Diane Kruger Spent Her Whole Life Saying She Doesn’t Want Kids, but then She Met Norman Reedus and Had His Baby at the Age of 42

Never say never. Diane Kruger was a true workaholic for many years. Her career was quick to take off from the start: first on the catwalk and then in the film industry. The actress got married and then divorced director Guillaume Canet and lived with Joshua Jackson for 10 years but never came to the realization that she was ready to become a mother. However, as it often happens in movies, love intervened and magically transformed the career-driven, child-free woman into a caring wife and mom.

Workaholic

From the young age of 15, Diane Krueger has known the meaning of hard work. She was chosen to represent her native Germany in a modeling competition, a chance she made the most of. She quickly got noticed by fashion houses and ended up moving to Paris. Shooting for the cover of Vogue and advertising campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs. And a little later, Karl Lagerfeld himself asked the model to represent Chanel.

Having achieved success in the fashion industry so early on, she, like many of her colleagues, could have afforded to focus on a family: have children, and create a cozy home. But Diane was restless; it wasn’t enough to conquer the catwalks, she wanted more. And so she took up acting.

Diana’s first high-profile film was Troy. She was chosen out of about 3,000 applicants for the role of Helen. And then she was invited to European cinema. At the same time, Kruger met the young director Guillaume Canet, whom she ended up marrying. As a 25-year-old aspiring actress, she dreamed of an impressive career rather than motherhood. Constantly moving from one place to another, a busy schedule, a celebrity lifestyle... Where would there be room for children? So, her marriage to Canet lasted five years before the couple divorced.

An actor’s life with its frantic pace can only be understood by others who live it. Kruger found a new partner —Joshua Jackson. The union between the two stars was irresistible for the paparazzi, the lovers couldn’t get a rest from them either day or night. What added to the attention the couple was receiving was how they lived: they didn’t formalize their relationship or have children. They enjoyed their life of freedom.

In fact, later in an interview, Diane shared that during her relationship with Jackson, she clearly knew that this was not the place nor the man with whom she wanted to have a child. And after a 10-year relationship, the couple broke up. To start thinking about motherhood after that seemed too late. At 35, the actress hid a small hope, somewhere deep inside that one day she would meet the right person, with whom she would want to become a parent.

The beloved

In 2015, Kruger met Norman Reedus on the set of the drama Sky. At the time, she was 39 years old, and he was 46. This relationship became the complete opposite of everything Diane had experienced in the past; the couple didn’t publicize their romance and didn’t talk about the details of their personal life. The actress had found the right person. In 2018, they welcomed a daughter into the family, calling her Nova.

“Sometimes life gives you things when you least expect them but most need them. The arrival of Nova has changed my life — our lives — in the best possible way. It’s just amazing that you thought you were one thing, but you’re meant to do something completely different,” the actress shared. Diane, the workaholic, still tried to keep up with her full schedule during her pregnancy, but then she realized that she had to choose. And she chose her daughter. The actress took some time off, completely devoting her life to her family.

Norman, who by the time Nova was born, already had a grown-up son from a previous relationship, became a supportive pillar for Diane. He taught his beloved how to take care of a child, filling her life with sweet moments, like sharing baby photos when they were not together. For Reedus and Kruger, who grew up in single-parent families, it was important to create an atmosphere at home that they themselves never had.

With the birth of their daughter, the secretive couple began to share a little more with their fans. Kruger, like millions of most ordinary moms, posted on social media about how tired she was and how chaos reigns at home. But she was also glowing with happiness, saying that, in those moments, she felt like a true superhero.

Mom

Diane once reflected on how she had lived a selfish life before the birth of her child. She loved being a star on catwalks, appearing in films and photo shoots, and traveling the world. And it’s true, combining that with having a baby was no easy task. But who says it’s impossible?

The first thing the actress did was take care of herself. She sweated for hours in the gym, returning her body to its former shape. When this was achieved, she was shocked. She hadn’t hoped that at her age, and so soon after giving birth, she would be able to get back into shape.

Then the couple was able to organize their rhythm of life in such a way that there would be space and time for each member of the family. And, most importantly, so that they don’t have to give up doing what they truly love: “This is maybe the first time in my adult life that I’m in a relationship where I respect him to do his thing. I want him to feel he can do anything he’s interested in and I would support that. And I expect that the other way around.”

France, Germany, America: wherever the parents go, Nova is always with them. Diane says that embracing the traveling lifestyle is a core principle of her family’s identity. They teach the girl that the whole world is her home so that she won’t feel out of place wherever she goes.

But the main lessons were the ones they themselves learned from their daughter: that you should never shy away from life and that there’s a time for everything. “Nova was a surprise. I thought it wasn’t going to happen, and she came into my life when I was ready. I’m grateful that happened for me and our family. She’s changed my world and the way I look at everything.”

Have you ever had a fundamental change of heart regarding any issue? Tell us about it in the comments.