Hilary Swank Argues Against Backlash Over Older Mothers
Hilary Swank Confronts Public Criticism Over Later-in-Life Motherhood
Hilary Swank took direct aim at the intense public scrutiny directed at women who choose to have children in their forties and fifties. Taping a segment on October 15 in New York City ahead of its scheduled October 20 broadcast, the two-time Oscar-winning actress addressed the backlash during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. Currently pregnant with her third child at age 52, Swank used the platform to highlight what she views as a glaring cultural hypocrisy.
The Double Standard Between Mothers and Older Fathers
During the conversation on the talk show, Swank pointed out a persistent societal double standard regarding parental age. “There’s a lot of backlash women get for having children older but not men, which is interesting,” Swank stated.
Host Drew Barrymore echoed the sentiment, noting the disparity in public perception. “Oh my god, I mean it is weird, men have babies in their like eighties and that’s not a euphemism or a joke. You had kids in your forties and people weren’t always gracious about it,” Barrymore said.
Weighing Parental Mortality Against the Gift of Life
Swank detailed a specific critical story she encountered that resonated with her own experiences of loss and family. The critic argued that older parents might not live to see their children reach adulthood, citing personal devastation over losing a favorite parent in her early twenties. Swank, whose own father has passed away, found a personal connection in the account.
Swank Finds Gratitude After Loss
“I was drawn to that and I thought to myself well I would rather be born and have that person that was my favorite person and experience that than not at all. Do you know what I’m saying? So that’s how I took what she said,” Swank explained. Following the studio taping in New York City, Swank was photographed leaving the location with her baby bump visible.