Whether their celebrity comes from Hollywood’s high-wattage spotlights, Washington’s halls of power, New York’s glitz, Wall Street’s money, Broadway’s limelight, fashion’s runways, inherited luxury or publishing’s pursuits, celebrity moms are working mothers whose work puts them in the gaze of the public and the paparazzi. They are photographed, talked about, blogged about, criticized, lauded, targeted and lampooned. And there are things we still love about them.

In many cases they are fiercely loyal moms who find a way to continue their careers and still have a family life that’s important to them and their children—just like other working mothers. No two families are the same, celebrity or not. Some move in and out of the spotlight, changing focus depending on the age of their children. Some keep their children far from the flashbulbs, and others bring them along. Some are seen playing in the local playgrounds of New York or at the country clubs of Beverly Hills. Others make their homes in tony suburbs, where they can set down a base and feel comfortable among the leafy privacy of their communities. Others become local celebs participating in the lives of their neighbors and schools, doing good because it’s part of what they do.

Whether she makes her living on the big screen or a range of smaller ones; whether on the runway or in the halls of the While House or Congress, these celeb moms who live their lives in the spotlight capture our imagination. How do these famous moms manage to have a baby—or two, three or more—and continue with busy shooting schedules, making films, doing publicity tours, running big companies, fronting charities or campaigning for office? How do they do it?

The good mom, the good enough mom, the struggling mom make us feel good about society. We don’t need to harp on the failures but rather celebrate the strengths. We are human and so are they. But why do these famous women—well-known mothers with children—fascinate us so? It’s simple. They are interesting. They are stories that have a human side other working moms can relate to. Their family life adds an extra dimension to who they are and the work they do. Just like the rest of us.
For updates on celebrity working moms, check out our Celebrity Mom blog

So we talk about celebrity moms, like Angelina Jolie, now setting up a multigenerational nest in France with Brad Pitt and his parents to help care for their six children. We love to go behind the scenes with ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi, who grew up before the eyes of the world on Olympic ice and now has a family of her own and a plan to reach into the lives of others. We meet Little House on the Prairie’s Melissa Gilbert and see her stare down her demons—getting sober and telling parents what the signs of a troubled teen are. We root for their success. We want them to be not just good at what they do but good mothers as well.

Celebrity Moms blog on workingmother.com