Hilary Swank Addresses Backlash Over Later-Life Pregnancies

Hilary Swank, 52, has spoken out against the backlash some women face for having children later in life, contrasting it with the societal acceptance for older fathers.

"There’s a lot of backlash women get for having children older but not men, which is interesting," Swank told Drew Barrymore on her talk show. Barrymore, a mother of two, agreed, noting the perceived societal discrepancy. "Men have babies in their like 80s, and that’s not a euphemism or a joke," Barrymore commented.

Swank, who welcomed twins Aya and Ohm in 2023 at age 48 with her husband Philip Schneider, recalled an instance where a woman criticized her decision to have children at an older age. The woman told Swank, "How dare you? You’re too old," and shared her own experience of losing her father at a young age, which she described as devastating.

Swank shared her perspective on the matter, relating to the woman's sentiment about losing a parent. "I thought to myself, ‘well, I would rather be born and have that person that was my favorite person and experience that than not at all,'" Swank explained.

Last week, Swank announced her pregnancy with her third child via Instagram. The announcement featured a video of Swank, Schneider, and their twins dancing with glow sticks, with Swank humorously captioning it, "A lot of people have been asking what project I’m doing next, this one releases in December."

She later appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in New York City, where she debuted her baby bump.