Gabrielle Union, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Mendes and more have had some sweet moments with their kiddos this year.
Mother's Day is here! Just a few months into 2021, celebrity moms have shared precious and rare family moments with their children, all of which deserve to be celebrated, especially as they came amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
From Amanda Kloots finding joy after tragedy, Beyoncé sharing a major award with her eldest daughter, to Gabrielle Union's love for her "shady baby" and Kate Middleton's sweet family video, there are plenty of incredible highlights to look back on.
Beyoncé
Back in March, Beyoncé and 9-year-old Blue Ivy delighted fans when their "Brown Skin Girl" snagged the award for Best Music Video at the 2021 GRAMMYs.
The singer starred in the video with Blue, who's one of Beyoncé's three children with her husband, JAY-Z. The pair also shares 3-year-old twins Rumi and Sir. On top of appearing in the video, Blue was featured on the song's vocals and even wrote a verse for the track.
After the mother-daughter duo won the award, Beyoncé, 39, took to Instagram to show off how Blue was celebrating.
In the pic, Blue, who sported a crown on her head and a powerful look on her face, stared directly into the camera as she held the trophy sideways in order to drink out of it with a straw.
Another shot of Blue showed her proudly holding up the GRAMMY as she smiled for the camera.
Following the award win, Beyoncé took to Instagram to share a look at a fun day out with her kiddos. In one pic, the singer made kissy faces with Blue, while other shots showed her spending time on the beach with Rumi and Sir.
Amanda Kloots
After her husband, Nick Cordero's, death due to complications from COVID-19 last year, Kloots, 39, has made it a point to live life to the fullest with her nearly 2-year-old son, Elvis.
Together, the mother-son duo has spent time singing their ABCs, playing in a pool, sharing kisses, learning new words, waiting for garbage trucks, having sweet conversations, wearing matching outfits, giggling uncontrollably, taking trips together and more.
"I have always wanted to be a mother. I never thought I’d be a single mother but I’m determined to give this little guy the best in life and all of my love," Kloots wrote in January. "He is a dream come true. So we do family days and getaways to create memories and savor special times together!"
Amy Schumer
In honor of her son, Gene's, second birthday earlier this month, Amy Schumer took to Instagram to honor her little boy and her husband, Chris Fischer. In the post, Schumer, 39, shared a pic of her and Fischer in the hospital ahead of Gene's arrival, as well as a shot of the proud dad holding his baby boy.
"Today is our son’s birthday and I woke up emotional as hell thinking about my husband, Chris," she wrote. "In this first photo while I was having a 3 hour c section he held my hand and stared in my eyes so I never felt alone. I feel loved and supported always. He takes care of our family and is a husband and father beyond my wildest dreams."
Schumer also wrote about Fischer's autism spectrum diagnosis and what it means for baby Gene.
"Statistically our son most likely will be diagnosed as well and if he’s anything like his father that is wonderful news," she wrote. "So on our babies birthday where he held my hand tight and held me with his eyes I want to say I love you thank you and happy birthday little geenie panini we love you as much as you love school busses."
A month earlier, Schumer got real about mom life, sharing a video of herself standing in a messy kitchen.
"Actually, we were worried [about] not having childcare, but we're actually doing really well. I think we're a lot more capable of a lot more than we've done. All this help we've grown accustomed to, we don't need it!" she quipped in the clip, which she captioned, "Rocking!!!!!!"
Britney Spears
Britney Spears gave fans a rare peek into her life as a mom back in March, when she posted two pics with her teenage sons. Spears shares Sean, 15, and Jayden, 14, with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
The shot featured the family standing in a field, with the boys, who are both taller than their mom, wearing masks amid the pandemic.
"It’s so crazy how time flies .... My boys are so big now!!!!" Spears marveled in the caption. "I know … I know … it’s very hard for any mama especially a mama with boys seeing them grow up so fast!!!! Talk about enough to make you go to your knees ... GEEZ!!!!"
Spears continued her post by noting how she's "extremely lucky because my two babies are such gentleman."
"I must have done something right!!!!" she wrote, before explaining why she'd kept her sons largely off of social media.
"I haven’t posted pictures of them for some time cause they’re at the age where they want to express their own identities and I totally get it," she wrote. ".... But I went out of my way to make this cool edit and guess what .... They’re finally letting me post it !!!"
"Now I don’t feel left out anymore and I’m gonna go celebrate," Spears continued, before quipping, "Oh s**t I guess cool moms don’t do that ... Ok I’ll just read a book instead."
Chrissy Teigen
After suffering a pregnancy loss with her son, Jack, last September, Chrissy Teigen has opened up several times throughout 2021 about both her grief over her loss, and her joy over being a mom. She and husband John Legend share Luna, 5, and Miles, 2.
"I've been open about so much throughout my life, and so [infertility] didn't seem like a crazy thing to talk about. But the more I spoke about it, the more I realized how taboo it was," Teigen told Refinery 29 in April. "... I realized people don't feel comfortable talking about this."
During an interview on the Today show, Teigen shared how she felt after learning that she would be unable to get pregnant again.
"Coming to terms with the fact that I can’t carry again has been something really tough, and I’ve agonized over it, because to me, it’s when I’m at my happiest. I loved being pregnant, and the fact I got to do it twice, I think was miraculous enough," she said. "There’s a way to have that beautiful child whether it’s your own or whether you adopt."
While Teigen and Legend consider ways to expand their family, the cookbook author frequently posts pics of their kids online. Though both Luna and Miles appear on their mom's Instagram, it's Teigen's daughter that's the most featured of the two.
In an April Instagram post, Teigen explained why her son isn't always in the pics she posts.
"'Why do you post Luna so much more' you ask?" Teigen wrote. "Because Miles hates pictures and he’s always butt a** naked."
Eva Mendes
In April, the 47-year-old actress proudly showed off her makeover, courtesy of her daughters, on Instagram. Mendes shares Esmeralda, 6, and Amada, 5, with her longtime partner, Ryan Gosling.
In the pic, Mendes sports pink lipstick, a blue chin and purple cheek. "My kids did this to me. Again. From head to toe," she captioned the shot. "I guess, when in doubt, be their canvas."
As Mendes alluded to in her caption, it wasn't the first time her girls had used makeup on her. Last May, Mendes shared a shot of her face covered in colorful scribbles, quipping, "They've won."
The makeovers came amid quarantine, during which, Mendes revealed in January, Amada encouraged her to put down her phone and be more present.
"My little one told me I was on the phone too much," Mendes shared. "I could tell she was taking it personally. And she’s a kid, of course she’d take it personally. They take things personally unless we go out of our way to make it clear to them it’s not personal."
"So we had a good talk, I apologized and I promised her I’d be mindful," she continued. "I realized that just because I’m always home with them doesn’t mean I’m always present."
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union started the year out right by announcing that she and her husband, Dwyane Wade, had written a book about their 2-year-old daughter, Kaavia. Together, Union and Wade, 39, are also raising Zaire, 19, Dahveon, 19, Zaya, 13, and Xavier, 7.
Titled Shady Baby, the children's book, which is due out May 18, is inspired by Kaavia's much-beloved Instagram sass and attitude.
In a January Instagram post, Union, 48, shared that the book will teach kids "to use their moral compass and inner strength to choose kindness and compassion and to stick up for themselves and others."
"Shade is her super power because when Kaavia gives you a look, it's either you're not respecting her boundaries or something is happening that she doesn't like," Union told People in April. "The main takeaway is that she's free to be this amazing, dynamic, shady at times, loving at times Black little girl when the world has not been so kind to Black girls and women."
Gwyneth Paltrow
Like mother, like daughter! Gwyneth Paltrow's 16-year-old daughter, Apple, teamed up with her mom's company, Goop, to promote their newest product. Paltrow shares Apple and her 15-year-old son, Moses, with her ex, Chris Martin.
In the video promoting the product's launch, Apple hilariously mocked her mom's morning routine.
"So first my mom drinks her Goopglow Superpowder and she eats nothing except for dates and almond butter. So she will have that," Apple said. "I suppose the Goopglow is a part of her cleanse, which she's been on since the day I was born, apparently."
As for Paltrow's skincare routine, Apple added, "It's eight a.m. and she's been doing this since seven a.m. She just prances around the bathroom putting on her millions of Goopglow products for her glowing skin."
Apple concluded the clip by explaining what Paltrow does as soon as she sits down to work.
"Then she gets to work making some more vagina eggs and candles, also vagina candles, and vagina perfumes, and just everything vagina," the teen joked. "And yeah, that's my mom's morning routine."
During an April appearance on the Today show, Paltrow discussed working with her daughter, joking that the teen mocks her "constantly."
"She was sort of part of the product development process," Paltrow said. "And so when it came out I was like, 'Oh my gosh. Should I let her be in the picture or not?' She wanted to be in the picture, so we decided to let her."
Irina Shayk
Irina Shayk delighted fans in April when she shared a rare pic of her 4-year-old daughter, Lea. The 35-year-old model shares the tot with her ex, Bradley Cooper.
In the pic, Shayk struck a confident pose in a black Burberry ensemble as her daughter, who's partially in the shot, held her hand. While Lea's face wasn't visible in the pic, her blonde hair and pink outfit stole the show.
In the caption, Shayk revealed that the sweet shot was taken by "daddy."
"My dream for @riccardotisci17 @burberry. 📷by daddy," she wrote, most likely referencing her 46-year-old ex.
In March, Shayk opened up to Elle about co-parenting with Cooper after their 2019 split, which followed four years of dating. She even called her ex "the most amazing dad."
"I never understood the term co-parenting. When I’m with my daughter, I’m 100 percent a mother, and when she’s with her dad, he’s 100 percent her dad," she said. "Co-parenting is parenting."
In January, a source told ET that Shayk and Cooper have a "very friendly and cordial relationship," where they work to be a "team" for their daughter.
"Their co-parenting routine and schedule is going smoothly and they have respect for each other. Bradley’s first priority is Lea and Irina is a hands-on mom too," the source said. "They both want what’s best for Lea, so it’s easy for them to be a team in that regard."
Jada Pinkett Smith
Mother's Day has extra meaning for the Red Table Talk trio, as it marks the third anniversary of their Facebook Watch series.
In honor of the milestone, Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter, Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, told ET's Kevin Frazier about the best parts of filming the multi-generational series, which tackles topics including polyamory, gun violence, and drug addiction.
"We had no idea it was gonna be this," Adrienne, 67, admitted, before Jada, 49, noted that the show has led to "so much bonding and healing" within their family.
"The part about the whole process that I cherish the most is just getting to know the women in my life in a deeper way and getting to really know them as not just my grandmother and not just my mother, but as the individual women that they are," Willow, 20, added.
The closeness they've achieved through their work together was modeled during the show's Mother's Day episode, when Willow reunited Jada's early 2000's Wicked Wisdom bandmates to perform one of their hits.
"My heart burst in a thousand different ways having my daughter honor me in this way. I love you Willow," Jada later wrote on Instagram.
Jennifer Garner
In an interview with ET in February, Jennifer Garner got real about the struggles of motherhood amid a pandemic.
"This has been such a hard year for moms. We have had to say 'No, no, no.' We've had to watch our kids be home, miss out on things," she said. "It is one thing to miss out on something as an adult, but to watch your kids miss something they have looked forward to or just how hard it has been to see them isolated and on Zoom every day."
The next month, the actress opened up about how she views her body after having three children. Garner shares Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9, with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck.
"I can work really hard, and I can be really fit and I will still look like a woman who's had three babies, and I always will," she said on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast.
That's OK with Garner, despite the fact that she continues to be the subject of pregnancy rumors.
"[The pregnancy rumors are] still happening. I'm 48, and I'm single, and it's still happening, so you might as well take that bull by the horns," she said. "It's just a body. Be grateful to it. It carried you this far. It carried babies for you. What else do you want? My goodness."
Kate Middleton
The Duchess of Cambridge delighted fans when she and her husband, Prince William, shared a video of their family in honor of their 10th wedding anniversary. The couple shares three kids, George, 7, Charlotte, 6, and Louis, 3.
The family video, which Kensington Palace shared in April, was shot last fall near their home in Norfolk, England. In the cute clip, the royals ran on the beach, climbed trees, had fun at a playground, and roasted marshmallows together.
"Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary," the couple captioned the clip. "We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W&C."
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry decided to add one more to their brood in 2021. The couple, who already share 2-year-old Archie, announced in February that they're expecting their second child.
The pair shared the happy news with a black-and-white photo that showed Harry sitting on the ground, while Meghan laid with her head in his lap and her baby bump on full display.
In a statement at the time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said that they were "overjoyed" to become parents again.
During Meghan and Harry's March interview with Oprah Winfrey, they revealed that their baby on the way is a girl.
"Amazing, just grateful, just to have any child, any one or any two would have been amazing, but to have a boy and then a girl, what more could you ask for?" Harry said during the interview.
Following the news that it was a daughter on the way for the couple, their photographer shared a new family shot in honor of International Women's Day.
In the sweet black-and-white pic, Meghan held Archie as he rested on her baby bump, while Harry wrapped his arms around both of them.
Also during their Oprah sit-down, the couple shared a video of their life as a family, which featured Archie playing on a beach with his parents.
Vanessa Bryant
Following the death of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gianna, last year, Vanessa has done her best to carry on and find joy in everyday moments.
One way she did that was by celebrating her eldest daughter, 18-year-old Natalia, each time she got accepted into a college. In March, the teen committed to the University of Southern California, and Vanessa, who's also mom to Bianka, 4, and Capri, 1, couldn't have been prouder.
"Tears of joy. I’m SO happy for you Nani! I know daddy is so PROUD OF YOU. I am so PROUD OF YOU!!" Vanessa wrote on Instagram. "Your hard work and dedication was so worth it. You pushed through the most excruciating pain imaginable and you succeeded. I wish Daddy and Gigi were physically here to celebrate but I know they’re here in spirit. We love you so much!"
In addition to gushing over Natalia's successes, Vanessa frequently uses Instagram to share pics of all of her daughters. From Capri wearing her dad's signature shoes, to a beach day with the fam, Vanessa had plenty of happy moments to share.
In January, a source told ET that "Vanessa and her daughters have been extremely thankful for their friends and family for their help and love over the past year."
"Vanessa and her daughters have gotten stronger over the past year but there are days when it's much harder for them as it comes in waves," the source said. "Vanessa plans to continue to honor Kobe and Gianna's legacy and has some projects in the works to do so."
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