Sometimes celebrity moms are held to a higher standard; maybe that’s because individuals feel if they’ve chosen to live their lives in the public eye, then that makes them fair game when it comes to criticism, or maybe it’s just unfortunate that their parenting “mistakes” often play out in public. Far too many celebrity moms have been criticized unfairly, for reasons that include the way they have dealt with their toddler's very public tantrum (in front of paparazzi) to something as simple as wearing makeup to a soccer game —apparently real soccer moms don’t do this.
People love to point out what they are doing wrong, and often the thinly disguised concern for celebrity children is nothing but an opportunity to be overly harsh. Famous moms have become targets for keyboard warriors to share their disdain, to offer unwanted advice, and to give lecture after lecture on how they should be better parents.
Luckily, some of these moms have responded to this criticism in the most brilliant (and sometimes even hilarious) ways. Below are 21 things that A-lister parents, from Charlize Theron to Carrie Underwood, have been criticized for, although most of them are things that most moms would have done themselves at some point.
21 Charlize Theron’s Critics Didn’t Like The Way She Dealt With Her Toddler’s Tantrum
Charlize Theron is a successful actress whose life has been well-documented, and perhaps this is why she is held to a higher standard than most other moms. What we mean by this, is when Charlize Theron’s son Jackson, who was four-years-old at the time, had a tantrum in front of paparazzi she was criticized by the public for the way that she handled it.
According to Redbook, her son was throwing a tantrum and Theron was trying to move him away, although she was slammed by OK! Magazine for how she handled him and people were quick to judge her for her parenting. Clearly, these people have never been in the same situation.
20 Reese Witherspoon Fed Her Son Delicious Cinnamon Buns For Breakfast And Got A Lesson On Nutrition
Reese Witherspoon is a mother to three children, her first two, Ava and Deacon, she shares with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, and her third child is a son named Tennessee who she had with current husband, Jim Toth. When Tennessee was a toddler, his proud mama took to social media to share a photo of his breakfast; two small cinnamon buns and a slice of apple, which his mom had adorably set up to resemble a smiley face.
But instead of appreciating that Witherspoon takes the time to make food shapes, or prepare a delicious breakfast for her son, she got a lesson on nutrition from angry parents. Haven’t all parents allowed their child to enjoy a treat every now and then? One breakfast is hardly an indication of what Witherspoon feeds her children every day.
19 Critics Called Out Kim Kardashian West For The Way She Put Her Child’s Car Seat On
Kim Kardashian is a fashion and beauty mogul and has earned a lot of respect in these industries, but she is also a mother to three children, and a particularly dedicated mother at that. However, Kardashian’s decision to live her life in the public eye has opened her up to criticism because people like to comment on the things they feel she does wrong, and that includes her parenting style.
Kim came under fire for her son, Saint West’s car seat, which was facing forward in the backseat of her car. According to Hello! magazine, the issue is that Californian law “requires children to sit in rear-facing car seats until they are at least two years old,” and at the time, Saint was 20 months old. However, an exception can be made if the child meets the height and weight limits, which Kardashian explained in this case, he did.
18 Mila Kunis' Decision To Breastfeed In Public Didn’t Sit Well With Some People
Breastfeeding is a topic that divides people, especially when it comes to breastfeeding in public. The fact of the matter is, breastfeeding is a completely normal thing, and it is not something Mila Kunis should have made headlines for. She did though when she decided to feed her daughter Wyatt publicly, and it seems that not everyone was pleased (to say the least) with her decision.
According to Today, Kunis responded to the criticism, saying, "There were many times where I didn't bring a cover with me, and so I just did it in a restaurant, in the subway, in the park, at airports, and in planes. Why did I do it in public? Because I had to feed my child. She's hungry."
17 Pink’s Multi-Tasking With Her Kids Is Apparently Not For Everyone
Any mama will know that having children is no easy task. Taking care of two young kids, and trying to make dinner at the same time is therefore almost impossible, but instead of looking at this photo (which Pink shared on social media) and thinking ‘yes, that’s relatable,’ people decided to give her a lecture on how dangerous her multi-tasking was.
Perhaps it’s not the ideal situation, but when you don’t have help and you have things to do, a mom is going to try her very best to get them done! InStyle reports that critics called out Pink for putting her son, Jameson, in a “dangerous situation” because he was in a carrier on her chest while she was cooking on the stove. But the publication also comments on how it’s clear her son is nowhere near the heat.
16 Chrissy Teigen Went On A Date Night With Her Husband (And Left Her Baby At Home) And How Dare She
Chrissy Teigen is hilarious and refreshingly honest, which is why so many people find her relatable. That said, she has also been on the receiving end of criticism, and this happened not long after she gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Luna, CBS notes. It seems many people took issue with her decision to spend time with her husband, John Legend, despite having a young child at home. And boy, was she lectured about how wrong it was.
In 2016, Teigen and John Legend’s date night at a West Hollywood restaurant made headlines, which Teigen decided to respond to and slammed people for their “passive aggressiveness.”
15 Shakira Left Home Without A Bra And Keyboard Warriors Got Way Too Annoyed
Shakira is a mama to two sons, Sasha and Milan, who she shares with longtime partner, Gerard Piqué, and although she’s a celebrity who many people can relate to, there have also been moments when she was the subject of criticism for something so silly. In Shakira’s case, it was leaving home without her bra!
According to Mamas Latina, when Shakira went on an outing with her kids, she left her bra at home, and people had a problem with this decision. Can we just note how hard it is to find time to get dressed during the day, let alone having to wear a bra when you don’t need one?
14 Ciara’s Fun Trip On A Toboggan With Her Kids Was Deemed Irresponsible
Ciara is a celebrity who is a dedicated mother, and she enjoys spending time with her children. She also regularly posts photos and videos of them on social media (and how she’s embracing mom life) but there was one day out in particular which divided her fans. According to Glamour, during a trip to China, Ciara and her husband Russell Wilson took their children, Sienna (who was three months old at the time) and Future (who Ciara shares with her former partner, Future) to the Great Wall of China. And while there, the family decided to toboggan down the Great Wall.
The activity was deemed as “irresponsible,” and “dumb,” despite Ciara securing her daughter to her chest in a carrier.
13 Hilary Duff’s School Run Outfit Landed Her On The Radar For All The Wrong Reasons
Waking up at the crack of dawn to prepare lunches, check that homework is done, and feed and clothe children is no easy task, which is why the last thing many moms want to do is find an outfit that’s super cute (yoga pants are life-changing). But Hilary Duff did just that when she dressed in a long coat and shorts for her son Luca’s school run.
She was clearly pleased with the way her outfit turned out and took to social media to share a selfie of her look, writing about how she came up with “a semi cut outfit for school drop off!” and how she thought she would share. But she did not anticipate the backlash from people who felt her outfit was not appropriate for the school run, Cosmopolitan notes.
12 The Length Of Megan Fox’s Sons' Hair Came Under Fire (Because Apparently Boys Need Short Hair)
Megan Fox and her husband Brian Austin Green are proud parents to three beautiful boys named Bodhi, Noah, and Journey. But when Fox decided to share a sweet photo of two of her sons, Noah and Bodhi, enjoying a day at the beach, instead of remarking on the family outing, people decided this was an opportunity to criticize her for how long she allowed her sons' hair to grow.
According to Allure, people were commenting on how the boys looked like girls, and went on to moan about this in the comment section of her post.
11 Carrie Underwood’s Full Face Of Makeup Wasn’t Appreciated At Her Son’s Soccer Game
Carrie Underwood decided to go and support her son Isaiah (who she shares with husband Mike Fisher) at his soccer game, and although she was being a wonderful, supportive parent, the keyboard warriors still found something negative about this outing. And that reason was that Underwood was wearing a full face of makeup!
According to Daily Mail, people were quick to comment on her appearance and how she had “caked on” her makeup. Underwood chose not to address the comments, and why should she? She did absolutely nothing wrong and probably felt there was no need to comment.
10 Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley Got In Trouble For Letting Her Daughter Be In The Pool (In The Arms Of Her Husband)
Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley and her husband Roger Mathews wanted to let their son, Greyson, who was 2-months old at the time, join them in the pool on a summer’s day. Instead of putting him in flotation gear, Mathews held him in his arms, and Farley took a photo of the moment and shared it on social media. People questioned whether it was responsible to let such a small child be in the pool, but according to InStyle, Farley did not delay in responding to the criticism and shutting it down for good.
“Not even sure why I am even doing this but I feel like schooling people on my previous post. First off, my son is two months and in a salt water pool up to his belly... Probably for a total of 3 minutes,” she wrote, also adding that her son was wearing sunscreen.
9 Cardi B Is Not Allowed To Have A Professional Life And A Baby, Apparently
Cardi B and Offset are parents to a daughter who they named Kulture, but only one member of this parenting unit has been criticized for having a work life and a baby (which shows the double standards set for men and women when it comes to being parents). And this criticism started before Cardi B was even a parent, because she told The Breakfast Club (via Romper) she had been receiving negative comments online which were bothering here.
She added, “I see a lot of women online [saying], 'I feel sorry for you. Your career is over.' Why can't I have both? Why do I gotta choose a career or a baby? Why can't I have both? I want both."
8 Kim Kardashian And Kylie Jenner Got A Big Lecture About Their Decision To Use Walkers
Kim Kardashian finds her way onto this list for a second time, and this time she is joined by her youngest sister, Kylie Jenner. The reason? Their use of baby walkers.
When Kardashian took to social media to share an adorable photo of her youngest child, Chicago, and Jenner’s daughter, Stormi Webster, in matching pink walkers, she probably didn’t anticipate that she would get a big lecture about the dangers of walkers.
According to Yahoo, many people took to the comment section of the photo to explain why walkers are problematic, dangerous, and even “super unsafe.” It should be noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend against using walkers, Daily Mail reports, but this doesn’t give others the right to judge.
7 Kate Beckinsale Made People Angry Because She Chose To Maintain A Relationship With Her Friends
Kate Beckinsale chose to spend time with her friends, and every mom needs “me” time, but her decision to go out didn’t sit well with a critic, who called her out for not spending time with her daughter Lily. The strangest thing about this backlash is that Beckinsale’s daughter is a teenager, not a tiny child.
According to Today, Beckinsale decided to respond to the comments in a brilliant (and snarky) way, writing, "What's amazing is it is no longer the 18th century so now that my one child is grown I don't have to stay home (while she's out with her own friends) playing the pianoforte, getting consumption, or trying to secure her a marriage, But thank you for the quaint [ideals] from the past."
6 Victoria Beckham Is Not Allowed To Show Any Affection With Her Kids
Victoria Beckham is a mom to four children who she shares with her husband David Beckham, and apparently, she is not allowed to show them any affection. After posting a photo of herself kissing her daughter, InStyle notes that Victoria received backlash from people for showing affection which they deemed “inappropriate” — which is just so silly!
According to Allure, Victoria was also criticized when she posted a photo of herself and her eldest son, Brooklyn, and people remarked on how many tattoos he had, and how they would never let their own child do that.
5 Even Jana Kramer’s Baby Food Wasn’t Considered Good Enough For Some People
Some moms make their own baby food, others prefer to buy it from the store, but whatever their preference, moms are buying products that they feel is the right choice for their children. Jana Kramer decided to buy her baby food from the store, which was apparently not good enough for some people, and which is why she finds herself on this list.
She shared how she was switching her daughter Jolie from formula to baby food on social media (via Today) but commenters told her how much better it was when they made their own baby food. Kramer was mad, and responded to the backlash, writing, “Dear Mommy Shamers, Unless you are Jolie's doctor, her father, or her mom, do NOT tell me how to raise my child, or how to feed her."
4 Jessica Simpson’s Daughter’s Choice Of Swimsuit Wasn’t On The Approved List Of Kids Clothes (Or So People Say)
Jessica Simpson is a mama to two children (soon to be three) with her husband, Eric Johnson, and she’s a dedicated mother. Motherhood is also a big part of Simpson’s life, which is why she often shares photos of her kids, Maxwell and Ace Knute, on her social media accounts, including a photo of the daughter enjoying the summer in her two-piece swimsuit.
According to Self, Maxwell was just 5 at the time of the post, and Simpson was called out for allowing her to wear a two-piece which they felt was a poor reflection of her parenting abilities.
3 Kelly Clarkson Documented The First Time She Gave Her Daughter Nutella, And People Hoped It Would Be The Last
Kelly Clarkson wanted to document her daughter River Rose’s first experience tasting Nutella, in what she thought was an adorable moment and a milestone. She then shared a video of her little one eating Nutella, and what followed was a lecture on sugar, and how her 2-year-old daughter should not have been able to eat it.
Among the comments on how Nutella is bad for the health, Self notes that a commenter also wrote, "Nutella is PACKED with sugars. Don't make your kids blow up." This was Clarkson’s daughter’s first Nutella experience, and many hoped it would be the last, but just because River Rose has tried the spread once, doesn’t mean she will eat it every day.
2 Coco Rocha’s Decision To Bottle Feed Her Daughter Made Some Mamas Mad
As a parent, it is a very personal decision as to whether a mom wants to breastfeed or bottle feed, yet this choice, which is incredibly common, still manages to divide people. And Coco Rocha’s decision to bottle feed her daughter made people mad (and she’s not the first celeb mom to receive criticism for this very reason).
Rocha came under fire when she spoke about an app that delivered bottle formula, InStyle reports. The issue critics had was Rocha’s decision not to breastfeed her daughter. Needless to say, the comments annoyed her, and so she clapped back, addressing the “unwanted advice.”
1 Kylie Jenner’s Long Nails Left People Wondering How She Could Be A Mom
Kylie Jenner is a lot of things; the youngest self-made billionaire in the world, a social media star and a beauty mogul, but she’s also a mama. And a mama who is, for the most part, impeccably dressed and groomed, and this includes regularly getting her nails done.
Her nails are long, but she can parent her daughter, Stormi Webster, just fine despite the length. Still, this is something that Jenner has been criticized for. According to Allure, people have questioned how Jenner is able to change her daughter’s diapers and care for her properly, because of her long nails — some even went so far as to suggest that she has her team do all the work for her.
Sources: Redbook Mag, Reese Witherspoon Instagram, InStyle, CBS, Mamas Latinas, Hello! magazine, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, Daily Mail, Romper, Yahoo, Today, Self
