14 Celebrities Who Broke the Stereotypes About Stepparents

It’s not easy to be a parent, especially if you are raising children you’re not related by blood to. But family is something bigger than just a biological kinship. And some celebrities proved this.

At CHEERY, we found celebrities who’ve managed to build a special connection with their adopted children, and love them with all their heart.

Caitlyn Jenner

Bruce Jenner used to be the stepfather of the Kardashian girls. After he divorced Kris Jenner and decided to go through a gender transition, his stepdaughter Kim Kardashian supported him more than anyone else. Caitlyn Jenner said, “Of course, when you have 10 kids, you have different relationships with all of your children. Obviously, Kendall and Kylie, my flesh and blood, I’m very close to them. On the Kardashian side, I see them here and there, but I’m not really close. Kim is probably the closest. My other side, my other kids, my sons, Brandon, Burt, the whole group, they’re all there.”

Penny Lancaster

Penny Lancaster revealed that it was a fulfilling experience for her to become a stepmother to Rod Stewart’s 6 children. And since they were all of the different ages, she got to see the different stages that children go through. “It’s been a learning curve but a wonderful one. It’s so lovely that we’re all so close and they all turn to me for advice, to talk about dad, boyfriends, and career choices. It’s a big happy family now.” Penny and Rod also have 2 children together — Aiden and Alastair.

Hilaria Baldwin

Hilaria and Alec Baldwin have 6 children together. In March this year, they announced that they are expecting their seventh child. But the actor also has a daughter with Kim Basinger — Ireland Baldwin. This is what Hilaria says about her stepdaughter, “I never tried to be her mom. I think that’s really important. First of all, I’m 11 years older than her. I met her when she was 15 years old. And we are just like girlfriends. Sometimes she calls me for advice. Sometimes I call her for advice. And so we’ve never had one bad moment in our entire relationship.”

Tina Knowles

After divorcing her husband, Tina Knowles found happiness with Richard Lawson. Apart from her own daughters, Tina now also has a “bonus daughter” — this is how she refers to actress Bianca Lawson who is the daughter of her now-husband. They have a nice relationship. Lawson says that her stepmother is amazing, and has become someone she can talk to for hours, “She’s so down to earth. You could just chat with her about anything all day long.” Knowles often supports her daughter on social media and wishes her happy birthday.

Jenny McCarthy

Actress Jenny McCarthy has a son from her first marriage, Evan. But she also gets along with the sons of her now-husband, Donnie Wahlberg. This is what the Blue Bloods star says about his wife, “Besides being the best wife that I could have ever imagined having, she’s also the best stepmom and mother. She’s a great partner and to simplify it, having someone to build traditions with my children and it being Jenny is probably the thing I’m most grateful for.”

Joe Manganiello

Actor Joe Manganiello married Sofía Vergara in 2015, and he has a great relationship with her son, Manolo. He was even present at his college graduation ceremony. And it seems that Manolo is happy with his mother’s second marriage. Once, he and his cousin, Claudia Vergara, gave the famous couple a sweet surprise dinner to honor the date when they officially began dating.

Kelly Clarkson

When Kelly Clarkson married Brandon Blackstock, she became not only a wife but also a stepmother. He has 2 children from his previous marriage, Savannah and Seth, and at the time, Kelly managed to develop a strong relationship with them, calling them “their kids” right out of the gate.

Paul Bettany

Paul Bettany is married to an Oscar-winning actress, Jennifer Connelly, with whom they have 2 children together. Paul also has a stepson, Kai. The actor says that he loves all their 3 kids, “They’re all such extraordinary kids. And they’re great together. They never fight. They look after each other. They’re loving.”

Cardi B

Cardi B and her husband Offset have 2 children together. The rapper also has 3 more kids from his previous relationships. Once in an interview, he praised Cardi B for being as loyal to her stepchildren as to her own, “It’s a blessing to be able to have them all together, and to have a wife who’s open and treats them as if they’re her kids. It could be an issue, but I don’t have to go through that, and that’s beautiful.”

Evan Ross

Celebrity couple Evan Ross and Ashlee Simpson have 2 children together. But Ashlee also has a son from her previous marriage. Evan admitted that he really enjoys being his stepdad, “It’s amazing. I can’t even tell you how incredible that child is. He’s been a blessing in my life and I’ve learned so much from him.”

Christine Lampard

Christine Lampard is a stepmother to her husband’s 2 daughters. She says that she has a close relationship with the girls. She revealed that once they woke her up at 6 a.m. on her birthday to give her handmade birthday cards. Frank Lampard’s younger daughter said to her, “I love you being my stepmom.” Christine even started to cry, “I’m proud I have that kind of relationship with them.”

Eve

When Eve began dating Maximillion Cooper, he already had 4 children from his previous marriage. She revealed that at first, she had doubts about it, “It took a minute. I was like, ’I’m not sure this is what I want to be in my life.’ But honestly, it’s been 3 years now and we’ve gone on vacations together, and they’re the sweetest kids.”

Princess Beatrice

After tying the knot with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, Princess Beatrice took on 2 roles — a wife and stepmother to his 5-year-old son, Christopher. She said, “This year, I had the great honor to become a stepmother, and have had the most remarkable time going back over some of my most favorite stories at bedtime. Helping him to engage with stories is a great journey to inspire imagination, creativity, independence, and humor.”

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez dated in the early 2000s but broke up, and got married only 20 years later. He has 3 daughters from his previous marriage, and she has twins. And they get along really well with each other. Jennifer Lopez praises Ben’s abilities as a father, “I have never seen a more consistent, loving and selfless father. And it’s not just to your own kids but also without obligation to mine as well.”

Do you have stepchildren? Share your experience in the comments below.