Hilary Swank has responded to critics who said she is "too old" to be pregnant at 52. The Oscar-winning actress, who already shares three-year-old twins Ohm and Aya with her husband Philip Schneider, 53, is expecting their third child.
Pregnancy Announcement and Backlash
In a unique pregnancy announcement on Instagram earlier this week, the family danced in the dark with glow sticks attached to their limbs, with Swank adding the glowing outline of a mini body over her bump. "A lot of people have been asking what project I’m doing next, this one releases in December," she wrote in a caption.
However, the announcement drew criticism from some social media users. One follower commented, "You really shouldn't give hope to women who don't have the same financial resources you have. Be honest and say you used donor eggs, or previously frozen eggs and IVF. This was NOT done naturally!" Another wrote, "Imagine being 20 years old and your mother is 72. Honestly this is just selfish."
Swank's Response on The Drew Barrymore Show
In a preview clip ahead of her appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Swank addressed "the backlash women get for having children older, but not men." She recounted a story that resonated with her: "There's one story that I found really interesting. And I think I was attracted to this particular story because this one woman said, 'How dare you? You're too old, and you won't be old enough when your kids are older, and my dad was my favourite person and he died when I was in my early 20s, and it's just devastation.'"
Swank, who lost her own father in 2021, related to that sentiment. "I related to it because my dad is also passed, but he was one of my favourite people on Earth, and I was drawn to that," she said. "I thought to myself, 'I would rather be born and have that person who was my favourite person and experience that than not at all'. You know what I'm saying? So, that's how I took what she was saying."
Swank's Previous Comments on Motherhood
Swank previously explained why she didn't have children sooner in an interview with Women's Health UK. "I would have had kids earlier," she said. "I'm not saying I actively waited until 47. But that was a magical time in my life, when it all culminated. It was the right time for a myriad of reasons." She added, "I'm a very different parent than I would've been, even in my early forties. I'm much more patient. I'm much more understanding. I am much more, I think, interested in a different way than I would've been. I'm really interested in their brains. I am fascinated about what makes them tick. And I have my career that's already established, so I'm not divided. I'm able to really sink in and be present with them and be a hands-on parent."
