Jennifer Lawrence on How She’s Raising Her Son Cy and Her Post-Motherhood Stance on Paparazzi
Jennifer Lawrence told the world during her pregnancy that she is committed to keeping her family life with husband Cooke Maroney and their son Cy private. She opened up a little more to Cameron Diaz for Interview magazine about what that has looked like a year into motherhood.
Diaz asked Lawrence about her thoughts on having her child grow up with a famous parent and whether she could envision herself stepping away from Hollywood by the time her son is 15.
“I think about dipping out a lot when I’m working,” Lawrence said, regarding leaving the industry. “I’m like, ‘I’m not going to be doing this forever. I’m tired. This is hard.’ Then you take a few months off, you read something terrific, and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I have to make this.’ So I don’t know if I can answer that question. Of course, I’ve contemplated having a child that’s being born into a lifestyle that’s different from his friends. But kids have advantages and disadvantages when they’re born, all of them. The best thing I can do is just make sure he knows he’s loved, and that he’s our number one priority, and try to be a good example of kindness. I’m sure there will be challenges specifically from my choices and my lifestyle, and we’ll both have to confront that and deal with it when that day comes.”
Lawrence added that “I do my best [to protect him]. I was so nervous when I was pregnant. I was getting paparazzi’d, and I was just like, ‘How the fuck am I not going to lose it on these guys when they’re taking a picture of my baby?’ Then once he was here, I realized that my energy is more important to him than anything else. So if he feels that I’m anxious before I leave the house, or I’m angry when we’re outside, that’s going to impact him. So it’s actually done the opposite, where I’ve gotten a little bit more zen and a little bit more relaxed with getting photographed, because I don’t have a choice. You just have to accept it, and take a deep breath and walk. I don’t want him to inherit the anxiety and anger that I have.”
Lawrence told Diaz earlier in their conversation that she looks at her career differently now that she has a child. “There’s no squeezing [projects] when you have a baby,” she said. “There’s just home, and it’s the best. It definitely helps weed out projects: ‘Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Is this worth being away from my child for half the day?’”
She also gave Maroney a shoutout then: “Fortunately, my husband is the greatest father in the entire world, so when I’m working, I don’t have any more guilt than the usual every day, all-day parent guilt.”
“You picked a good one there,” Diaz said.
“I did,” Lawrence agreed. “Thank you for teaching me how to cook for him.”
You can read their full conversation here.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.