Celebs Who Were Parent-Shamed

Celebrities are constantly in the public eye, so it's no secret that sometimes their worst moments are spread like wildfires across the internet for everyone to see — whether they like it or not. And sometimes these moments aren't even necessarily objectively bad, but rather simply controversial. With the readiness of technology today, it seems that having a screen in place of face-to-face interaction often brings out the nastiest in people. Especially internet trolls in the form of parent-shamers. 

Everyone wants to be a good parent and everyone has a different way of parenting. But no matter how one decides to raise their kids, one rule stays the same — how you choose to parent is no one else's business, especially when, in the case of Counting On's Jessa Duggar, you know a thing or two about family. These celebs are just some of the many that have had to deal with parent-shamers who just can't seem to get that concept through their heads.

Kylie Jenner just can't seem to catch a break since her little one, Stormi Webster, was born. The billion-dollar makeup line owner posted a darling Instagram picture of her holding Stormi in 2018 with the caption, "My angel baby is 1 month old today." Instead of cherishing the beauty of the new mom cradling her daughter, many trolls were quick to criticize the length of her nails claiming they were too long to change a diaper. 

According to People, one commenter speculated: "Don't wanna be a b**** but the length of kylie jenner's nails tells me all i need to know about her parenting/lack thereof." Believing that the longer the nails the worse the mother denies the resilience that mothers have when caring for their child. Remember the women who lifted cars to free their trapped children? 

The youngest sister on Keeping Up with the Kardashians was ridiculed again after going to Coachella two months after Stormi was born. Jenner flaunted a pink wig and seemed to be having fun in her Instagram photos and Stories. "Where's the baby? Great parents so far. This baby been with babysitters more than her parents," one commenter wrote according to Fox News.

We constantly see celebrities in so many picture-perfect scenarios that we often forget they, too, make mistakes. First-time dad Ryan Reynolds was shamed on Father's Day in 2015 after his wife, Blake Lively, posted an Instagram photo of him (now removed) wearing a baby carrier slung over his chest with their daughter inside. Comments were quick to denote he was "doing it wrong" because baby James' head was hidden and her legs weren't at proper 90-degree angles, but rather dangling underneath.

What was marked as a parenting fail was soon redeemed when Ryan Reynolds defended himself during an interview on Today with Matt Lauer. "The baby's not properly secured in the vessel that I'm wearing there," Reynolds admitted in regards to the Instagram photo. "I'm a first-time dad, and that is not the first mistake I've made. I can guarantee you it won't be last." If his truthful explanation isn't totally relatable, endearing and worth forgiving, then what is?

Pink has always been one to do whatever she wants. But still, many people made a point to judge her parenting and scream it loud and proud — digitally, of course. In 2017, she posted a photo of her cooking with her infant, Jameson Moon, strapped on her front. The issue critics had? She appeared to be only a foot away from the stove. Instead of praising her impressive multi-tasking skills, many Instagrammers called her out for putting her child at risk of injury.

According to News.com.au, one person angrily commented, "Dangerous stuff for your kids! Stop doing this! You are a great singer, don't need to expose your baby to boiling oil. Are you insane these days?" Luckily, not all the comments on her post were negative. Hundreds of supporters saw the magic in the moment of a mom cooking for her kids. Pink was able to bounce back from the negative comments she responded to the madness in an interview with Women's Health: "I'm relieved that most of you see the ridiculousness of the comment situation," Pink said. "Lord help us all."

Ex-Laguna Beach star, Kristin Cavallari, has three adorable children with Jay Cutler — the former quarterback of the Chicago Bears. In 2016, the family went on vacation and she posted an Instagram picture of her two boys and her hubby standing shirtless in the ocean. Parent-shamers didn't hold back from firing comments about how the kids looked starved and lacking proper nutrition. "Sorry that the truth hurts but the poor child's bones are popping out. Instead of getting mad for everyone being alarmed look in to the child's diet," one critic wrote, according to Refinery29.

The blonde beauty who launched her own cookbook entitled True Roots: A Mindful Kitchen with More Than 100 Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar is a health advocate, but emphasizes that her children aren't on a diet. "How I eat, I cook at home, and that's what they eat. But we go out to breakfast every weekend. They get donuts every weekend. It's not like they're on some stupid diet. They're kids," Cavallari insisted in an interview with People.

Former party girl Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has settled into the mother role quite comfortably. But that doesn't stop the internet trolls from shaking their heads in disapproval at her daughter's appearance. The petite Jersey Shore cast member posted a photo to Instagram of her daughter posing with the daughter of fellow cast member, JWOW, at Mike "The Situation's" wedding shower in September 2018. Her caption joked about how their little ones look like spitting images of themselves and read, "Here's a pic of us at our first red carpet event. We were so young. @jwoww #TheHitchuation."

According to The Huffington Post, one person commented on the photo, "You have money dress your girl better. She's beautiful but needs to look nicer," they ranted. "You take time to do your hair face and dress do the same for her." No matter how much time you spend dressing or grooming your kid, sometimes you can't prevent that ketchup stain or knotted hair — they are kids for pete's sake! And sometimes they insist on wearing crocs to a wedding shower — all parents know what it's like to pick your battles.

Megan Fox was named the sexiest woman in the world by FHM (via Reuters) in 2008 and we have to admit, she's a bombshell. But sexy isn't all she's known for. The mother of three children with Brian Austin Green has been in the spotlight surrounding the controversy of her decision to let her son wear dresses. Her oldest son, Noah who turned six in 2018, has been photographed wearing dresses including a sparkling Elsa dress from Disney's movie Frozen. Footwear News reported a tweet that read, "It's clear that Megan Fox wanted a daughter but got a son instead, so she makes him dress like a girl."

A child's early life is often celebrated with positive self-expression, so limiting exploration can prohibit a child from radiating his or her unique self. Fox is an advocate for letting her boys choose what to wear, whether dresses or pants, and she happily supported Noah's decision to be a zombie cheerleader for Halloween. During an interview on the Today show, Fox addressed the heated conversation of her child's fashion. "I thought it was illegal, honestly, to shame a child or shame a mom for what a child wears... in 2018."

Two days after the deadly Las Vegas shooting in 2017, Irish-American actress and activist Olivia Wilde captured a loving moment she shared with her son during bath time. The black and white Instagram photo showed her leaning in and kissing her son, Otis Alexander who was three at the time, on the lips with the caption, "Finding hope in this [heart emoji]." 

What was meant to be a heartwarming Instagram post soon turned bitter when the picture was tainted with shaming comments saying the kiss was inappropriate. According to Today, one disgusted fan wrote "it's gross," while another wrote, "Kissing your kid like you kiss your husband. It's not good for him." This is yet another example of how complete strangers use social media to preach the advice they think is best for a celebrity they have never met. People often forget they have absolutely no connection to a celebrity whatsoever other than the distant, public personality they relay on social media.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have been careful to hide their son's face from the public eye whenever they can. Silas Randall Timberlake, who turned three in 2018, is still featured in their Instagram content, but is often captured in photos with his face covered. As the stunning family traveled to Paris, Timberlake posted a photo of Silas and Jessica sharing a kiss with the caption, "If that pic doesn't say 'City Of Love' then I'm out..."

His little boy was dressed in what appeared to be a romper and sported long, curly JT-like locks. Internet trolls made it known that Silas' appearance was far too feminine for their liking. Business Insider reported that one fan cussed to express their disapproval: "The little boy needs a f***ing hair cut boys in life have short hair for a reason." Parent-shaming is never okay — whether done to someone you know personally or to a celebrity. The way a parent dresses and cuts — or doesn't cut — their child's hair is not a reflection of his or her parenting and is, frankly, none of your business. Judging someone's character based on appearance alone is something that digresses us as human beings and builds walls, perpetuating unnecessary negativity. 

Tattooed soccer — ahem, we mean football — superstar David Beckham received a storm of negative comments after posting an Instagram photo in 2017 of him kissing his then-5-year-old daughter on the lips. Commenters deemed the public display of affection as "inappropriate" and "gross." Beckham wasn't one to avoid addressing the situation in the spotlight, though. In a Facebook Live discussion, he explained that he grew up in a very affectionate home and chooses to raise his kids in a similar environment.

"I got actually criticized for kissing my daughter on the lips the other day. I kiss all my kids on the lips," Beckham explained. "Brooklyn, maybe not. Brooklyn's 18, he might find that a little bit strange." The heartthrob wasn't the only one to get criticized. His wife, Victoria Beckham, too, was shamed for kissing her daughter on the lips. Today, we are often alarmed when someone doesn't do things the same way we do. Can't we just see the beauty of a man who is openly expressing love and affection for his child?

When Jessica Simpson posted an Instagram video of her son, Ace Knute, who was five at the time, flipping in a swimming pool with a cast on, everyone seemed to have something to say about it. Her video, posted in 2018, was swarmed with comments questioning her parenting and saying the gymnastics stunt could only make his broken arm worse. Yahoo Lifestyle reported one Instagram user wrote on her photo: "This doesn't seem very smart to me but then again I know the difference between chicken and tuna," referencing Simpson's infamous scene from her reality show with ex-hubby Nick Lachey. While another user, according to People, shared their expert opinion: "As someone in healthcare, I'm gonna say that's not a good idea," they objected.

In Simpson's defense, Ace was wearing a waterproof cast, which she mentioned in the caption: "A broken bone doesn't hold this kiddo down. #waterproofcast #ACEKNUTE." Not letting the cast limit her child's ability have fun was more important in Simpson's eyes than the criticism that circled it. Simpson explained during an interview with Extra, "Listen, it makes him happy and it's kids being kids. He is in my husband's hands. I know he's okay."

Reese Witherspoon is arguably one of the most adorable celebs to ever walk on Earth. When the Southern Belle posted a photo of her toddler's breakfast depicting a cinnamon roll smiley face, many mommy-shamers put her on blast for serving her kids sweets for breakfast. The photo captioned "Rise and Shine" was filled with comments labeling the breakfast as unhealthy. One commenter proclaimed, "Child abuse right there. Kill your kids with sugar. Great parenting.. Not!" Extreme much?

This isn't the first time she's posted photos of her children's breakfast, either. Her Instagram feed is filled with painfully cute snapshots of her own unique breakfast creations. Some of the most notable are the waffle turtle and a fried gingerbread-man-shaped-egg cooked into the center of a piece of toast. Not all of the breakfast creations she's posted have been as sweet as the cinnamon roll smiley face. But if a parent said they'd never given their child something sweet for breakfast, they'd be an anomaly to us all. 

Alicia Silverstone created an internet whirlwind when she posted a video to her website in 2012 of her pre-chewing food for her then-10-month-year-old son and feeding it to him mouth-to-mouth. The Clueless star is known for her vegan diet and PETA activism, but some people thought she went too far when she fed her son baby-bird style, saying it was unhygienic and disgusting. One commenter on CNN Entertainment affirmed, "Alicia Silverstone is absolutely BARKING MAD! How on earth does she expect her kid to learn how to eat properly, or is she going to keep doing this ad infinitum? What a nut case!"

Pre-chewing, also called pre-mastication, isn't actually anything new. The feeding method dates back to our primitive roots, and scientific evidence suggests it's a healthy way to feed infants who are too old for breast milk. Pre-mastication is even said to have some of the same benefits of breastfeeding. Despite all the negative backlash, Silverstone claimed she didn't regret feeding her son this way nor posting the video. US Weekly reported in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Silverstone stated, "I can understand that it would make some people feel uncomfortable, possibly, because it's new to them."

Everyone knows that Charlize Theron dominates the butt-kicking bad girl movie roles, but she also holds another role with even greater weight: Mom. The South-African native is the mother of two adopted children, Jackson and August. But when she was photographed in 2016 by paparazzi "dragging" Jackson during a temper tantrum, OK! was quick to deem her as bad rather than badass. OK! even captioned the article's post on Facebook with: "Monster Mom! Charlize Theron snapped dragging 4-year-old son! Family relationship expert dissects shocking photos!"

Many fans stood by the Mad Max star's side ensuring that every mother has had to deal with a public temper tantrum and she was just trying to remove the child from the street. Theron does not deny the struggles motherhood can sometimes bring. She confessed during an interview with Elle, "I have bad days. I make mistakes. Going through the tantrum stages when they're such little a**holes. And they choose the worst moments. It's a lot for one person."

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher stole the hearts of many during their steamy retro romance on That '70s Show. So when it came out that they were dating in real life, fans couldn't help but to jump for joy. During an interview with Howard Stern, Kunis admitted her first kiss was on screen with Kutcher when she was 14. Since then, they've come a long way from their days as Jackie and Kelso. Today, they have two children and report loving their life as a family of four.

According to Kunis' interview with Vanity Fair, her choice to breastfeed in public disgraced the eyes of passersby as she received dirty looks when she didn't use a cover. "It always made my husband and I feel a little weird," Kunis revealed. "It took us a little back because people actually looked at us in a shameful [way], and we were like, 'Oh my God,' because it's so not a sexual act." When your baby is hungry, you feed your baby! For those who don't support breastfeeding in public, Kunis suggests they simply look away. 

Mariah Carey spread the Christmas cheer in 2018 when she posted a video on Instagram of her 7-year-old twins singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in the backseat of a car. The post was flooded with many positive comments until one detail was put front and center — the kids weren't wearing seat belts in a clearly moving car. 

According to People, one worried fan tweeted, "Your kids are adorable — thanks for sharing this! But please please please buckle them up properly, with booster seats and seatbelts." Valid point relayed in a respectful way. Another commenter took a less subtle approach, though, stating rather brusquely, "Hey mom. How about practicing safety and strap those beautiful babies in a seat belt!! SMH!!! [facepalm emoji]".

It's unclear who was filming the video, but there's no denying the kids weren't buckled up. Sadly, this instance wasn't the first time Mariah Carey was parent-shamed. The ex-wife of Nick Cannon came under fire previously in 2016 when she posted a photo of her 4-year-old son using a binky. Many fans claimed he was "too old," and said the binky could damage Moroccan's teeth and inhibit the development of his speech. Everyone has an opinion, don't they?

April showers bring May flowers, but what do parent-shamers bring? Big steaming heaps of drama. Jessa Duggar learned just that that when she headed to Lowe's in April of 2019 with her two sons, Henry and Spurgeon. Hoping to harvest some flowers of her own, she stocked up the cart with all the proper ingredients: soil, plants, and a bunch of bricks. She snapped a photo of the two curly haired boys with the cart and looked to Instagram for some advice on which plants can survive neglect. But many mommy-shammers weren't happy with how her older son was pulling on the cart.

CaféMom reported one commenter warned, "BE CAREFUL cause those carts flip when there's weight like on it... I've seen it happen both ways and you can't get to them in time. It's very scary and makes your heart stop!!!" What most spectators failed to recognize that there was plenty of weight already in the cart from the planting supplies making it nearly impossible to flip over. Duggar, who grew up with 18 other siblings, is well-versed in the growing pains of child play. Can't we just let her get her green thumb on?