Oh no! Divorce news from Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's divorce news is no longer just tabloid fodder, the couple have confirmed they're splitting up after 10 years of marriage.

"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce," they said in a joint statement that was released to E! News on Tuesday.

"We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time."

Those children are, as I'm sure you'll recall, are 9-year-old Violet, 6-year-old Seraphina, and 3-year-old Samuel. Despite the fact rumors of trouble in their marriage making headlines I'm quite surprised to see Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are really divorcing.

It was just last September (about the time these photos of the two were taken) the Gone Girl star actor blasted similar reports in the press.

"See, that's tabloid s--t. That's all bulls--t," the father of three told Details. "They completely lie. I mean, I can show you 10 articles of Starand OK!—those magazines feel totally comfortable absolutely fictionalizing every single element of the story. And there's nothing you can do about that. My only hope is that people with any common sense recognize that those stories are false."

Gosh darn it, Ben. I did think the stories were false and now it turns out they weren't!

I don't consider myself any kind of superfan of the Garner-Afflecks, but I do hate to see what appeared to be a happy family splitting. We've written so much about these two and their kids over the years that I can't help but feel a bit sad to see these parents parting ways.

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Are you surprised to see Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck divorce?

Photos: PR Photos

 

Oliver and Kate Hudson publicly disowned by their father

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Thing are getting ugly between Bill Hudson and his two famous children. Oliver and Kate Hudson have been publicly disowned by their biological father after a Father's Day Instagram post.

Sharing a throwback photo Oliver pointedly wrote, "Happy abandonment day... @katehudson."

Bill, who claims ex-wife Goldie Hawn poisened the children against him, opened up about the family feud to The Mail on Sunday, vowing to "break all ties" with his eldest children. They report:

"I say to them now, ‘I set you free,'" he pronounced, his voice breaking. "I had five birth children but I now consider myself a father of three. I no longer recognise Oliver and Kate as my own.

"I would ask them to stop using the Hudson name. They are no longer a part of my life. Oliver’s Instagram post was a malicious, vicious, premeditated attack. He is dead to me now. As is Kate. I am mourning their loss even though they are still walking this earth."

Sharing his version of what happened after he and Goldie Hawn divorced and she met Kurt Russell, Bill Hudson continued, "When we split up, she never had a bad word to say about me. But when Kurt came on the scene, the narrative changed and I became the big, bad wolf."

Later on he again vented his frustration with Kurt by saying of Kate, "She wants to be Kurt’s daughter? Well then, take his name, stop using mine… If what he wanted was me out of their lives, then he’s succeeded. I don’t want to see either of my eldest children ever again. It’s over."

It's hard to know what to say here, because I initially felt sorry for Oliver and Kate upon hearing their father had publicly asked them not use the family name any longer, but after hearing Bill's side of the story I'm slightly torn. If what he's saying has some truth to it, it has to be incredibly frustrating and hurtful for such a message from your son to make news headlines.

I don't think Bill is entirely in the right here, to be clear, but I can't ignore that what Oliver did was ridiculous. It's hard for me to imagine a time and place it's right for a parent to disown their children, but I also recognize that none of the adults here are acting maturely.

Join the conversation

Is there any reason a parent should disown their children?

Photo: Everett/REX Shutterstock

 

Amanda Peet's secret talent may surprise you

by

BabyCenter Staff

posted in Celebrities

We're thrilled to announce the launch of BabyCenter7, a blog series that features celebrity parents you know and love answering the same seven questions with their own personal spin.

Today, we're kicking things off with Amanda Peet - actress, activist, mom of three and apparently a woman hiding a pretty cool secret talent. Read on to get the skinny straight from Amanda herself ...

 

   MOTHERHOOD IS ...

 ... a lot easier with a good husband. 

   MY SECRET TALENT IS...

 . ...reciting the movie Tootsie in its entirety.

  MY PARENTS WERE RIGHT ABOUT ...

  ...not over-plucking my eye brows.

  MY FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD IS...

 ... my husband's chicken soup. He cooks it for 24 hours.

   THE LAST PHOTO I SHARED WAS...

  ... I don't know how to Instagram because I'm so old. And if I don't have a hard copy of a

                        photograph it gives me anxiety.

  IF I CAN'T HAVE WORLD PEACE, I'LL TAKE...

  ... peace in the Middle East?

  WHEN MY KIDS FALL ASLEEP, I...

 ... drink.

Actor, mother, activist and playwright, Amanda Peet is a spokesperson for “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing”, a multimedia campaign working to help parents learn fun and easy ways they improve their babies’ learning.Talking is Teaching has partnered with Text4baby and Sesame Street on a free text-to-parents program to deliver tips on how to incorporate language-rich moments into everyday activities and routines. Parents can sign up by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. To find out more, visit TalkingIsTeaching.org.

BabyCenter is proud to support “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing,” and other initiatives to support moms around the world. To learn more, visit BabyCenter Mission Motherhood™.  

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Want to play along? Give us your answers to the BabyCenter7 in the comments below!

 

Photo credit: Getty Images

Bristol Palin's pregnancy news: "I do not want any lectures"

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Bristol Palin has reluctantly announced her second pregnancy to the world. In a blog post the daughter of Sarah Palin wrote Thursday, "I’m announcing this news a lot sooner than I ever expected due to the constant trolls who have nothing better to talk about!!!"

The 24-year-old, who was at the center of a media firestorm when news of her first pregnancy broke during her mother's bid to be the Vice President, went on to write:

"I wanted you guys to be the first to know that I am pregnant.

Honestly, I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my chin up on this one.

At the end of the day there’s nothing I can’t do with God by my side, and I know I am fully capable of handling anything that is put in front of me with dignity and grace."

"Life moves on no matter what.  So no matter how you feel, you get up, get dressed, show up, and never give up.

When life gets tough, there is no other option but to get tougher.

I know this has been, and will be, a huge disappointment to my family, to my close friends, and to many of you.

But please respect Tripp’s and my privacy during this time. I do not want any lectures and I do not want any sympathy.

My little family always has, and always will come first.

Tripp, this new baby, and I will all be fine, because God is merciful."

Bristol Palin did not identify who baby two's father is, but just last month she called off her wedding to 26-year-old Marine Dakota Meyer amid rumors his first marriage hadn't been legally ended. Though she didn't share why the nuptials were canceled, Bristol did shoot down those reports.

It's hard to know what to say in response to Bristol's news when the announcement was clearly hard for her to make. I disagree mightily with her family's abstinence-only education approach, but right now I feel for her more than want to harp on that.

It must be very hard to keep your chin up knowing many things are about to be said in headlines everywhere about your life, and so I'll say just that I agree with her closing line. Though this may not have been the ideal situation for Bristol, they're really truly all going to be just fine. Here's hoping her pregnancy goes smoothly.

Join the conversation

Care to share your thoughts on Bristol Palin's pregnancy news?

Photo: REX Shutterstock

Kim Kardashian talks IVF, early pregnancy weight gain

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Kim Kardashian is speaking out to clear up rumors she underwent IVF treatments to ensure she'd have a boy, as well as talk about how her 2015 pregnancy is going thus far.

"I'm grateful just to be pregnant, and we would be happy with a boy or a girl," the reality star said when asked about reports she and husband Kanye West opted to use only male embryos. During an appearance on Today that aired Thursday she explained the rumors "came from a tabloid."

Despite previously sharing they struggled to conceive baby two, Kim also said, "I might try for another one, if God willing, that works out for me. Never say never!"

Though she's still in the early months of her pregnancy with their baby boy, Kim Kardashian is already feeling changes happening in her body.

"I've gained like 15 pounds already!" the mother of North West said with a laugh. "It's gone everywhere."

"It's in my boobs right now," she added in a comment I can commiserate with all too well. "My boobs are huge!"

You see, just like Kim, my chest ballooned with the help of all those magical pregnancy hormones, taking me from pretty darn big to wow. I also gained a bit of weight in the first trimester, but just recently I've been noticing many people share that wasn't the case for them. My sister-in-law, for example, is pregnant with her third right now and lost over 15 pounds in her first three months!

According to her, constant mild nausea made everything she tried taste horrible, and the weight just melted off. She's into the second trimester now, and gaining slowly, so thankfully all is well.

Join the conversation

What was your pregnancy weight gain like in each trimester? Did it hit one part of your body at any particular time?

Photo: REX USA

 

More famous moms talk about their pregnancy weight gain experiences:

Things got CRAZY when this dad cleaned a breast pump

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Rapper George Moss was launched into the realm of online super-stardom this week, all thanks to a photo of a breast pump.

After performing in Cincinnati on Monday night, the singer - and new dad - took to Facebook to share a funny shot of his typical post-concert routine.

"If you ever wonder what rappers do when they get off stage, they clean breast pumps for their wives so their baby can eat. #thuglife” he captioned the selfie, which showed him washing breast pump parts over a bathroom sink. (See it here!)

The photo soon exploded, racking up tens of thousands of views and shares online.

Here's just a small sample of the comments it's received so far:

• "I don't know you but I like you a lot! Surprisingly a lot of men aren't that supportive/helpful when it comes to nursing and pumping aka women's work. Thank you so much for posting this picture normalizing the reality of pumping in public places."
• "You are the perfect example of what a great father and husband looks like."
• "Well done supporting your wife and baby! Love seeing father's who are all-in, especially if they are supporting breastfeeding."
• "Well done! Your wife and baby are blessed to have a supportive man in their lives!"

Believe me, there are many, many more congratulating George on being such an all-around awesome father and husband.

I think it's great, and I always love to see a hands-on dad - but I have to admit I'm a bit surprised. Is it really that unusual for a guy to pitch in and clean a breast pump every once in a while?

My husband has always been a pretty equal partner in parenting; from day one he hasn't hesitated to roll up his sleeves and change a diaper or wash a bottle. During my short-lived breastfeeding stint, he did whatever he could to encourage me. I'm truly appreciative to know I always have that support, but I've never really thought to throw a party and celebrate it. Isn't that just what it means to be a dad?

Apparently George Moss himself shares that sentiment. Surprised by all the fanfare surrounding the picture, he posted a second one to Facebook - this time showing his wife nursing their 5-month-old son Judah.

"Although I appreciate the love, likes, and kind words (and even the few party poopers that the internet undoubtedly produces), its absolutely CRAZY that this all happened because I washed a couple bottles. If anyone should get the credit it should be people like my wife!... This woman AMAZES me! Through all the pain & soreness, frustrations, stress, etc. of trying to breast feed and pump, she gets up in the middle of the night to nurse a hungry baby," he wrote. ".....And I get this much credit for washing a couple bottles? THAT’S CRAZY PIE!!! Believe me, this isn’t just some post to show how 'humble' I am or to get more kuddo’s (I’ve had enough for a lifetime…really! I can’t keep up with any more). I am sincerely blown away that more guys don’t support their women and children with #breastfeeding. I could go on and on about how happy I am to be a little pice of a movement that I didn’t even know existed, but also a little saddened to realize how few men (or better put, 'males') don’t do the simplest task like washing a bottle."

I have a feeling that George Moss just earned himself a huge new fan base.

Comment

What do you think? Is your partner supportive of breastfeeding?

Don't miss this post: See the breastfeeding photo that sparked a backlash

Hear what these outspoken famous moms have to say about breastfeeding...

Photo: ThinkStock

Kevin Bacon confesses new parenting fail

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Oops!

Having successfully raised two children into adulthood - Travis, 26, is a musician while Sosie, 23, is an actress - Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick seem to have parenting all figured out.

That hasn't always been the case, though.

The 56-year-old Cop Care actor recently admitted that they made a pretty big mistake right after their son was born in 1998: They locked their brand new baby in the car!

“When my son was born we took him back from the hospital. We locked a newborn in the car with the keys in the car and the motor running,” Kevin recalls. “A guy from the garage put his fist through the window and broke in because my wife and I were obviously panicked. My publicist is laughing at me. We were new parents. You know, it was hard.”

I can absolutely see how something like that could happen. Few experiences are quite as mind-blowing as that moment you leave the hospital with your new baby. It's one thing when you have a team of trained professionals to back you up, but as soon as you're on your own with that tiny, crying newborn it all suddenly gets real.

Like most parents, though, Kevin and Kyra soon found their footing. Listen to this great advice he offered up during an episode of his friend Hank Azaria's web series, "Fatherhood."

"You know, if you get your ass kicked or you get your heart broken... it's a horrible thing, as a parent, to experience your child going through that," Kevin mused. "[But] to completely shelter them from those life experiences is ultimately criminal. It's not giving them the skills to survive."

Wise words indeed.

Comment

Did you make any "rookie" mistakes with your first baby?

Sorry, baby: Real mom confessions we can all relate to

Photo: PR Photos

What's with the "Prince George effect" on sales?

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Prince George is an adorable, completely unaware trendsetter. For reasons I can't quite understand, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has amassed the power to skyrocket sales for lucky companies out there.

The phenomenon, being described as the "Prince George effect," was most recently felt by the Crocs shoe company, who saw a 1,500 percent spike in sales after Prince William and Kate Middleton's firstborn wore a pair of their kicks while his father took part in a charity polo match.

A peek at the gorgeous tot and his newsworthy footwear from that day:

Daniel Silverfield, head of vendor management, footwear and accessories at Amazon.co.uk, spoke to WWD about the Prince George effect, sharing, "Once again, Prince George proves there’s no age limit on being a fashion icon. We’ve seen a 16-fold increase in sales of kids’ Crocband shoes at Amazon.co.uk since the photo of him wearing a pair was released."

It's not just the little one who companies hope will be photographed in their duds, of course. According to E! News Kate's striped shirt from that same outing now has a 2-month waiting list.

I was aware of the copycatting that goes on when one of the royals wears something fancy or makes a fresh fashion statement -- but Crocs? It's not like they're something new! If this were the first time most of the world was being introduced to the lovable shoe I could see the uptick in sales making sense, but it's no mystery these porous wonders are great for kids, so what's with the spike in orders?

I've never once been accused of being fashionable, so perhaps I just don't understand, but I have a hard time imagining a person seeing these photos of Prince George and rushing over to Amazon to order a pair for their own little one. In my mind, a kid either needs a sensible pair of sandals or he doesn't, and the idea of trying to keep up with the royals so my kid could be 'just like George' sounds not only expensive but exhausting.

Can you imagine what it will be like when Princess Charlotte starts toddling about in front of the cameras?

Join the conversation

Have you ever purchased something after seeing a celebrity wear it? What do you think motivates people to do so?

Photos: REX Shutterstock

 

Sweet photos of Prince George's most recent time in the spotlight with his royal family:

Does Ryan Reynolds need a little babywearing help?

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Notice anything unusual about the sweet photo of Ryan Reynolds babywearing daughter James that was posted on Father's Day? I did, and I'm not the only one.

Celebrating her husband on the holiday new mom Blake Lively posted a photo of the hunky star to her Instagram page. Check it out here.

Did you see little James' feet dangling out the center of the carrier? It looks as though she might slip right out!

Now I'm not a babywearing expert by any means, but the way Ryan Reynolds has her in there doesn't look quite right to me. This morning I did a quick search of the web to see if anyone else had noticed, and what do you know, that particular photo is being discussed in the BabyCenter Community.

A post on the Babywearing board asks "...is he wearing the baby properly?" A look at a few of the replies:

"Oh dear god that poor baby can't be comfortable."

"I'm not an expert but where is that baby's face? Its gotta be smushed up against his chest, right?

"I guess there was also a comment from the Lilliebaby instagram account too that said they were going to try and get ahold of them to instruct them on how to properly wear the baby."

"This is a common mistake honestly. Glad they are going to contact him to give him some education."

"Rumor has it it was a 'joke' post by Blake."

Wait, what? That last one caught my attention and made me consider that perhaps Blake and Ryan are playing a little trick on us. After all, this is what she captioned the photo: "Happy Fathers Day!!! ... @vancityreynolds Since the day our baby was born, I've felt so strongly in my heart that you were most likely the father... #ILoveYouSoMuchItsSilly."

There seems to be no shortage of humor in their home!

Weigh in

Ryan Reynolds' babywearing photo: Innocent mistake or the joke's on us?

Photos: PR Photos

 

More famous baby-wearing dads:

Kim Kardashian reveals sex of baby two on Father's Day

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

In the closing hours of Father's Day 2015 Kim Kardashian took to her mega Instagram account to not only celebrate husband Kanye West, but to share if their baby-on-the-way will be a boy or a girl.

"Precious moments like this when we were traveling on tour with you are what I live for," the reality star wrote alongside a photo of Kanye reading to their 2-year-old daughter North West.

She then added: "You're such a good daddy to North & you will be the best daddy to our new son too!"

Check out Kim's Instagram photo here.

The gossip mill had previously shouted that Kim and Kanye were expecting a boy with their 2015 pregnancy. “To say that he’s happy that she’s carrying a boy is an understatement,” a so-called insider told OK!. “One of each is perfect for them.”

Just like she dodged the topic, saying, "We actually haven’t told anyone the sex. So I heard that we’re having a boy. I heard that we’re having twins. I heard that I’m not even carrying my own baby. I’ve heard so many things and most of that information is not true.”

And speaking of rumors, the one about Kim (who named her daughter North, let's not forget) planning to name their second child South is apparently false. Mocking the idea she said during an NPR interview:

“I don’t like South West, though, because that’s like, you know, North will always, you know, be better and be more…she has a better direction. So I wouldn’t do that. I don’t think we’ll go with another direction.”

“I mean, everyone keeps on saying South and I think it’s so stupid. Stupidest thing ever and just ridiculous.”

So, there you have it, folks. Baby West is going to be a boy and the name South is off the table!

Although I can't quite keep up with all things Kim and Kanye, it's striking me at this moment how relatively subtle this reveal of baby two's sex was. The Kardashians have a reputation for being able to turn the smallest of things into a media opportunity, and yet their 'big' announcement is fairly simple compared to the gender reveals many non-famous folks opt for.

Just when I think I've got Kim figured out she goes and does something tremendously normal -- like simply telling folks if it's a boy or a girl.

Join the conversation

Are you surprised by the simple reveal from Kim and Kanye as well?

Photos: PR Photos

 

A look at parents who went the cute and creative route:

Funny story behind Donald Faison's baby name pick

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Donald Faison loved another star couple's baby name so much he decided to copy it -- except it turns out he misheard what they call their little one! The actor, who recently welcomed a daughter with wife CaCee Cobb, has opened up about how daughter Wilder Frances got her name, and the story involves actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

"I was in London shooting Kick-Ass 2 and [my costar] Aaron Taylor-Johnson and his wife, Sam, have a child named Wylda. And I thought they were saying 'Wilder' and were dropping the 'R' because of their British accents. And it turns out their daughter’s name was Wylda," Donald explained to Us Weekly with a laugh.

"When I came home — I [told CaCee I] heard the best name ever. 'I think Wilder is a great name for a girl,'" he recalled saying. "And my wife was like, ‘I love that name.' And it turns out that that wasn’t the name of their child at all."

Donald Faison, who is pictured here with their 22-month-old son Rocco (check out the expressive eyebrows on both father and son!), went on to share of his daughter's name, "It was meant to be. And it is kind of crazy because Wilder means 'wild animal' and her middle name is Frances, and that means 'free.' And so accidentally, we named our kid 'wild and free.'"

It always amazes me how hearing the story behind the name parents choose makes me like it so much more, even if it's something sort of silly like how Wilder's name came to be.

My own name means "princess," which I'm pretty sure my mom loved. She was very excited to be having a girl after first having given birth to a boy, but unfortunately for her I popped out way more tomboy than anything else. Hilariously, my husband's name means "bent nose." Let's just say we don't put a lot of stock into name meanings in our family.

Don't know what your name means? Check here with the BabyCenter Names Finder.

Join the conversation

What do your kids' names mean? Did the meanings influence your name selection?

Photo: REX USA

 

Wow! Hilaria Baldwin bares her 2-day postpartum belly

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Hilaria Baldwin is doing her part to give women out there a realistic glimpse at what a post-birth body looks like.

The yoga instructor, who welcomed son Rafael with husband Alec Baldwin just this week, has taken to Instagram to share a bare-belly shot of her stomach. Along with the image, which shows her stomach still protruding, she wrote:

"Update on us... Rafael is doing wonderfully! He is two days old now. Such a sweet little boy. I'm feeling well, been up with him every hour to two hours.

I have been planning on doing post belly photos but didn't know if I was gonna have the guts to actually follow through. I hope you understand my intention here: I believe it is important to accept and love our form after going through a bit of a battle bringing life into this world. Deep breath, here we go...all the way from my glamorous hospital bathroom."

Check out there photo here!

Alec Baldwin opened up about their son's birth, telling Extra, "Someone else is doing all the hard work and you’re there for them… you sit there and go, I would do anything to make this easier for you, my wife is really, she’s my hero, she’s tough."

You know what? Today Hilaria is a little bit my hero too.

I wasn't surprised to see photos of her big baby bump appear on her Instagram feed, because it's not uncommon for those who are in great shape pre-pregnancy to feel comfortable showing off their pregnant bellies, but I am surprised to see such an honest post-birth pic --  and I love it! Reminds me a lot of Kate Middleton's appearance after giving birth to Prince George, except that Hilaria's photo bares even more.

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What do you think of post-birth body photos? Would you like to see them more often?

Photo: PR Photos