Hilary Swank is calling out the double standards women face when having children later in life, after announcing she was pregnant with her third child at 52.
“There’s a lot of backlash among women who have older children, but not among men, which is interesting,” the two-time Oscar winner told Drew Barrymore in a clip from an upcoming interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, scheduled to air October 20.
Barrymore, who is a mother of two, admitted the double standard was “bizarre”, pointing out that men sometimes have children into their 80s.
“You had kids in their 40s and people weren’t always nice about it,” Barrymore told Swank.
Swank, who welcomed twins Aya and Ohm in April 2023 at the age of 48, recalled one particularly hurtful encounter. One woman said her father was her “favorite person” but he died when she was in her 20s.
She then questioned Swank’s choice to have older children, telling him, “How dare you? You’re too old.”
Rather than ignore the woman’s concerns, Swank said she understood the heartbreak behind them. Her own father had also passed away and she described him as one of her favorite people on earth.
“I thought, ‘Well, I’d rather be born and have this person who was my favorite person and experience that than not at all,'” Swank said.
The conversation also sparked a broader discussion among viewers about the judgments women face when making decisions about motherhood.
In the comments on The Drew Barrymore Show’s Instagram post, many women shared their own experiences: having children in their 40s, losing their parents at a young age, or being criticized for the timing of their pregnancy.
One commenter, who said she became a mother for the first time at 44, wrote that she had faced comments suggesting it was selfish to have a child later in life. Her own father had died when she was a child, she said, adding that she was now the same age as when he died.
“No matter what age you have children, long life is never a guarantee,” she wrote.
Another commenter said her parents took her in in their early 40s and died when she was in her 20s. She said she is now pregnant at 41 and doing her best to stay healthy for her three children.
“My mom had me at 21 and she died so young when I was 27,” another person wrote. “So age is no guarantee of anything, the only thing that matters is that you are wanted and that your parents love you!!!”
Others recognized that becoming a parent later in life can come with practical considerations, particularly in terms of energy levels. One speaker also expressed concerns about pregnancy risks associated with advancing maternal age.
Yet a recurring theme in the discussion was the frustration of feeling judged, regardless of when or whether a woman chooses to have children.
“Women face backlash no matter what,” one commenter wrote. “I don’t want kids…boo, have kids between 40 and 50…boo. So no matter what we do, we’re going to be criticized, so do what you want.”
Another offered a simpler message: “You don’t have to defend yourself or explain. »
Swank announced her latest pregnancy on Instagram on Oct. 14, sharing a video of herself, her husband, Philip Schneider, and their twins dancing in the dark with what appeared to be glow sticks attached to their outfits.
“A lot of people are asking me what project I’m doing next, this one is coming out in December,” she captioned the video, adding a wink and baby emojis.
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