Celebs Who Were Parent-Shamed

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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.

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?

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.

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."

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. 

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."

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."

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. 

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?