Being the child of a celebrity parent, or more often than not parents, comes with its own incredibly unique set of challenges. Constantly being sought out by paparazzi, unsolicited public scrutiny, and an overall lack of privacy are some of the big ones. While there isn’t a whole lot celebrity parents can do to protect their children from the intrusive world they work in, many famous moms and dads do choose to keep their children off their social media in an effort to maintain their autonomy until they’re old enough to consent to the public use of their image themselves.
For Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling, it’s important to refrain from sharing their children on social media in order to allow their kids to determine their own digital identity when they reach a certain age. In 2020, Mendes answered a fan’s question on the matter, writing on Instagram, “Since my children are still so little and don’t understand what posting their image really means, I don’t have their consent. And I won’t post their image until they’re old enough to give me consent.”
Other celebrity couples like Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen want their kids to enjoy as normal a childhood as possible. Allowing the world to create a narrative based on limited photographs of their children isn’t something they want to subject their kids to. During a 2021 interview with Marie Claire, Fisher shared, “I want our children to have a normal childhood — being able to play outside without pressure or scrutiny. All kids have the right to just be kids.”
Scroll on for a look at even more celebrity parents who refuse to share their child’s image on social media, as well as their totally valid reasons for doing so.
Ryan Cabrera & Alexa Bliss
After Ryan Cabrera and Alexa Bliss welcomed their daughter Hendrix Rouge in Nov 2023, they’ve kept their daughters face off of social media by covering her with an emoji and strategic placement. They’ve gotten backlash for it, but have ignored the haters through and through.
Rumer Willis
Don’t even get us started on the sitch with Rumer Willis. Mom shamers went after the actress in Jan. 2024 when she posted photos of her daughter Lou that didn’t show her face. It got so bad, that Willis removed the post altogether.
Outrageously entitled comments like, “Either show the whole picture, or none at all. It’s not fair to those that follow you” led to a follow-up post from Willis where she graciously ignored the haters and got candid about 2023. Even if she won’t show Lou’s face, she will bare her own soul.
“Last year was incredibly dynamic, I grew a human being, gave birth at home (with no drugs) surrounded by my family, navigated a new relationship while being pregnant and postpartum, fell in love with the tiny love of my life Lou…[worked] on being the most honest authentic version of myself, healing my trauma so I don’t pass it on to my daughter, celebrated 7 years of sobriety … loved myself more than I ever have, felt more beautiful and comfortable in my skin than I ever have.”
We LOVE to hear that and hope the needy a—holes of the world can keep quiet so she can continue to feel that way.
Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham doesn’t show her twins’ faces and got slack on a sweet birthday tribute that should have gotten nothing but love.
“Two years old, X 2!! Happy Birthday to our sons, Roman and Malachi! You may share a birthday but you two couldn’t be more uniquely different. Cheers to another year of growth, play, and learning!!!” the model captioned her pictures of the boys where they’re covering their faces with mugs and costumes.
“What do celebrities think is going to happen by sharing a normal pic of their kids with the actual FACE? Jesus this whole side view, object hiding 1/2 the face nonsense is ridiculous,” one busybody said. “Oh we can’t detect so & so’s kid because they hid their face ! They’re 100% safe now !! 🙌 praise god”
Drew Scott & Linda Phan
HGTV star Drew Scott and wife Linda Phan shield their son Parker’s face on Instagram, and of course, they also get endless feedback from the peanut gallery.
“Not sure why people in the public eye post numerous videos of their children and hide their faces. If you don’t want people to see your kids, don’t post them at all. 🤷🏼♀️” “Why take videos and pictures of him if you not going to show his face #justasking.”
How about #justMYOB.
Kerry Washington & Nnamdi Asomugha
Kerry Washington shares three kids with retired NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha, and they’ve decided to shield their children from the public eye in a multitude of ways — including keeping their image off of social media.
During a November 2019 interview for Sunday Today, Washington confessed, “I have moments where I take pictures or videos of one of my three amazing kids and I wanna post it online, and I tend to just send it to my parents or my shrink instead.” She added, “I’m like, ‘My kids are so cute and I don’t wanna post about them, so look at how cute they are!'”
The following March, the Scandal alum expounded on her stance during an interview with InStyle. “These are their lives,” Washington said. “But it’s not about pulling a Rapunzel and hiding them away in a castle from the world — we don’t want to do that.” She explained, “I don’t want them to be exploited, particularly in this social media world.”
Amal & George Clooney
Calling out the very real risks of having children as a public figure, George Clooney wrote an open letter to the media asking them to refrain from photographing and publishing images of his children with Amal Clooney.
Per Reuters, the Ocean’s Eleven actor wrote, “We cannot protect our children if any publication puts their faces on their cover. We have never sold a picture of our kids, we are not on social media and never post pictures because to do so would put their lives in jeopardy.” He clarified, “Not paranoid jeopardy but real-world issues, with real world consequences.”
Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds
Following a July 2021 incident in which Blake Lively was stalked and harassed by a paparazzo while out with her eldest three daughters — which she described online — the Simple Favor star had to reassert how violated she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, feel when images of their girls are shared without their consent.
In October of the same year, an Instagram account shared a paparazzi photo of the couple with their daughters — and Lively called them out. “This is so disturbing,” the actress wrote. “I’ve personally shared with you that these men stalk and harass my children. And you are still posting.”
The Gossip Girl alum added, “This is not casual appreciation. This is YOU also exploiting very young children. Please. Delete. Please. Some parents are ok with this. We. Are. NOT.”
Eva Mendes & Ryan Gosling
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling very rarely share anything at all about their life together — including their two daughters. When a fan asked Mendes why she doesn’t post about her family, the Hitch star explained, “Since my children are still so little and don’t understand what posting their image really means, I don’t have their consent. And I won’t post their image until they’re old enough to give me consent.”
Isla Fisher & Sacha Baron Cohen
For Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen, they just want their kids to enjoy a normal childhood for as long as possible. In June 2021, the Now You See Me actress told Marie Claire, “I want our children to have a normal childhood – being able to play outside without pressure or scrutiny.”
During a February 2022 interview with The Independent, Fisher explained why she largely avoids sharing her personal life online. Specifically calling out Instagram, the Definitely, Maybe star opined, “It’s toxic for children and [for] the proliferation of fake news. They don’t have to meet publishing standards, it appeals to our base instincts.”
Fisher added, “Actually, I’m being gentle – Instagram increases bullying and fear of missing out and leads to anxiety and depression. So, obviously, I am no fan of Instagram. I try to focus as much as possible on [posting] work-related stuff, and not posting anything personal,” she shared.
Mindy Kaling
Every now and then, Mindy Kaling will share photos of her kids on social media — but their faces are always hidden. While she totally understands why other parents post their kids’ faces online, The Office alum wants to wait until her kids are old enough to confirm that they’re okay with her sharing their image.
During a November 2021 interview with People, Kaling explained, “My sense is that [my kids] have no real consent right now to do that. … I feel like I might as well wait until they get old enough so they can tell me if they want to be part of my social media or not.”
The entertainment multi-hyphenate added that safety is a concern as well. “I don’t want to be at the airport and have someone be like, ‘Spencer, Katherine,’ and have them look to the people as though they know them or they’re friends. I think that could be really confusing as a kid,” she said.
It doesn’t mean resisting the urge is easy though. Kaling admitted, “It’s hard because they’re such a huge part of my life. And I’m like any parent where I’m proud of the things they do. I think they’re so cute, and of course, I want other people to see it!”
Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard occasionally share photos of their two daughters, but the actors always cover the girls’ faces with emojis. The Frozen star explained the parenting choice during a November 2020 interview with Romper: “My feeling is that I chose a career in the public eye. I chose to be quoted, I chose to have my picture taken. I don’t know them yet. I don’t know if they will want that. So I really don’t have the right to choose for them,” Bell said.
Nikki Reed & Ian Somerhalder
Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder seldom post about their kids on social media, and when they do, the children’s faces are out of sight. For the Twilight and Vampire Diaries stars, the decision to refrain from sharing their daughter and son’s image on social media is one stemming from both privacy and safety concerns.
During a September 2021 interview for Yahoo’s “So Mini Ways” series, Reed explained, “The bottom line is that child trafficking is on the rise and social media does not account for the fact that there are very few laws put in place to protect children from pedophiles. I believe that privacy is the greatest form of currency as we enter an age where there’s very little of it.”
The Bayou with Love founder added, “I don’t believe that I should have the authority to put my child’s face [online] and [breach] her ability to remain private; I don’t believe that I’m the one that should break that for her. I think she should make that decision on her own when she’s older and she can understand the ramifications of that.”
Gigi Hadid & Zayn Malik
When they welcomed their daughter in 2020, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik looked to their friends and fellow celebrity parents Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds as an example for navigating social media and parenthood.
In March 2021, the supermodel told Vogue that she felt inspired to avoid sharing her daughter on social media because of how she’d witnessed Lively and Reynolds’ kids grow up removed from the digital world. “I have friends who are public figures and that’s how they’ve gone about it, and I see their kids really blossom in a different way,” Hadid explained.
While she does occasionally share photos of Khai, Hadid ensures the little girl’s face is always hidden. As for the One Direction alum, he’s notoriously private on social media, usually only posting content related to his latest musical endeavors.
Emily Blunt & John Krasinski
Emily Blunt isn’t on social media. The actress has no desire to share her personal life online, including her two daughters with John Krasinski. The Devil Wears Prada star told Time in September 2016, “People can make assumptions based on what they see on the red carpet, but that’s not my life. There’s nothing real about it.”
While The Office alum is on social media, he doesn’t post photos of his girls. Like many other parents, Krasinski has advocated for children’s rights where paparazzi are concerned, once joining the #NoKidPolicy trend on Twitter.
Cameron Diaz & Benji Madden
When Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden announced the arrival of their daughter in 2019, they let the world know they wouldn’t be talking much about Raddix going forward. The Charlie’s Angels alum shared she and the Good Charlotte guitarist “feel a strong instinct to protect our little one’s privacy,” adding, “We won’t be posting pictures or sharing any more details, other than the fact that she is really, really cute! Some would even say RAD.”
Nicole Richie & Joel Madden
Nicole Richie has shared a few photos of her daughter now that she’s a teenager, but the Simple Life alum and her husband, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, have largely gone without posting images of their two kids. When asked why she doesn’t share about her daughter and son during a September 2019 conversation with People, Richie simply explained, “They’re busy being kids.”
Diane Kruger & Norman Reedus
Like other celebrity parents, Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus have had to plead with the public to not photograph and post images of their daughter. Taking to Instagram in January 2019, the National Treasure actress wrote, “We were just tagged in these paparazzi pictures of me and our daughter. These pictures were taken without our consent and expose a vulnerable and innocent baby.”
Adding that she and Reedus want their daughter to have her privacy respected, Kruger requested, “Whoever has already posted them, please take them down. Please put yourself in our shoes. We are just like any parents wanting the very best for our child.”
Jessica Biel & Justin Timberlake
While Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake occasionally share photos of their sons, they always make sure the boys’ faces are out of sight. During a January 2021 appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the “Suit and Tie” singer said, “I try to be conscious of making sure we can live a life where we’re not weirdly private but we’re conscious of making sure they can be kids for as long as possible.”
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