Employers are wary of career women – according to a common stereotype, a childless woman is a bad and not very responsible worker. So it turns out that in reality only the richest and most famous have a choice. Here are the stories of Hollywood stars who chose family over career.
Eva Mendes
The beautiful Eva Mendes had a successful career before meeting her future husband, handsome Ryan Gosling (the editors of uznayvse.ru note that the age difference between them is 7 years). Among other things, she was one of Robert Rodriguez’s favorite actresses (he cast her in “Ghost Rider” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”), starred in the second part of the famous “Fast and Furious”, in a number of popular comedies, and was the face of Revlon advertising campaigns.
However, in 2011, Ryan Gosling appeared in her life, after which Eva practically disappeared from the screens, making exceptions only for films with Ryan (The Place Beyond the Pines), as well as for his directorial debut, How to Catch a Monster. After the birth of baby Esmeralda in 2014, Mendes left filming and devoted herself to her family, which two years later was replenished with another daughter, Amanda.
The actress didn’t even attend the Oscars in 2017, despite her husband being nominated. In addition to raising her children at home, she was kept at home by her brother’s terrible illness: he was battling cancer, and Mendes felt she had to be there.
Now Mendes says she has no regrets: “It was an unspoken agreement, like, ‘Ryan will work, and I’ll work. I’ll just work here at home with the kids.'” However, she has never spoken about ending her career completely and does not rule out returning to the screen in the future, when her daughters are older.
Jessica Alba
An actress of astonishing beauty and brilliant talent, Jessica Alba began her career with teen series and films and continued with roles in comic book franchises (Fantastic Four) and action films like Machete.
In 2007, she married Fantastic Four assistant director Cash Warren, gave birth to two daughters (Honor Marie in 2008 and Haven Garner in 2011), and after the birth of her second daughter (or rather, after the baby contracted a skin disease due to a poor-quality toy), founded a company producing environmentally friendly products.
Acting gradually faded into the background, although Jessica occasionally appeared in major projects, such as the second Sin City or The Mechanic with Jason Statham.
Having become a mother for the third time (in 2017, she and Cash had a son, Hayes), Alba no longer had time to raise children, develop a business, and act, so she decided to give up her acting career.
Carla Bruni
Successful model and singer Carla Bruni married French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008. In the year of her marriage, she released her third album, symbolically titled “As if nothing had happened.” After that, she received French citizenship, left her career for a while, and assumed her duties as First Lady.
In addition to participating in numerous protocol events, Carla Bruni gave birth to and raised a daughter from Sarkozy, who was born in 2011 and was named Julia.
Jennifer Garner
Actress Jennifer Garner bet on her family rather than her career – and lost. Ten years into their life together, her husband Ben Affleck was finally caught cheating on her, which the Hollywood star couldn’t stand.
During her marriage to Affleck, Jennifer Garner gave birth to three children – two daughters and a son. Because of this, she had to leave her film career for a long time. The last really notable film with her participation was released in 2013 – it was “Dallas Buyers Club” with Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.
True, in 2024 she appeared in the superhero blockbuster Deadpool and Wolverine, briefly returning as Elektra from Daredevil, one of her most famous films. So it is possible that her career will soon take off again.
Gisele Bundchen
Brazilian-born model Gisele Bundchen has achieved all possible heights in her career. She was a Victoria’s Secret Angel and earned huge amounts of money in her peak years. In 2015, she topped the list of the highest-paid models according to Forbes. At the same time, Bundchen spends large sums on charity.
Cameron Diaz
In 2014, the star of numerous romantic comedies, Charlie’s Angels and the voice of Princess Fiona from Shrek announced that she was leaving the profession. She married the frontman of the pop-punk band Good Charlotte, Benji Madden, and decided to devote herself to her family.
It’s no secret that Cameron Diaz tried to get pregnant for a long time, and in 2020, the 48-year-old actress finally succeeded – with the help of IVF, she and Benji had a daughter, Raddix, who marked a new chapter in the actress’s life:
…what fills my life now is the most interesting thing I have ever done in my life. Having a family, being married. It is simply the best thing that can be. I do not have what I can give to the film. I cannot act in films, because all my energy is directed to the family
However, in 2022, Cameron joined the cast of the action comedy Back in Action – just to “have fun.” This is her first acting job in 8 years. However, family still comes first for her, especially since in 2024 she and her husband had a long-awaited son, named Cardinal.
Women, no matter where they live, have to be strong and resilient bitches with nerves of steel. Not everyone manages to go through this path without losses. We invite you to read about Russian celebrities who failed to save their first marriages.
