Not every celebrity parent is open about their relationship with their staff, and things get extra weird when it comes to nannies.
Having a nanny, if not multiple, is pretty much a given in most celeb circles.
That said, some celebrities embrace and celebrate the help they get while others don’t acknowledge them much.
For some, it’s a matter of privacy. For others, it ends up being a scandal. Let’s see where some of our favorite celebrity parents fall.
1.
George and Amal Clooney say they have just one nanny who helps with their twins, Alexander and Ella.
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“We don’t, because it’s so important to Amal [to be involved],” George told The Guardian in December 2021. “We have a nanny four days a week and the rest of the time it’s just us. And during lockdown, it was just us — for a full year! I felt like my mother in 1964, doing dishes and six loads of laundry a day.”
2.
Pink says she’d prefer that she and husband, Carey Hart, do it all themselves, even when they’re touring, as long as it isn’t too hard on their kids.
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Pink explained that she doesn’t have nannies on tour or off because she likes being hands-on. She also said she’d give up touring if it didn’t work for her whole family.
“I’ve never juggled so many damn plates in my life, but it’s because I want to. I enjoy it. If I had nannies raising my kids and just wanted to be a rock star and party all the time, I wouldn’t be successful and I wouldn’t be happy,” she told Redbook.
3.
Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t think she needed a nanny until she was getting ready to tour with her then-husband, Chris Martin, and their one-year-old daughter, Apple.
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“I have an amazing nanny. I didn’t have one till Apple was 14 months old, but then, because we were going on tour, we found someone fantastic,” Gwyneth explained in 2008. “She’s been with us ever since.”
4.
It wasn’t known that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner had a nanny until it was revealed Ben and one nanny had an affair as their marriage was falling apart.
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“We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce,” Jennifer revealed after the dust settled in conversation with Vanity Fair. “She was not a part of the equation. Bad judgment? Yes. It’s not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives.”
5.
Showrunner extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes said she couldn’t do all she does, or even have gotten started on her empire, without help.
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“I’ve read a lot of books written by and about working women and I’m struck by the fact no one ever seems to want to talk about having help at home,” Shonda wrote in her book, Year of Yes. “Which I think is not so helpful to the women who don’t have help at home.”
6.
Gwen Stefani praised the importance of nannies in her life even after her ex, Gavin Rossdale, was rumored to have cheated with one.
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“I’m super-unorganized, a real procrastinator, time management is non-existent. When I had [kids], I realized I couldn’t be selfish anymore,” Gwen explained to Stylist Magazine. “My time away needs to be productive, and my time with them needs to be productive. It’s a lot of depending on a lot of other people. I had to interview 67 nannies alone, in this room, to get the people I have now.”
7.
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin definitely need a hand with their ever-growing brood.
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“It’s so interesting with the whole nanny conversation. People will write to you and say, ‘Ugh, she has a nanny’ — but that doesn’t mean that you don’t take care of your own kids,” Hilaria noted during a guest appearance on the Mom School podcast. “It literally means I am also working. I work every single day. And for people to make you feel badly about that is not fair … It is OK to accept help, and there is no shame that other people should give you because of that.”
8.
Ethan Hawke married his and Uma Thurman’s former nanny, Ryan Shawhughes.
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Hawke has always maintained the two didn’t get together until after his and Uma’s divorce. They are still married to this day and share two children, Clementine and Indiana, in addition to Maya and Kevin, his now-adult kids with Uma.
9.
Charlize Theron resisted getting a nanny, but once she did, it changed the game.
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“In the beginning, I wanted to do it all and didn’t reach out for as much help as I actually needed. I felt, If I don’t do all of this, then maybe I am a bad parent,” she told Elle.
“The second time, I realized I am happier and my kids are happier if I ask for more help. People think I have a staff of 40, but I don’t. I have one nanny and my mom up the street and amazing friends and family. I call them my village … I look at my fuel gauge and think, Is it full or is it empty? Then it’s up to me to decide how to fill that tank back up or just remain empty. But what can you do on an empty tank?”
10.
Zoe Saldana says her nannies raise the kids with her and husband Marco Perego.
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“Our assistant, our nanny, and our housekeeper. They are literally raising our children with us,” Zoe told ItstheVibe.com. “It’s because of them I am able to rip myself away as long as I can, and my husband as well, to do what we do. They’re teaching us how to manage our pain as they’re raising our kids with us.”
11.
The Beckhams sued a former nanny who spoke to the tabloids about alleged friction in their marriage.
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In 2005, former nanny, Abbie Gibson, claimed she regularly heard Victoria and David arguing and that David wanted a divorce, but Victoria was holding onto the relationship. They sued for breach of confidence.
12.
Ali Fedotowsky-Manno says finally trusting a nanny helped her get “some of my sanity back.”
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“I think for a while I was too embarrassed to get someone to help me because I was worried about being judged for not being able to do it all myself,” Ali shared on Instagram. “And ya know what, I’m kind of upset with myself for waiting as long as I did because not only am I a better mommy now but I feel like I have some of my sanity back.”
13.
Kate Gosselin went through 11 nannies who helped with her eight kids.
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14.
Andy Cohen passed his nanny off to BFF Anderson Cooper when he welcomed his son, Wyatt.
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“I’ve been talking about my nanny [saying] she’s leaving, that she’s gonna go help out a friend, and the moment Anderson announced it I got a bunch of DMs from eagle-eared Radio Andy listeners saying, ‘Wait … is that where your nanny went?'” Andy shared. “The answer is yes, that is where my nanny went.”
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“I choose to treat everybody like family that is in my house. I choose to invite whoever wants to come to fun outings,” she shared after getting backlash. “We all love and enjoy the farmers market and it’s so fun to go places and create memories together.”
16.
Mariah Carey was willing to work with nannies when her twins were younger, but she also let them know who was boss in her own direct way.
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“Unfortunately I have to have nannies but I’m very hands-on. I fire nannies like this,” Mariah said in an interview, snapping her fingers. “And I hate doing it, but I have to because if they try to make themselves more important in the baby’s mind than me.”
17.
Selma Blair tried hiring a nanny but ultimately found she couldn’t bring herself to rely on that person.
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“Exhausted from an intense and problematic and long labor, I couldn’t recover and didn’t know whom to turn to,” Selma said in an interview with Mother Muse. “I hired a nanny, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable without my baby. I nursed for years and was drained.”
18.
Kylie Jenner felt better having someone with more experience around as she learned the ropes as a young new mom.
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A source told People, “With the support and abilities she has to hire nannies and assistants, she’s been a really, really great mom. She’s incredibly doting and hands-on as a mom. She’s always been very maternal.”
19.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds felt more comfortable relying on family than hiring help.
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“My parents are pretty much the nannies! They are the best baby nurses you could pray for. They raised five kids so they know what they are doing,” she shared. “It’s tough when you get pooped on and barfed on, but having a baby is wonderful. Even when it’s tough and I’m exhausted I think ‘I am so fortunate.’ When are looking at your child and she’s laughing, it’s hard to do anything else.”
What celebs do you expect have lots of help? Which do you think do it alone? There’s no shame in anyone’s parenting game, but share your thoughts in the comments!
