9 Mothers Who Raised Their Famous Kids All Alone

Being a mom and dad at the same time is tough, no doubt about it. But it also brings them closer to their kids. When a child sees their mom tackling life’s challenges all alone to raise them, it makes them want to succeed even more. That’s what happened to the moms we talked about in our article — the ones you know because their kids are famous.

1. Marcheline Bertrand — Angelina Jolie’s mother

At 26, Angelina Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, found herself raising her 2 children alone after splitting up from her husband, actor Jon Voight. Angelina said that Bertrand was a very gentle mother, and she, in her turn, learned to treat her own kids the same way to follow her mama’s lead.

Sadly, Jolie was in her thirties when she lost her beloved mother. The actress opened up about it, saying, “I would give anything for her to be with me.” She added, “I talk to her often in my mind and try to think what she might say and how she might guide me.”

2. Mary May Smith — Pierce Brosnan’s mother

The 69-year-old actor has admitted to being ’’an only child from a fractured family.’’ He explained that his father ’’took off very early’’ and that his mom left home when he was 4. However, she returned later on, and they moved to London. Brosnan revealed that his mom was very supportive and that she always told him to ’’follow your dreams.’’

2. Judith Ann Hawkins — Halle Berry’s mother

The mother of actress Halle Berry, Judith Ann Hawkins, worked as a nurse at a psychiatric hospital. Her father, Jerome Jesse Berry, worked in the same hospital. Halle Berry’s parents got divorced when she was only 4 years old and she, along with her older sister Haidi, were raised solely by their mother.

Halle Berry became the first black actress in the history of cinema to get an Oscar for Best Actress and also won prestigious awards like an Emmy and The Golden Globe.

3. Irmelin Indenbirken — Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother

Leonardo DiCaprio is the only child of comic book author George DiCaprio and court clerk Irmelin Indenbirken. When the boy was only one year old, George and Irmelin broke up. Leonardo stayed with his mother. After the divorce, his mother had to work several jobs just to provide for her and her son.

Today, Leonardo is known around the world not only as a Hollywood star, but also as an active fighter for the protection of the environment. So, since 1998, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has donated more than $30 million on the development of 70 innovative eco-projects in 40 countries.

4. Patricia Hickey — Mariah Carey’s mother

The mother of American pop-singer Mariah Carey, Patricia Hickey, was an opera singer. Her father, Alfred Roy Carey was an air navigation engineer. Mariah’s parents got divorced when she was 3 years old. Patricia worked 2 jobs in order to provide for the family. For little Mariah, her mother was a role model for everything and she inspired her to become a singer.

Today, Mariah is famous around the world not only as the winner of 5 Grammy awards but also as an actress and philanthropist. She is the co-founder of a children’s camp in the suburbs of New York that helps children from poor areas study art. The singer also often collects and donates money to charity foundations that help seriously ill children.

5. Pattie Mallette — Justin Bieber’s mother

Elizabeth Patricia Mallette is a Canadian writer, producer, and the mother of popular singer Justin Bieber. When she was 15 years old, she started a relationship with Jeremy Bieber, and 3 years later, she gave birth to the famous star of the pop world. Soon after the child was born, the couple broke up and Mallette had to raise her son alone.

When he was a child, Justin Bieber learned to play the piano, the drums, the guitar, and the trumpet. And at the beginning of 2007, when he was only 12 years old, Patty Mallette uploaded a video with her son’s song. This video made the boy famous.

Throughout his entire career, Bieber has sold around 100 million records and he has become one of the best-selling musicians in Canada’s history.

6. Amanda Cornett — Selena Gomez’s mother

The life of Selena Gomez’s mother is a bit like the story of Justin Bieber’s parents. Amanda Cornett had her daughter at the age of 16 with a Mexican man, Ricardo Joel Gomez. When Selena was 5 years old, her parents got divorced. The mother of the future star was a theater actress. She raised her daughter alone and inspired her to be a singer.

Selena Gomez became popular after she did several TV series for Disney. And at the age of 17, she became world-famous as a pop singer. In November 2012, she was named one of the Women of the Year by Glamour magazine. Today, Selena is also known as a clothing designer.

7. Donda West — Kanye West’s mother

Kanye West’s parents got divorced when he was only 3 years old. Kanye’s mother Donda West worked as an English teacher at Chicago University. She has always supported her son in his pursuit of becoming a musician. And when Kanye became popular, his mother stopped working to help her son and she became his personal manager.

The first 6 Kanye West albums became platinum. The singer got more than 20 Grammy awards and was on the list of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time.

8. Terria Joseph — Alicia Keys’ mother

The singer-songwriter was raised by her mom from the get-go, as her dad had never been in the picture. It’s clear that the mother-daughter duo has a deeply loving relationship, as Keys has previously expressed her endless gratitude and love for her mama.

She wrote on her mom’s birthday, ’’The most extraordinary woman I know. Your life is so precious to me. You gave me everything. I owe you everything.’’

9. Betty Lou Bredemus — Julia Roberts’ mother

American actress Betty Lou Bredemus and her husband, playwright Walter Roberts had 3 children: Eric, Liza, and Julia. The couple fought pretty often and when Julia was around 5 years old, her parents decided to break up. One year later, Betty Lou got married again — to Michael Motes, but he ended up offending the children and the marriage ended soon afterward.

Today, Julia Roberts is one of the highest-paid and most popular actresses in Hollywood. She has been at the top of the list of the most attractive people on the planet, according to People, 12 times. And even though she is a very popular actress, Julia continues to be deeply involved in raising her daughter and 2 sons.

These moms have raised shining stars, showcasing through their strength how much a single parent can achieve and go above and beyond for their child.