Meet Christina Aguilera's Two Kids, Max And Summer
Christina Aguilera strives to ensure that her two children, Max Liron Bratman and Summer Rain Rutler, don't have to live through the same traumatic experiences she did. In a 2021 Health interview, Aguilera opened up about her trauma from her child actor days. The "Genie In A Bottle" songstress shared that she started acting when she was seven and was guilt-tripped into working her very hardest to feel like she was doing enough. The emotional scars from those times led her to feel tremendous guilt whenever she took any time away from her craft.
Aguilera also admitted that she grew overly competitive in her childhood days because she was consistently compared to her young peers. Once Aguilera fully accepted that her childhood was toxic, she made a promise to herself when it came to her own approach to parenting, which she shared with Today in 2015. "It's very important to me to provide them with an environment to feel safe and loved. I want to give my children the gift of loving music without having to use it as an escape like I had to," she said.
The "Lady Marmalade" hitmaker also explained that she wanted to remain financially independent throughout her life so that she and her kids wouldn't have to rely on an abusive man to support them. Aguilera noted that mothers often devote 100% of themselves to their children and forget they can't pour from an empty cup. She encouraged these moms to prioritize little acts of self-care that would help them get through the more difficult days of parenthood with reduced mental strain. It certainly seems like her boys are thriving as a result.
Max Liron Bratman inherited his mother's talents
On January 12, 2008, Christina Aguilera and her then-husband Jordan Bratman welcomed their first child, Max Liron Bratman. Although Aguilera's first marriage ended in 2010, she and her ex-husband continued to put their best foot forward for their son. In 2020, the "Beautiful" singer took to Instagram to share a since-deleted snap of them celebrating Max's 12th birthday together. A year prior to that, Aguilera's fiancé, Matt Rutler, wished Max a happy birthday in a heartfelt post, and labeled him "the most amazing, talented and hilarious person."
Although Aguilera protects her son's privacy by keeping him off social media, she gushes about him whenever she gets the chance. She wrote Max the sweetest Instagram birthday message for his 12th birthday, posting, "You have the biggest heart and caring nature, which I'm so proud of seeing and hearing from others who experience being around you – because those are rare, natural instincts that can't be taught."
Her post also had a bittersweet tinge as she mentioned that her son had grown old enough to long for more mature celebrations rather than the themed birthday parties from his childhood. When a fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, asked if Summer Rain was familiar with her music, Aguilera replied that they primarily dueted some Disney tunes, but Max was the real star of the show. She detailed that he excelled at singing and could even keep up with the legendary Mariah Carey but shied away from putting his talent on display.
Summer Rain Rutler isn't afraid to silence her mother
On August 16, 2014, Christina Aguilera became a mother for the second time with the arrival of Summer Rain Rutler, whom she shares with her fiancé Matt Rutler. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2020, Aguilera shared some sweet words about her daughter, saying, "I swear if I hadn't called her Summer I would've called her Joy because she just lights up a room and she illuminates brightness and happiness."
While there's no denying that Summer is a ball of sunshine, she also has a sassy side. During a 2018 appearance on the "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Aguilera recalled how her then-3-year-old daughter angrily stormed into her room while she was doing vocal warmups and demanded that she keep her voice down so she could watch "Peppa Pig" in peace. The former "The Voice" judge doesn't mind her little one's sassiness.
In a 2015 People interview, she shared that she would be happy if Summer inherited her ferocity, explaining, "I think by having me as a mom she will learn to stand up for herself and others, to work hard and never take no for an answer." Aguilera further added that she wanted to raise her baby girl to be comfortable and confident in her skin so she wouldn't be compelled to alter anything about herself to meet external expectations. Sometimes, Summer joins her mother during performances. In a 2018 Instagram post, Aguilera revealed that her daughter pleaded with her to get on stage but always got shy looking at the crowd.