Brigitte Nielsen Slams the Double Standard Moms Face When They Welcome a Baby Later in Life
Brigitte Nielsen doesn’t have time for mom shamers. The 60-year-old is too busy being a dedicated mom to her 5-year-old daughter Frida — and anyone who feels negatively about that can take a step back.
“Half the world was saying that [I was too old] when I got pregnant at 55 — including my four older sons,” the Red Sonja star told PEOPLE in a new interview, referring to sons Raoul, 28, Aaron, 30, Killian, 33, and Julian, 39, from previous relationships.
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“But first of all, there’s no such thing as ‘too old,'” she continued. “We don’t say that to men who have children in their 60s, 70s, even 80s! Look at Robert De Niro. He’s 79, and he has a 7-month-old.” Say less, sister! Men may get a chuckle and an eyeroll, but nobody truly cares because they assume their younger partner (in De Niro’s case, 45-year-old Tiffany Chen) will take care of the baby. But for Nielsen and her husband Mattia Dessi, 45, the haters are coming out in full force.
The former model counters that she feels like she is a better mom at her age now. “You know how kids say grandmothers are the best? I feel like I have that mindset and emotion. I have the patience and that extra bit of love to give now, and I think it’s because I’m a grandmother’s age,” she told PEOPLE.
“When I was a younger mom, I was often juggling being single, being on a plane, on a movie set. Now Frida comes first,” she added.
Nielsen revealed that it took 13 years of IVF before she got pregnant with Frida at age 54. “The doctor warned me to be realistic about my chances,” she explained. “He told me I had a two and a half percent chance of getting pregnant, so when it finally happened, it was just amazing. And then there was fear, because I was such high-risk, being 54.”
Did you know these celebrity mams have welcomed babies after 40 years old?! ?? https://t.co/Pwcb4z1gql
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Nielson announced her pregnancy in May 2018 with gorgeous photos of her baby bump. “Family getting larger ??,” she captioned one post.
In another, she shared, “happy time ??positive vibes.”
She received tons of mean comments on the post, and it seems like the cruel-hearted nature of her parenting decisions haven’t eased up over the years.
In a Feb. 2019 interview with The Guardian, the ’80s movie star shared, “I get a lot of letters and emails from women, so excited that I’ve given them the courage.” She added that there have been a lot of mixed feelings about her reproductive choices. “Some find it ridiculous, some find it awful, and some love it,” she continued. “I don’t really think it’s anyone’s business. It’s my husband and my life and we love what we do.”
She added, “When people say you were 54 — yeah, well, what about all the men who are in their 60s, 70s, 80s?”
Sometimes, even her daughter thinks her mom is old (but what kid doesn’t?). “As for Frida, she’ll say: ‘Mom, you’re an old hag.’ And I’ll say: ‘Frida, I’m the best mom you ever had.’”
Nothing silences the haters like proving them wrong, and Nielsen is doing a great job!
These celebrity moms have been body-shamed during their pregnancies.
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