Son Ye-jin To Jamie Yeo: 20 Celebs Who Gave Birth In Their 40s
These famous mums became pregnant later in life
By Michelle Lee SM -
There are more women now getting pregnant at a later age, including those who are well into their 40s and 50s. While it's true that conceiving after 35 comes with an increased risk of complications, motherhood is a personal journey, and there's no 'right' age to embark on it.
In fact, many mums who give birth in their later years go on to have healthy, bouncing babies, and these celebrity mums are proof of that. For these famous faces — think Son Ye-jin to Choi Ji-woo, Fann Wong and Jamie Yeo — the right moment for motherhood came after the age of 40.
The Internet went crazy when reel-life couple Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin (they played star-crossed lovers in the hit romantic drama Crash Landing On You) went public with their relationship, and subsequently got married with a luxurious wedding in March 2022.
A few months later, on Nov 27, 2022, they welcomed their son, nicknamed “Little Sweet Bean”. The couple have been fiercely protective of his identity, having only shown pictures of his feet on social media.
Sora Ma welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world this August. She took to Instagram to share her joy, saying, “Our hearts are full with the arrival of our little prince. We can’t wait to start on this new chapter as a family.”
The 40-year-old, who is married to a Singaporean businessman, has candidly shared her IVF journey and its challenges. She explained that she and her husband underwent a series of fertility examinations between June and July of 2023. While the doctor had assured them that there shouldn't be any issues with conceiving naturally, he advised them to seek medical assistance as Sora was 39 then and her husband was nearing 50. They tied the knot in October 2021 after nearly a decade of dating.
Regarding her decision to open up about her experience, she explained that she believed women undergoing a similar process might feel isolated. Despite the mental and physical prep, she admitted to still experiencing moments of breakdowns and tears.
It was twice the joy for Stella Ng this Mother's Day. The former pop idol, 43, gave birth to her second child on May 12, 2024, which was also Mother's Day. This is her first child with her second husband Jon, a Brit who works in the pharmaceutical field. They tied the knot in 2023. She also has a son, 12-year-old Ashton, from her first marriage.
Jamie Yeo and her British husband Rupert welcomed their son Luke in 2017, she Jamie was 40 years old. She also has an elder daughter, Alysia, from her previous marriage, who is now 13. The former radio DJ, who's now based in England with her family, has also opened up about the trauma of having preterm babies, especially with her oldest daughter. She tells The Weekly more here.
Singaporean singer Kelly Poon, who married Taiwanese music producer Roger Yo, and is now based in Taiwan, gave birth to their first child, baby boy Keane, on Nov 19, 2023, when she was 40 years old.
And to make it a doubly special occasion, it was his Daddy's birthday too, with Roger turning 41 on the day. The singer had opted for a C-section then, under her doctor's advice as "he was getting too big, way ahead of his term".
Local actress Fann Wong became a first-time mum at 43 when she had her son, Zed, via caesarean section back in 2014. "I was quite nervous. I didn’t know anything about a C-section; I was determined on giving birth naturally all along," she told Harper's Bazaar Singapore in a 2016 interview. After more than 15 hours in labour, Zed was born on National Day, which is why the date is extra special to her.
Korean mega-star Choi Ji-woo made headlines in December 2019 when she announced her first pregnancy at 44. On May 16, 2020, her then-agency YG Entertainment confirmed that the Winter Sonata star and her non-celebrity husband welcomed a healthy baby girl that morning.
Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi began 2020 off on a high note when she announced that she had given birth to a baby boy (who's now four) just on New Year's Day. She had first child, daughter Xing Xing, in December 2015, when she was 36 years old. She shares both kids with ex-husband, rocker Wang Feng.
South Korean actress Lee Young-ae of Jewel In The Palace fame gave birth to fraternal twins — a boy and a girl — in February 2011, when she was 40 years old. Her then agency Storms Company revealed that she gave birth to both babies through natural childbirth. The Hallyu actress had stayed largely out of the public eye since marrying her Korean-American businessman husband, Jeong Ho Yeong, two years prior, in a secret wedding.
On May 2, 2020, 45-year-old actress Chloe Sevigny gave birth to her first child, a baby boy named Vanja Sevigny Mackovic. In January that year, she was photographed baring her bump — this came two months after a secret wedding to gallerist Sinisa Mackovic.
The American Horror Story star also shared that the birth was a challenging period as it was at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In late 2019, the Japanese singing sensation welcomed a baby boy at age 41. The baby's father remains under wraps but Ayumi had a sweet message to share on her fan page about her little miracle: "I gave birth to an angel at the end of last year and became a mother. Many times, I get disappointed in myself because I couldn’t achieve the life I want. However, I am very happy to take care of my child and he’s become a part of my life. I would like to thank everyone for being understanding and accepting of me. This also goes out to all the mothers in the world, you deserve [the] utmost respect."
Two years later in 2021, the J-pop star announced that she had given birth to her second child, though she did not reveal the gender of her baby.
In 2008, the Big Little Lies actress was overjoyed when she gave birth to her first biological daughter at age 41, after experiencing fertility issues for years. In fact, the star has spoken candidly about her struggles to conceive, having suffered an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage when she was still married to Tom Cruise, leading the couple to adopt two children.
Three years after Sunday Rose was born, she and her husband Keith Urban welcomed their second daughter, Faith Margaret, via surrogate.
Janet Jackson gave birth to her first child in the year that she turned 50 — that's 2017. The singer postponed her Unbreakable tour the year before to start a family with her then-husband Wissam Al Mana but sadly, the couple are no longer together.
Gwen Stefani was 44 years old when she welcomed Apollo Bowie Flynn to her growing brood of boys. He joined her two older boys, Kingston and Zuma, whom she had in her 30s. Their father is rock musician Gavin Rossdale. However, the pair called it quits in 2015, ending their nearly 12-year marriage.
At 41, Halle Berry had her first child, daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry, with her ex Gabriel Aubry in March 2008. Five years later, her son Maceo-Robert Martinez, whom she shares with ex-husband Olivier Martinez, was born.
In an interview with Instyle, she said, "I felt the sexiest during both my pregnancies. I became a mum at 40. Knowing that someone would always be counting on me made me a better person. I’m more focused and in line with my values and my goals."
After multiple rounds of IVF and one devastating miscarriage, Celine Dion welcomed twin boys, Eddy and Nelson, at 42 in 2010. The “My Heart Will Go On” singer gave birth to her first child Rene-Charles at the age of 32 — her late husband Rene Anglil was then 59 — after a round of IVF treatments. Angelil passed away in 2016 from throat cancer at age 73.
One of the most anticipated celebrity births of 2011, then 42-year-old Mariah Carey gave birth to twins, son Moroccan and daughter Monroe in April of that year. It wasn't her first pregnancy though. Shortly after getting married, she and then-husband Nick Cannon found out they'd lost their baby.
After having two kids with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman had her third, Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson, in July 2012 at 42 years old with her former fiance Arpad Busson.
In an interview in 2014, she touched on being an older mum, sharing that she was more mature, and no longer felt guilty about being a working mum. When I was younger and became a mother I didn’t think I could do anything else and was completely overwhelmed,” she explained. “I’d feel guilty and afraid if I worked, and guilty and afraid about not working. So it’s awesome to have another baby now I’m a grown-up.”
In April 2002, Julianne Moore welcomed her second child, Liv, at the age of 41. She has an older son, Caleb, who she had when she was in her late 30s. She shares her kids with her husband film director Bart Freundlich.
Pop icon Madonna has six children - two biological kids, and four of whom are adopted. The pop star gave birth to two children – Lourdes, daughter of personal trainer Carlos Leon, at age 38, and Rocco, son of her ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, at age 41.