17 Celebs Who Decided to Have Children Without Partners

07/15/2024 09:26 AM

"I wasn't in a relationship at the time, but I thought, 'This is something I want to do.'"

Families come in all shapes and sizes and there's no one right way to form a family. For some, that means there are two parents in the household -- and for others, maybe a grandparent or step-parent are involved too. And for some people, they've made the conscious choice to be a solo parent, opting to raise their children on their own.

Quite a few celebrities have chosen to follow that path, welcoming children without a significant other. For these stars, the right partner just hadn't come along and their desire to be a parent helped them realize that they don't need a spouse just to have a family. While it can be challenging to parent on their own at times, these celebs say it's all worth it.

Find out why these stars decided to become parents on their own…

1. Mindy Kaling

In early 2024, Mindy Kaling secretly welcomed her daughter Anne, marking the third time that she had welcomed a baby on her own. Looking back on her decision to pursue parenthood, Mindy explained before welcoming her first child, she felt "fear and panic" that she may never become a mom. At 37, she decided to do it even if she didn't have a partner.

"I had some professional things that I'd been hoping for not come through or had been delayed. And I just thought like, 'What am I doing? Like, I just gotta have a kid,'" Mindy told Yahoo Life's So Mini Ways. "I [didn't] want to wake up and just never be able to, because more than writing and creating shows, my great dream in life was to become a mom, because of my relationship with my mom."

2. Andy Cohen

In 2019, Andy Cohen announced the arrival of his son Benjamin via a surrogate. Despite being single, Andy explained that after turning 50, he simply "didn't want to wait" any longer to become a father. Thankfully, he's had a big support network to help him out.

"There were points where I thought that it was too late for me or that I was really focused on my career, and I was having too much fun to think about it. It was still there nagging at me in the back of my head,"  he told People. "Turning 50 also played a big part. I just realized that now was the time.

He added, "It's not something in your mind -- 'Oh, I want to do this alone.' But I like being alone. I didn't want to wait. To me it would have to be a very special person to say, 'Let's do this together.' And I would love that, and that person could be having coffee down the street at this moment and I'll meet him soon."

3. Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock was still married to her husband Jesse James when she began the adoption process. When they unexpectedly split, she decided to continue onward and adopted her son Louis on her own. Then, Sandra says her son "spearheaded this whole journey," helping her to decide to adopt for a second time. Eventually, they welcomed Laila, who Sandra has no doubts was "supposed to be here."

"Society still, as open-minded as we've become, has these rules that quietly say, 'This is the way it goes.' They're saying, 'It's a man and a woman, and then you have a baby, and that's the family.' I go, 'Oh my god, I'm a single parent. With a child. How am I...,' I felt less than. I felt, 'I'm not the complete package.' And then I realized, this is the complete package," she told The Independent.

4. January Jones

In 2011, January Jones gave birth to her son Xander. At the time, she wasn't in a relationship and has never revealed the identity of her child's father, explaining that it's a private matter. While she decided to raise her son on her own, January says doesn't feel the need to have a partner to be a parent.

"I just don't feel I need a partner. Do I want one? Maybe. But I don't feel unhappy or lonely. It would have to be someone so amazing that I would want to make room. Someone who would contribute to my happiness and not take away from it," she told Red magazine.

She continued, "I realize I have very high expectations and will probably have to compromise -- but my life is so full. After I had Xander, I went on a couple of dates and I was like, 'I'd rather be at home sleeping, or watching TV or hanging out with my kid.'"

5. Kristin Davis

Kristin Davis says she's never truly been focused on finding her forever person but she knew she wanted to be a mom. She went on to adopt her children Gemma and Wilson. While she says the "the choice-making" aspect of being a single parent can be tough, she's happy raising her children on her own and a man would have to be very special to join their family.

"I say to my children that I'd have to find somebody that was good enough to be in their lives," she told The Sunday Times. "I'm not going to let somebody be around them, or influence them, or be any kind of father figure unless they're amazing. The bar is high."

6. Diane Keaton

When Diane Keaton was in her 50s, she adopted her children Dexter and Duke. In her memoir, she shared that her decision to become a mother was partially inspired by the passing of her father. While she says she does believe it's important to have a partner in parenthood, she was happy to do it by herself.

"The loves of my life are my children and my mother," she once said. "I don't feel as if I need a man. Don't get me wrong, I love men … [but] I have kids and my work. That's fine with me."

7. Rosario Dawson

In 2011, Rosario Dawson adopted her daughter Isabella, who was 11-years-old at the time. Rosario actually knew Isabella's biological mother and after finding out that the little girl was in foster care, she sought her out and decided to adopt her.

"With my daughter, I didn't go to an adoption center or anything like that," Rosario told Health magazine. "My family knew her biological mom, and when we found out she was in foster care, we looked for her. It wasn't even a question; it was clearly meant to be -- she's my kid."

8. Ricky Martin

In 2008, Ricky Martin welcomed his twin sons Matteo and Valentino via surrogacy. At the time, he was single and chose to raise the boys with no nanny or outside help. He explained that he wanted to do it by himself because he didn't "want to miss a moment." Looking back, he says it was very intense but he loved it.

"The first year as a single father with twins was insanity. I had eye bags down to my knees but it was the most beautiful year of my life," he told In magazine.

9. Angelina Jolie

In 2002, Angelina Jolie decided to adopt her son Maddox from Cambodia. Although she was married to Billy Bob Thornton at the time, she filed for adoption as a single parent. The couple later split and Angelina continued to raise Maddox. Then, while later traveling to Africa with Maddox, they visited an orphanage where they met Zahara. The pair later returned to Africa to adopt the little girl. While Brad Pitt was by their side at that time, he did not adopt her until later.

"When I was growing up I wanted to adopt, because I was aware there were kids that didn't have parents. It's not a humanitarian thing, because I don't see it as a sacrifice. It's a gift. We're all lucky to have each other," she told Vanity Fair.

10. Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan welcomed her son Jack with her husband Dennis Quaid but after they split, she decided her family wasn't complete. In 2006, she adopted her daughter Daisy from China, choosing to raise her on her own.

"There was nothing random about it. She is the daughter I should have," Meg shared with People magazine shortly after bringing Daisy home in 2006. "I never felt like I was on a rescue mission or anything like that. I just really wanted a baby; I was on a mission to connect with somebody, and Daisy and I got to meet each other this way at this time. We are so compatible. And also having the experience of having had Jack and now to have Daisy in a different way -- there's no difference in the love you feel."

11. Connie Britton

In 2011, Connie Britton adopted her son Eyob from an Ethiopian orphanage. Looking back, she says the death of her own parents made her realize it wasn't worth waiting for the right partner to come around.

"I always knew I wanted a child, and I always assumed I'd be doing it with a man," Connie told Redbook. "Then my parents passed away within three years of each other. Right after that, a lightbulb went off in my head and I thought, 'What am I waiting for?' I wasn't in a relationship at the time, but I thought, 'This is something I want to do. I can do it.'"

12. Denise Richards

Denise Richards was already the mom of two little girls from her marriage to Charlie Sheen but after their split, she decided her family wasn't complete. Although she wanted more children, she wasn't in a relationship and eventually decided to adopt on her own, welcoming her daughter Eloise in 2012.

"I felt like I wasn't done having children, and I've always wanted to have a large family. And so after my divorce I felt like, 'Oh well, I'm sure I'll soon enough get remarried and have my family [grow],' and that wasn't in the cards at the time, so I decided to expand my family on my own," she told People.

13. Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow was raised in a very traditional family but she says it came to a point where she decided to let go of how she was told her life was supposed to look. In 2007, she adopted her son Wyatt and then Levi joined the family a few years later.

"It wouldn't have been my first choice to do it by myself, but to be perfectly honest, I feel like the way that…the way things have happened for me have not been conventional," she told Yahoo! Entertainment. "I can say safely that the way that it's rolled out for me has been really a blessing that everything that I wanted to do selfishly when I was younger, I've gotten that out of my system, and now it's all about my boys."

14. Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is the proud mom to two children she welcomed through adoption, August and Jackson. While she says she never intended to be a single mom, it's just the way it worked out for her -- and she has no regrets.

"It's just the way things worked out. When you adopt, you have to do it unconditionally. I threw myself into the adoption process because I was convinced that I could fulfill the role of mother and give my children all the love and attention they need. No one aspires to become a single parent, but I learned a long time ago that you can't control everything in life. I have adapted to the situation because I am pragmatic," she told Elle Canada.

15. Camryn Manheim

In 2000, Camryn Manheim asked her friend Jeffrey Brezovar to be a sperm donor so she could conceive a child. She later welcomed her son Milo and raised him primarily as a single mother, keeping his father's identity a secret from the public. While she says being a single parent was tough in the early days while she was starring on The Practice, she now feels lucky to have done it on her own.

"From as early as I can remember, I always knew I wanted to be a mother, but circumstances prevented me from doing that in the traditional way. I have always been a bit of a rebel, so following a traditional pattern wasn't a deal breaker for me. As I approached 40, I considered all my options and chose to have a baby on my own," she told Your Teen in 2013.

She added, "Now that I have a myriad of married friends, I've got to tell you, sometimes I feel lucky to be a single parent. So many of my friends have one or two children, but with their husbands, they have three children. Many of my friends envy me because it is just my son and me. Of course the downside is, it's all on me -- the financial part, the physical part, the emotional part, and every single decision. Mostly that's a plus, but sometimes I wish I had a little back up."

16. Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu became a mom for the first time in 2015 when her son Rockwell was born via surrogate. Looking back, Lucy admits she didn't think too much about being a single mom and just decided she wanted to do it.

"I didn't have a plan. I just thought, 'I want to change the conversation a little bit.' I didn't mull it over too much. I didn't do a lot of research, I just pulled the trigger," she told The Cut. "I can think myself out of something easily. If I think too much I won't do it. It's better for me to feel something and just go for it. A lot of people read books about parenting. I didn't do any of that. I was like, 'When the child is here, I'm just going to figure it out.'"

17. Sharon Stone

When Sharon Stone was married to Phil Bronstein, they adopted a son named Roan. Then, after they split, Sharon chose to continue to expand her family, adopting sons Laird and Quinn. When she decided to become a parent on her own, Sharon admits she hoped she would eventually have her own partner -- but she's now fully taken on roles of both mom and dad.

"When you decide to take on this big adventure of being a single parent, you don't know what it's going to be like. You think, how am I ever going to do this all? It's just a lot. Even with the help that we're so blessed to be able to have, your hair's still going down the drain in the shower. It's just a lot," she told People.

She continued, "I think somewhere in the back of your mind you think maybe one day you won't be a single parent. Then, eventually you realize, I think it's better. I'm no longer hoping for someone…Now, I sit down and tell [my sons], this is where I have to teach you how to be a gentleman and a man and we're going to figure that out together. There were times that we thought maybe there would be someone else to help with that, but there isn't. So that's what we're doing now."