JB Lacroix/WireImage, Ryan Miller/Getty Images for COACHAsk any mom or dad, and they'll tell you the same thing: Yes, parenting is wonderful and rewarding and what not, but raising a kid can definitely be challenging and stressful, too.
No one is perfect, and everyone seems to have an opinion on what's best for other people's babies. All moms have to deal with some level of mommy shaming from other mothers, but celebrity mamas face it on a whole 'nother level. The criticism they encounter doesn't just come from those around them, but an Internet full of strangers eager to prove the celebrity mom doing something that somehow makes her an unfit mother. Stars face mommy-shaming, but to the max.
Fortunately, there's a solidarity among celebrity moms. When the not-always-well-meaning public makes an unfounded attack on one star mama, there's usually another celebrity parent ready to jump to their defense. Just yesterday Chrissy Teigen did exactly this when she called out the parenting police (or faux-police, really) for unfounded accusations claiming Kristin Cavallari was starving her children.
Chrissy and Kristin both know firsthand, though, that the baby-shaming starts even before the baby arrives. When Jessica Simpson gained 70 pounds during her first pregnancy, Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett jumped to her defense. "I feel for her," the Kendra on Top star told Yahoo back in 2012. "I was in the same boat. People just need to mind their own business."
Tori Spelling was Team Jess, too, and denounced The View's Joy Behar for calling her "fat" while expecting. "When women are pregnant, people need to lay off," the mother of four told Celebuzz. "Every body is different. As far is weight, you never know what is going to happen. You can't control what angle people are snapping your photo from."
And while some moms are criticized for gaining what's perceived to be too much weight during pregnancy, others are criticized for not gaining enough. Coco, who gained only 13 pounds during her pregnancy with baby Chanel, faced backlash online for that as well as for choosing to share pictures of her and Ice-T's precious daughter on social media.
Mama Coco and papa Ice have no problem standing up for themselves, but dad's Law & Order: SVU co-stars were also quick to sing the new parents' praises. Mariska Hargitay, a mother of three herself, Instagrammed a photo cradling little Chanel. She tagged both Coco and Ice in the snap, writing, "This baby #beauty #CouldNotBeAnyCuter. #IceIceBaby #CocosChanel #LetsGetThisBabyOnScreen #AStarIsBorn #DaddysEyes #LoveHeadbandOnFleek." Another SVU star who happens to be a new mom herself, Kelli Giddish, is pretty obviously a friend and fan of the Marrow family.
Omg!The cutest pic w/ @TheKelliGiddish .She makes Chanel smile so big. The best pic ever! #LawAndOrderSVU #LudosMom pic.twitter.com/BRbSd5SXMw
— Coco (@cocosworld) February 29, 2016
So whether it's pre-baby, post-baby or even child-related at all, the mean mom mob online will always find something to criticize. That's why parents—all parents, not just the celebrity ones—have to stick together. It takes a village to raise a child, and we can't have the big bad Internet tearing it down for no reason. It's moms who are supportive of fellow moms that make for the real superstars, famous or not.