best for my child. It’s unfortunate that in an interview sometimes things can seem so black and white. I am sure if I would just be sitting talking about my experiences with other mothers, we would just be sharing opinions. I understand that everyone has their own experience and opinions and I am not here to judge. I believe that bringing a life into this world is the single most important thing a person can undertake and it can also be the most challenging. I think as mothers we are all just trying our best.”

Jennifer Garner:

Jennifer Garner became a mother-of-three earlier this week when she welcomed her third child, son Samuel, with husband Ben Affleck. She is one of our favorite celebrity moms year after year, and when she talks about role modeling for her daughters Violet, 6, and Seraphina, 3, it’s easy to see why she gets the popular vote.

“I try really hard to put my phone down [ever since] my daughter pretended to take something out of one of her little purses and was like, ‘I’ve got an email – hang on one second,’” Jen said.

The Alias alum went on to encourage mother’s to stop judging one another, and start supporting each other. “I will tell you what I can’t abide – and I think the Internet has really created a space for it – women criticizing other women and mothers criticizing other mothers,” Jen shared. “It just makes me crazy, whether it’s between staying at home, going to work, how long you breastfeed, if you use formula. I feel like we should just assume everyone is doing the best they can. Women should take care of each other, not tear each other down. I would just like to see a mother who really believes that she has done it all so right, you know what I mean?”

Michael J. Fox:

While Michael J. Fox was once best known for his Back to the Future films, he is now widely known as an advocate for Parkinson’s Disease, a condition he was diagnosed with in 1991. The father-of-four often speaks out on the importance of family. “Always be available to your kids,”Michael advised. “Because if you say, ‘Give me five minutes, give me ten minutes,’ it’ll be 15, it’ll be 20. And then when you get there, the shine will have worn off whatever it is they wanted to share with you. I’ve never gotten up to see something one of my kids wanted to show me and not been rewarded.”

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