The 50 Best and Worst Celebrity Moms


Celebrity moms are the media's newest big thing - some are idolized and emulated, others criticized and ridiculed - but as a culture, we're clearly obsessed. We track every stage of their baby bumps, scoff at their post-baby bodies, drool over their kids' outfits and desperately search for any traces of normalcy that show us, Hey, they're just like me! Love them or loathe them, here are 50 we couldn't ignore.

Now, it's your turn. Who'd we miss? Nominate your favorite - and least favorite - celebrity moms.



1) Michelle Obama


Michelle's Rankings:

#1 Top 50
#3 Busiest
#9 Most Stylish

It's not often an American political figure has such universal, bi-partisan admiration and respect as our First Lady, Michelle Obama. Although her iconic style and killer biceps are often more discussed than her political endeavors (like her current initiative to fight childhood obesity), she's also a grounded, fist-bumping, smart woman who places her job as a mother before her public role. Even with an entire staff on hand, Michelle makes sure her girls, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, learn responsibility and have a normal childhood, which means they do their chores and complete their homework without presidential free passes. Plus, we can practically see the love radiating off of her and Mr. President - a rare dynamic in White House history. Having such a strong woman and an inspirational mother representing our country is something we should all be proud of.




2) Angelina Jolie

Angelina's Rankings:

#2 Top 50
#4 Busiest
#9 Most Controversial

It's easy to despise someone like Angelina Jolie: She's got the beauty, the talent, and gosh darn it, she's got the guy. Tabloids may paint her as an evil, home-wrecking child-collector, but Jolie is one of the most dedicated, generous humanitarians in the world of celebrity. She serves as a goodwill ambassador to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, supports a family at the SOS Children's Village in Amman, Jordan, and most recently donated $1 million to Haiti with partner Brad Pitt. And say what you will about her and Brad's growing family (three adopted: Maddox, Paz and Zahara; three biological: Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne), but we think superstars giving millions to charities (over $6 million last year alone) is pretty cool. Sure, she may have an eccentric, brother-kissing, blood vial-wearing past, but now she's a mother who instills empathy, compassion and generosity - and for that, we love her.


3) Tina Fey

Tina's Rankings:

#1 Best Playdate
#3 Top 50

Next to compassion and a strong stomach, having a sense of humor is a key component to surviving motherhood - which makes Emmy-winning Tina Fey a rock star of a mom. (Don't believe us? Check out our hysterical interview with her and fellow funny-mom Amy Poehler.) Her reign as Queen of Comedy is still going strong, but what might surprise you is that Tina gets a lot of 30 Rock material from her 6-year-old daughter, Alice. (Like the famous line "I want to go to there" - yep, all Alice.) And we're especially fond of Tina because she keeps it real 24/7 - she describes her morning hairstyle as as "either curly or Frankenstein - I'm out the door either way." A mom who knows her priorities and can poke fun at herself along the way is a mom we want to be friends with.



4) Jennifer Garner



Jennifer's Rankings:

#4 Top 50
#6 Best Playdate


If there's a magic work/family equation, Jennifer Garner holds the formula. There's A-list Jen, a Hollywood regular starring in three films within the last year (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Invention of Lying and the just-released Valentine's Day). And then there's mom Jen, spotted out with her two kids (4-year-old spitting image Violet and 13-month Seraphina) and down-to-earth hubby Ben Affleck, looking, well, frighteningly normal. Rather than parading around in 6-inch heels with a string of nannies, she takes her kids to the park, bakes, even wears sweats! (Heck, she even plays a too perfect mom-to-be in the comedy hit Juno.) Wholesome yet sexy; talented yet grounded, Jennifer Garner seems to have a secret we'd love to get in on.


5) Reese Witherspoon

Reese's Rankings:
#5 Top 50
#7 Best Playdate


Maybe it's the Southern charm, the sunny disposition, or the fact that she handled her divorce from actor Ryan Phillipe with such composure - whatever the reason, Reese tops our play-date wish list. She's a single mom to two kids (Ava and Deacon), an Oscar-winning actress, and a Children's Defense Fund board member. Unlike other super-busy and solo celeb moms, she avoids overprotecting her kids ("Doesn't teasing or bullying sort of make you who you are?") or spoiling them, even though she can afford to. ("Kids do best when they only have a couple of things they really enjoy.") So how about that play date, Reese?




6) Katie Holmes

Katie's Rankings:
#6 Top 50



Katie and her always fashionable daughter, Suri, truly seem to enjoy each other, whether it's strolling the streets in matching heels or snuggling on a shoot. (Katie's even motherly on set - bringing ice cream and cupcakes for the whole crew!) She also swooped in as super step-mom to Tom's kids, Isabella and Connor, when Nicole dropped the ball after the birth of her biological daughter. And although the Joey Potter we knew and love turned into a bit of Stepford wife after marrying Tom Cruise, the high-profile relationship hasn't affected her mothering - well, except that she can afford to buy Suri $850 handbags now. Some may criticize her for dressing her daughter too old (those infamous heels!) but TomKat swears Suri's just trying to emulate her mommy.



7) Hillary Clinton

Hillary's Rankings:
#2 Busiest
#7 Top 50


You may not like her attitude, political beliefs, or well, her hair, but no denying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a loud and clear message to young women everywhere: There are no limits to what you can achieve. As the former First Lady, Hillary fought for issues like children's health care and infamously stood by her cheating husband. Many criticized her for setting a bad example, but years later she defended her decision, saying, "I had to dig down deep and think hard about what was right for me and my family." But Hillary didn't let public humiliation get the best of her; she jumped back on the horse, gave Obama a run for his money, and now she's busy restoring our country's image, especially in the Middle East, and encouraging diplomacy with leaders around the world. And back on the home front, she has a wedding to plan: her daughter Chelsea's!




8) Sarah Jessica Parker

SJP's Rankings:
#3 Most Stylish
#8 Best Playdate
#8 Busiest
#8 Top 50



Sarah Jessica Parker may be most famous for strutting through Manhattan with her girlfriends as fashionista Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City but these days her hands are full of baby gear, not shopping bags. With husband Matthew Broderick, she's mom to 7-year-old, James Wilkie and twin girls (8-month-old Marion Loretta and Tabitha), whom the couple had via surrogacy. With her jam-packed movie schedule (Sex and the City 2, anyone?) and her new role on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, SJP is busier than ever. She admits that for working long hours she has, "enormous regrets," and calls having a nanny, "the eternal conflict of every working woman." We feel ya.



9) Gwen Stefani

Gwen's Rankings:
#1 Most Stylish
#9 Top 50
#10 Best Playdate


Gwen Stefani is a stunning rock 'n' roll mama - from her edgy maternity style to her chic L.A.M.B line, she makes motherhood look, well, cool. She and just-as-cool husband Gavin Rossdale passed down their part punk/part rock style to kids Kingston and Zuma, who with their matching Mohawks and Converse sneakers are already becoming little fashion icons themselves. When it comes to their parenting styles, Gwen cops to being the disciplinarian, while Gavin admitted to us in 2008 that he hopes his kids rebel. ("It would be a disappointment if the kids were cookie-cutter.") Here's hoping the kids are just as non-conformist as their bad-ass mom.



10) Madonna

Madonna's Rankings:
#10 Top 50



She's been criticized in the press for being a lousy, self-centered parent, but the Material Mom is often seen out and about with her four children, Lourdes, 13; Rocco, 9; and adopted Malawian toddlers, David and Mercy. (She's also apparently taking a cue from SJP and shopping around for a surrogate for her next.) The pop diva also plays mama bird to, ahem, bigger kids (read: Britney), but votes are still out on whether her parenting advice is actually worth taking. After Madge's messy public divorce from director Guy Ritchie, she's been seen around town with her much younger boyfriend Jesus Luz. We've got no problems with cougars - and Madonna's a hot one at that - but what toll will playing boyfriend-roulette take on the kids?


Want to see who else made the cut? Click here to read the rest of Babble's Best (and Worst) 50 Celebrity Moms.