52-year-old American actress and two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank has stepped out publicly with a rounded belly for the first time since announcing her third pregnancy. On October 15, the star visited the studio of The Drew Barrymore Show in New York, and after recording the show, she was photographed wearing a cropped top that revealed her baby bump. This marked her first public appearance since announcing she is expecting her third child, and it was on the show's broadcast that Swank spoke candidly about the criticism faced by women who decide to have children after 40 and 50.
Double standards in parenthood
In a conversation with host Drew Barrymore, the actress raised the topic of society's unequal attitude toward older parents. "Women who have children later in life face a lot of criticism. But men don't. And that's interesting," Swank noted. Barrymore supported her guest, remarking that men can become parents even in their 80s, while society reacts far less harshly to this than to similar decisions made by women.
A personal story: the loss of her father as an argument
A special place in the conversation was occupied by a comment from a woman that Swank said particularly stuck with her. The unknown author reproached the actress for allegedly being too old for motherhood and potentially not living to see her children grow up. The commenter also shared that she lost her father in her twenties and still struggles with his death. Swank confessed that this story touched her personally, as she also lost a father with whom she shared a very close relationship. "My dad passed away too, but he was one of my favorite people in the world. And I thought it's better to be born, have that person by your side and go through this experience, than not have that opportunity at all," the actress explained, making it clear that for her, the relationship between parents and children matters more than the age at which a person becomes a mother or father.
How Swank announced her pregnancy
The actress announced the addition to her family on October 14 with an unusual Instagram video. In the clip, she danced in the dark alongside her husband, Philip Schneider, and their children with glow sticks attached to their clothes, while a small figure symbolizing the future baby could be seen on Swank's stomach. "A lot of people have been asking what project I'm working on. This one drops in December," the celebrity joked. In a conversation with People magazine, she confessed that she feels great and called the future baby the best Christmas gift.
Family and career: why Swank became a mom at 50
Hilary Swank and Philip Schneider married in 2018. In April 2023, the actress became a mother for the first time, giving birth to twins—daughter Aya and son Ohm; she was 48 years old at the time. Previously, the star explained that she had dreamed of having children at a younger age, but life circumstances turned out differently. Now, having a successful career, she says she can devote more time to her family and determine her own work schedule, making the decision to have a third child conscious and well-considered.
