10 Celebrity Dads Who Absolutely Nailed Their Role as a Single Parent

Whether you’re in the spotlight or not, being a father is a huge responsibility. It’s especially so when, for some reason, the role is done solo. Despite that, a number of famous dads inspire others to overcome the challenges of parenthood with their own beautiful journeys.

1. Liam Neeson

10 years ago, Liam Neeson’s wife Natasha Richardson fell down and hit her head while skiing at a ski resort and died after several days. Neeson stayed alone with their 2 sons Daniel and Micheal, ages 12 and 13. It took a lot of time for the family to overcome this tragedy but they managed to cope with the loss. Liam Neeson dedicated his life to his kids and never married again.

2. Pierce Brosnan

After marrying actress Cassandra Harris, Pierce Brosnan adopted her 2 kids: Charlotte age 9 and Chris age 8. 3 years later, they gave birth to their own son Sean. Later the Brosnan family experienced a tragedy — Cassandra died from cancer. Since then the actor has been raising their kids alone without any intention to get married again. But in 1994, he met a journalist Keely Shaye Smith whom he married officially in 2001. They have 2 sons — Dylan and Paris.

3. James Marsden

When the Sonic the Hedgehog star divorced his wife, Lisa Linde, in 2011, he became a single dad to his son, Jack, and daughter, Mary. He’s also a father to William, a son he shares with ex-girlfriend Rose Costa.

Even though James has starred in many successful movies, being a parent is what brings him the most joy. “Of all my achievements in life, being a father is the one thing I’m most proud of. It is the most fulfilling. I’m always self-deprecating, but I don’t have a problem saying that I am a great dad,” he revealed.

4. George Lucas

The creator of the legendary Star Wars saga, George Lucas, has been raising 3 adopted children for many years on his own. Amanda was adopted together with his spouse and she stayed with her father after the divorce. Later he also adopted another daughter, Katie and son, Jett. By the way, they all were filmed in small parts of Star Wars. George Lucas didn’t get married again until 2013. His spouse is the chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation and the president of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson. After their marriage, the couple soon gave birth to a daughter.

5. Al Pacino

Al Pacino is the father of 3 kids yet he has never been officially married. His eldest daughter, Julie was born in 1989, and in 2001, actress Beverly D’Angelo gave birth to their twins — Olivia and Anton. The couple broke up after several years, but the parents managed to keep their common child custody which is why their kids spend an equal amount of time with both their father and their mother. The actor has always tried to schedule his working hours so that he could spend more time with his kids.

6. Usher

Usher married his stylist, Tameka Foster, in 2007, and they had 2 sons together, Cinco and Naviyd. The couple divorced not long after they welcomed their second son, and Usher was granted full custody of both of them.

Usher believes that he was born to play the role of a father and takes the responsibility of being a parent seriously because one day he hopes his children will look up to him. “Now I represent what he is to become,” Usher said about his son. “He’s gonna admire me, he’s gonna look up to me. He’s gonna say, ’I wanna be like my father. I wanna be a man of valor. I wanna possess what my father has as a man.’”

7. Lenny Kravitz

After his divorce, the musician Lenny Kravitz started to raise their daughter Zoë alone. He had lived with his spouse Lisa Bonet for 3 years. The parents had equal rights to their daughter, but when Zoë turned 11, she moved to live with her father full time. Today Zoë Kravitz is a famous actress and model. This father and daughter often appear at social events together.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has many kids. His first son was born by a surrogate mother in 2010. His name is also Cristiano. In 2017, the athlete became a father to 2 twins: daughter Eva and son Mateo. Now he is getting ready for his wedding to Georgina Rodríguez and recently they gave birth to their daughter Alana Martina.

9. Norman Reedus

The star of The Walking Dead TV series, Norman Reedus, has been raising his son Mingus alone for many years. He had been dating supermodel Helena Christensen for about 5 years, but their relationship fell apart. The couple shares joint custody of their son, however, he has lived most of his life with his father in Los Angeles. Today Mingus is 20 years old. Several years ago, Norman Reedus started dating actress Diane Kruger and in 2018, they had a daughter.

10. Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Austrian-American actor and former bodybuilder has 3 sons and 2 daughters. He became officially divorced from the mother of his 4 oldest kids in 2021 after 10 years of separation. The star expressed his love for his kids, saying, "Fatherhood is really the greatest joy. Watching all 5 of my kids grow into their own successful lives is fantastic. Spending time with them, working out together, and answering their questions makes me so happy.’’

Which of these stories impressed you most of all? Please tell us about it in the comments!