Motherhood doesn’t come with an expiration date. While some women become mothers in their 20s, others embrace the journey in their late 30s, 40s, and beyond, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. These celebrity moms are proof that there’s no single timeline for starting a family. From welcoming their first babies later in life to expanding their families years after having their first child, these women have embraced motherhood on their own terms. Here are 10 Black celebrities who welcomed babies after the age of 35 and are showing that becoming a mom later in life can be a beautiful experience.
1. Beyoncé
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Queen Bey entered her motherhood era before turning 30, welcoming her first child, daughter Blue Ivy Carter, in 2012. But at 35, Beyoncé expanded her family with husband Jay-Z, welcoming twins Sir and Rumi Carter in June 2017. Talk about a double blessing.
While Beyoncé keeps her family life private and her children out of the spotlight, she has given fans a few stories about her beautiful kids over the years.
In August 2021, Rumi and Sir made a fashionable debut in an ad for Beyoncé’s IVY PARK x Adidas clothing line for kids. At the time, the singer shared that she loved matching with the twins on family excursions.
“On our family vacations, we love to coordinate our outfits. My kids are usually on set with me for shoots, and we’d find ourselves putting them in extra-extra-smalls so we could match,” the Grammy winner toldHarper’s Bazaar that year.
According to their grandma Tina, all three of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s children are already developing a strong sense of style, and even contributed some of their unique fashion sense to their mom’s brand.
“Well, they are little fashionistas, and they have definite determination about what they like and what they don’t like. When Beyoncé’s doing the first samples, they get them, and some things they love, and some things you can tell are not their favorite,” Tina gushed to PEOPLE in July 2022.
2. Janet Jackson
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Janet Jackson proved that motherhood can happen at any age when she welcomed her first child, son Eissa Al Mana, at 50 in January 2017. The music icon embraced a new chapter in her life, showing that becoming a first-time mom later in life is possible.
In 2020, the “Together Again” songstress took to Instagram to celebrate her son’s third birthday, sharing a beautiful photo of herself in a white dress, cradling her gorgeous baby bump.
“3yrs ago today God blessed me, at the age of 50, with the greatest gift of all. My baby! Happy Bday sweetheart. Mama loves you more than anything else in this world! 🖤🖤🖤,” she penned.
Halle Berry became a mom for the first time at 41 when she welcomed daughter Nahla in 2008. Five years later, the Oscar-winning actress expanded her family, welcoming son Maceo at 47. Berry has spoken about her love of motherhood. In 2024, the actress told PEOPLE that while she loves being a supportive mom to her kids, she pushes them to be independent and find their own path in life, too.
“I am pretty mama bear, but I don’t think I’m too mama bear, because I really, really, really understand that I’m just the vessel to bring these kids here,” said the Oscar-award-winning star.
“I don’t expect them to be clones of me, do what I do,” she explained. “I don’t expect to really influence who they become. My job is to just hold space for them and nurture them, feed them, take care of them, provide them different opportunities, but then they have to decide for themselves.”
Berry gave fans a rare glimpse of her kids on Mother’s Day in 2025. The precious photo, shared to Instagram, captured her spending a fun day at the beach with her son and daughter.
“Happy Mother’s Day to all the glorious moms around the world!” the Hollywood veteran wrote.”Today, I celebrate the beautiful chaos, the deep love, and the profound privilege of motherhood. These two mean everything to me.”
4. Serena Williams
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Tennis legend Serena Williams welcomed her first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., at 35 in September 2017. The Grand Slam champion later welcomed her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in 2023. Between dominating the court and embracing motherhood, Williams has shown that women can create their own timelines. It really does get better later!
10 Black celebrities who welcomed babies after the age of 35
5. Mariah Carey
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Mariah Carey became a mom to twins Moroccan and Monroe Cannon at 41 in April 2011. The Grammy-winning singer welcomed her children with then-husband Nick Cannon, embracing the joys and challenges of raising two little ones at once. Her journey is another reminder that motherhood doesn’t have to happen on anyone else’s schedule.
6. Ciara
Source: Olga Thompson / Olga Thompson
Ciara welcomed her daughter Amora Princess Wilson with husband Russell Wilson in December 2023, at age 38. The singer and her NFL star husband were already parents to their daughter Sienna and son Win, while Ciara also has a son, Future Zahir, from a previous relationship. Now, the 40-year-old singer is expanding her family even further with baby no. 5.
In September, the “1,2, Step” hitmaker revealed that she and Wilson were gearing up to welcome a fifth child. Their joint Instagram post included photos and videos showing off the singer’s precious baby bump, as she hung up five white shirts on a clothesline — one shirt for each of their precious kiddos.
“One more person to Love,” the couple captioned the post.
7. Nia Long
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Actress Nia Long welcomed her second son, Kez Sunday Udoka, in November 2011 at age 41. Long was already a mom to her eldest son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey, whom she welcomed in 2000, from a previous relationship. Motherhood looks good on Nia!
8. Eboni K. Williams
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In June 2024, The Real Housewives of New York City alum Eboni K. Williams revealed to PEOPLE that she was expecting her first child through IVF. She officially welcomed her daughter, Liberty Alexandria Williams, in August 2024.
“Anybody who’s gone through IVF or attempted IVF will tell you so many things have to go right for the final result of this journey to be a baby,” Williams shared at the time. “That’s why I’ve called this ‘my remarkable miracle,’ because it really does feel like I’ve been the recipient of some very enormous favor from God above.”
Initially, Williams wasn’t sure if motherhood was meant for her life journey.
“I want to say that with conviction and clarity; I was not the little girl that grew up fantasizing about having kids and what I would name them and all of that,” she continued. “That was not my dream or fantasy. I had no real expectation around it.”
However, after going through the IVF process and having some tough “existential conversations” with herself about family and legacy, she grew eager to build a family of her own — on her own terms.
“I really freed myself of the rigidness of what legacy, love, and family could look like,” she added. “Those are the three pillars I reassessed, and it helped shake me from this idea of, ‘I have to have it this way on this timeline everyone else is following.’”
Her story highlights how fertility options can help women pursue motherhood on their own terms.
9. Maya Rudolph
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Comedian and actress Maya Rudolph was 37 when she welcomed her second child, daughter Lucille, on November 6, 2009. Rudolph and her longtime partner, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, have built a family while balancing successful careers in entertainment. Her journey is another example of how motherhood can fit into different seasons of life.
During a 2021 interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, the now 54-year-old comedian and actress said motherhood helped her achieve so much throughout life.
“I cheated my way to the place of shedding bullsh-t by having a child. It’s a really direct line to getting to what’s important,” she explained. “I don’t know that I would have been able to personally do that on my own without following that trajectory. I think having a child was really helpful to ground me solidly in a place of ‘These things need to get done’ or ‘Everybody is going to Madison Square Garden tonight to see Andy [Samberg] sing with Justin Timberlake, and my daughter has a fever. I’m going home,’” she quipped.
10. Ashanti
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Ashanti stepped into motherhood at 43, welcoming her first child with rapper Nelly in July 2024. The couple rekindled their romance years after their original relationship ended in 2013, later marrying and welcoming their son, Kareem Kenkaide Haynes.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” she told the publication. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”
Baby Kareem turned 2 in July and Ashanti and Nelly made sure to throw a big birthday celebration for the cutie patootie. The couple threw a Disney-themed party for the little one complete with fun decorations, a tasty pasta wheel station, a giant ball pit and so much more, according to the singer’s Instagram post shared on Oct. 5.
Ashanti’s journey is a beautiful reminder that dreams can come true at different stages of life, and sometimes, the timing feels just right.
There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline for motherhood. Whether a woman welcomes her first child at 35, 40, or beyond, every journey is personal. These 10 celebrity moms remind us that motherhood can begin at different ages, and every path deserves to be celebrated.
