Hilary Swank opened up about the backlash she received for becoming a mother in her 40s while sharing news of her latest pregnancy. The Oscar-winning actress, who is expecting her third child with husband Philip Schneider, recalled one comment that particularly stood out.
Hilary Swank discusses pregnancy backlash and double standards for older parents on The Drew Barrymore Show
Swank discussed the topic in a preview of her upcoming interview with Drew Barrymore. The episode will air on October 20. The actress, known for Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby, spoke about the different reactions men and women face when they have children later in life.
“There’s a lot of backlash women get for having children older but not men, which is interesting,” she said.
Barrymore, who has two children of her own, called the double standard “weird.” She pointed out that men can have children well into their 80s, adding that “that’s not a euphemism or a joke.” She added, “You had kids in your 40s, and people weren’t always gracious about it.”
Swank welcomed twins Aya and Ohm with Schneider in 2023 at age 48. She then recalled an encounter with one of her critics.
She said, “There’s one story that I found really interesting, and I think I was attracted to this particular story because this one woman said, ‘How dare you? You’re too old, and you won’t be old enough when your kids are older, and my dad was my favorite person, and he died when I was in my early 20s, and it’s just devastation.’”
Swank explained that she related to the story because she had also lost her father. She described him as one of her favorite people on Earth.
“I would rather be born and have that person who was my favorite person and experience that than not at all,” she said.
Swank recently announced her third pregnancy on Instagram. She shared a playful clip featuring glowing stick figures that appeared to represent herself, her husband and their two children. The figures danced to Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.”
She also added a playful caption to the post. “A lot of people have been asking what project I’m doing next; this one releases in December,” she wrote.
