Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish & Travis Kelce's Moms Talk About Raising Superstars | Glamour

And I started doing the girls' hair because they were 14, 15 years old. It was to protect my kids. And they need protection, trust me. Totally different experience with me. With two boys in sports, I do not worry about them at all. I just don't. Welcome to an iconic group of mothers who have raised some of the most famous people in the world. I want to start with having you all introduce yourself. I'll start with you, Maggie. I am Maggie Baird. My children are Billie Eilish O'Connell and Phineas O'Connell. Both musicians, songwriters, and all around wonderful people. I'm Tina Knowles, and I'm the mother of three wonderful children, Beyonce, Solange, and Kelly, my bonus daughter. I'm Mandy Teefee. I am the mother of Selena Gomez and Gracie Teefee. Hi, I'm Donna Kelsey. I'm the mother of two football players, Jason and Travis, who are unashamedly themselves. I just want to get straight into motherhood and what you imagined motherhood would look like for you and how it is different from what you expected. I expected it to look very much like it did. It's been the best job that I've ever had. And it's daunting. It's a lot of responsibilities. And I felt so blessed because I lost my mom like six months before I got pregnant. It was the best blessing ever in life to me. I always wanted to be a mother. Also lost my mother in my twenties. As much as I'd always wanted to be a mother, I don't think I was prepared for the depth of the love and the joy. Also the hard. You'd see it like a mother out walking a baby and you'd think this was like the image of peace and ease. And then when you are a mother, like, oh my gosh, it was so hard to just get out the door. So it was the hardest thing, but the most joyous thing. And also I felt very needed. Every creative skill you have, every talent you've ever had, everything is needed in that job. I found that very fulfilling. Mandy, what do you think? Well, I had Selena at 16. So I really didn't have any idea of what to expect. I was obviously really scared and nervous. It's almost like we grew up together. We joked that we're going to have to be in retirement homes at the same time. Then I had Gracie later in life, 37. So it's been different experiences completely. Then you have the added pressure of them under the spotlight and they're trying to grow and be themselves and go through what every other kid goes through. And they don't get to do that free of judgment. Was there a moment where you realized your child was maybe going to buck any expectation that you had on what their life would look like? Beyonce was seven and her dance teacher put her in a talent show with their kids, like all the way up to high school. And I was like, that's not fair because she's only seven. And she went in and she was shy. And I mean, she got on that stage and commanded the stage. And I was, my husband and I were like, who is that? You know, cause the confidence came and the joy, I could see it. And so she felt so confident. She said, well, I just want to get my trophy. I'm hungry and I want to go home. And I'm like, you don't know if you won, like sit down and chill. But it was something that happened on that stage that I had never seen before. And so I felt very confident. That's what she wanted to do. Cause she'd always say, you know, I want to be like Michael Jackson. I'm like, yeah, well, who doesn't? You know, whose kid doesn't? She showed a lot of confidence. And that was my main thing is I saw the joy in it. When you see the confidence in your children and you see them doing so well, is there moments of motherhood where you want to keep them more grounded? How was that conversation at home for you, Maggie? People would always say to me, like, just your mind blown that, you know, Billy's playing Radio City or MSG or something. I was like, my mind was blown when she played the hi-hat in Highland Park. I mean, I think everyone's parent is mind blown when you see your child, you know, step on a stage and do anything, graduate something. Yeah, you step on stage in front of 10 to 100,000 people and that's an hour and a half, you know? And then the rest of the time you're at the dinner table and your brother's giving you shit. And you know what I mean? And so I think that the family part is the part that keeps it sane. Yeah, especially, you know, once they played each other and that was special, I don't think they even knew that they were brothers. So, because they're a little different, but basically the same. They're pretty funny, pretty boisterous. But yeah, trying to keep kids grounded when they do get to that stage is, I think if you just bring things that they did when they were children to just show them that they're like everybody else. How many broken windows there were, how many times I had a call from the neighbor or, you know, just silly stuff. They weren't mean children or bad children, just that they were very rambunctious. Do you still get to do all those normal things with your kids? Is there anything that you've had to give up in the world of fame? I'm looking at you, Tina. What have you had to say goodbye to in the world of normalcy for a family unit? You know, Solange just won't play the game. She'll just put her hat on and go shopping. But obviously that's not something that we can do. That's what I miss. Like, I miss us going to the grocery store, going to, with my kids, going to eat. Something that's just really simple because you don't get to do that. You don't get to go to the mall anymore. I always use Disneyland as the example. Like, you have to go in the back where all the mechanical things are and you don't really get to go through the park. And you can, but you have to walk like 90 miles an hour and go really fast. And so, yeah, you do miss out on that. We used to have a lot of times that we would go to Target and just hang out at Target and just shop and do silly things. But you can't do that anymore. You three in particular, your children found fame very young. For the boys, it was a little later in life. That trajectory has been probably more intense in the last two years. Yeah, we can't go anywhere, really. Yeah, it's just, if we want to do something, you have to run out the restaurant or the movie theater. But I do, you know, get to sneak away every once in a while and we go to places that nobody knows where they are. Do you get the moments where somebody's stopping you on a plane or when you're walking down the street and saying, are you Travis and Jason's mom? Yeah, they know. And I've tried everything. I've tried sunglasses, but I'm just so tall and big. It's hard to not notice me walk by. I'm grateful that people know who I am. And most of them are very, very respectful. And it's like, we love your children. I mean, what mom doesn't want to hear that? It's just when somebody like tries to take a picture of you in the bathroom. I'm like, whoa, I draw the line at the toilet. You know, let's stop. And I wear those moments of like, you're Selena's mom. I don't get that a lot, actually. And I'm thankful because I usually am in sweats and no makeup and hair in a bun. So if I do get recognized, I'm like, oh my God. Like, I look like this all the time that you recognize who I am. So my youngest, Gracie, gets it a lot. My husband gets it a lot. But me, I, for some reason, I don't get it that much. So it's nice. Tina, you must, I feel like you're one of the most recognizable moms in America. I get it a lot, but you know, I enjoy talking to people. I'm a people person. So I don't mind taking a picture. I don't mind. As long as people are respectful, it's fun for me. I've met some really interesting people. What about you, Maggie? I've been traveling with Billie since she was 13, 14 years old. So a fan will probably know who I am. I love it because they always say really nice things and they've been touched and their lives have been changed. And I find it very moving. And I have kind of taken advantage of it to promote what I care about, which is addressing food equity and climate change. It's not only nice, but it also, you can use it to help make things better. I talked to my own mother about this. As somebody who's deeply invested in being a mother, where do you become a mother and where you come back to being the individual? Is that more intense when you're the mother of somebody that the world knows? I don't try to hide the fact that I'm a mom. I do have my own identity and I invest my own time in things that I have passion for. I think you have that relationship with yourself first. I think that life has seasons, right? You know, the whole, you can have it all. Like you can't have it all at the same time. And so you have a period of your life where you're very focused on yourself and your career or whatever that is. And maybe you're still doing that when you have children, but it changes a little bit. And then when your child becomes in this position where they really need you in a way that is more than a toddler needs you, you know? For me, I'm a founder of a nonprofit and that's very fulfilling. I'm still an actor, but my number one thing every single day is how are my kids doing? And do they need me? Maggie, for you, you were certainly in the industry of Hollywood before you had your two children and just a resurface clip from Friends ended up on the internet of late. How was that for you? Oh, let's talk about that. I think it's hilarious because that came out. Oh, Billy is a nipple baby. And I'm like, did you know that I got that episode of Friends because I actually was about to lose my health insurance? And I talked to a friend who was a casting director and he got me an audition and I got that part, which was a small part, but Friends became the biggest show ever. So of all the things I've ever done in my career, that's what everyone has seen. You know, my husband and I are working class actors. You know, we eked out a meager living as most actors do. You know, we were lucky to barely make our health insurance. So when all of this happened to our kids, we'd never been on that side of it. Talk to me a little bit more about that because they're surrounded by, I'm guessing a lot of people that work for them, that are on their payrolls. Again, at a very young age, they kind of run empires of their own. How do you cut through that as a mother and say, this is the right thing, this is the wrong thing. You need to listen to me. I think that your mother and your father, your parents, as great as your team is, everyone has an agenda and that's not necessarily a bad word. They do have an agenda, but your agenda is that your child should be happy and healthy and fulfilled and give back to the world. Very early on, you know, I owned a very successful hair salon and I started doing the girls' hair to earn my keep so that I could travel with them because I wanted to protect them, not because I wanted to go and be on planes every day because there was nothing glamorous about it. It was to protect my kids because they were 14, 15 years old in an industry that can, I mean, chew you up and spit you out. After a while, I was like, oh, I'll get to go back home, but I never did because I saw the need to be there because like Maggie said, you're the person that doesn't have any other agenda. Those are your kids and you want to protect them and they need protection, trust me, they need it. Yeah, totally different experience with me. With two boys in sports, they're out the door, the minute they graduate from high school. They are on their own and they're totally independent and they don't need me for anything, seriously. There are people that are helping them in college with their grades, keeping out of trouble. They've got the NFL that's getting involved with everything from foundations to financial planners to this and that and they have so many more technical and more advanced individuals that I can ever be. I do not worry about them at all. And that's a real miracle. Yes, you are, but that's not the case. It's different because in 18, they're out the door and they don't come back. They're also giants. Yeah, that's like, I have to go visit them. Well, that's a blessing because my experience was totally different. I know, I can see that, yeah. Is there something in when your children do art that you see yourself reflected in? I'll start with you, Donna, because we've all been watching them on TikTok do their show. All of us have said their mom must have taught them how to cry, as in the vulnerability of these men. You know, I don't think you teach somebody. I think that's in your DNA, whether you're gonna cry or not. It's just in our family. We do, we cry at movies, we cry. You know, we're very, very soft when it comes to that. Obviously on the football field, they're totally different human beings. They're out there to kill, but they're in touch with themselves. They're very genuine and they care about individuals. And I think that started at a very young age and they care about each other. Mandy, when you see Selena do stuff, do you see, is there any part of her work in music or on TV that you're like, that really feels like a part of me that she's doing? No, no, no, like right now I'm sweating because I'm so nervous. Like, and she will get out there and just like be partying and just so happy and doing her thing. And I'm just like, how are you doing this? Like, I'm like doing a little inch of what she does. It's all her. It's just definitely her personality, her passion. And I just get to sit back and watch someone turn into a fabulous human who gives back. And every day it's a surprise. This morning on the way here, I was sobbing because she got nominated for an Emmy and she broke a record. The Latina who's got the most Emmy nominations in history. So I was crying on the way here and she's like, don't make me cry, I'm in hair and makeup. And then I'm like, okay, I won't. Is there a moment for you that you were like, this is the proudest I've ever felt as a mom? Yes, it's actually, it's a cute story. Her and Demi were on Barney together and they would always practice in the car, the Disney, like, you know, the ears. And they would always like, hi, I'm Demi Lovato. Hi, I'm Selena Gomez. And they would like practice with like glow stuff flowing all over the house and the car. Whenever she did her ears for Disney, I was like, wow, that's pretty powerful that she was practicing. And we were just in a small town in Texas. And then now she's getting to live her dream. I'm the most proud when they do something that is artful, that they love, but it also has a good repercussion on the world. You know, that they're teaching, that teaching somebody something, or they're giving back, doing charity work and that type of thing. I'm just, I can't stop smiling. I do see myself. And I'm proud to say that I do see the things that I instilled in them to treat people well, not to get stuck on yourself. Because we had some moments where I was like, listen, they can pick up their own suitcases, look people in the eye, say hello, don't turn into a diva. You have to teach your kids that. I don't believe that that's something that they just get because everybody's trying to handle everything for them and, you know, kissing their butts sometimes. And I'm like, you know, no, no, no, you're not helpless. Be a good person first. So I'm most proud when they're good people. Yeah, that's a really interesting one because I think, Mandy, you've spoken before about somebody just trying to hold her umbrella and you're like, let her hold her own umbrella. Especially for those that found fame very young. What are those moments for you where like, no, they're going to learn how to be an adult? That is one of my favorite stories. Like she was getting out of the trailer and there was an umbrella and they were holding it for her and then they were bringing her food and all this stuff. And I was like, she can hold her own umbrella. She needs to learn how to pump her own gas in her car. Like she needs to be a person first. I think one of my biggest fears is, you know, people always saying yes and people have to say no. Like you have to look out for someone's best interest is really what I was saying earlier. And their best interest sometimes is everyone leave them alone, give them a break. You've got to have some rails and you've got to have people not afraid to say, this is the truth, right? And I do remember like one time, I remember talking about a tour and suddenly there were all these conversations. She loves to drive and they're like, well, we could tow your car behind you. I was like, stop right there, she's 17 years old, not towing a car behind so that when she gets to a venue, she can like, what, drag race around the town, you know? So watching that, keeping an eye on that. You talk about taking breaks, which I think in all of your children's industry is an important thing, but sometimes harder to do than say yes to everything. Have you ever been the instigator of like, you need to take some time? For me, all the time. My kids like to work and they like to be creative. And I think that's wonderful, but you do need that time where you don't have the pressure and the stress of it. So I'm always preaching that, but it doesn't seem to be working too well. I think they probably all have amazing work ethics and have such passion for what they do that it's like putting the brakes on it. They're like, well, wait a minute, what, it's a part of who they are and how they've like grown as people. And there was a point where when she first started, you know, being a part of the Disney family, it was very this, this, this, this, this. And then all of a sudden we looked up and she didn't have a day off. And I was like, oh, she's a minor. Like, no, she's gotta have a day off. And it wasn't them being hard on her. It was us saying, oh, okay, she wants to do this. You must day in, day out. The world's media, Instagram, TikToks are fascinated with your children. Where do you stop reading the comments? Where do you jump in? What like, what is your interaction with the world that loves or sometimes is mean to your children online? Oh man, that's a tough one. You know, it's best just not to get involved and not to even go there. I mean, you know it's not true. Your kids know it's not true. It's just best to just not say anything. There's only one time I think there was a comment about me and their father getting back together again. And all I said was false. You know, besides that, you know, I really have never, never engaged. I don't read comments on Instagram. I barely go on it because it's not healthy for me. And so you're right, I just don't engage and I don't pay attention to it. We're happy, we're living our lives. I hope you're happy and living your life, but you're on here being mean. That's the hardest part about this whole thing because that's your children. We talked about protection. You want to protect them. You can't, because you can't fight the whole internet. My kids are like, mom, don't you answer those crazy people. Just ignore them. And I can to a certain degree, but sometimes it just gets to be too much. And I have to say what I have to say and then I'm done with it. I remember very clearly when Billy did the Brit Awards and she was in a low spot and it was because of the internet, entirely. Mel C came and presented her award and then Mel C, she didn't realize because when the Spice Girls were a thing, you know what happens? You get a bad review in a local paper. You know what I mean? Like how, you know what I mean? It's like kind of a, that's a bummer, but you don't have millions of people commenting on you. And it is kind of an experimental generation that we're parenting. I wish there were ways that we could protect them from seeing it. I don't think we're gonna do away with it, sadly, but I wish people knew the impact. I just kind of take it with a grain of salt most of the time. It just depends. You mess with my grandchildren, I'm coming for you. And because they're minors and they didn't ask to be in this. I have to say that I have gotten on and let people have a piece of my mind several times, but I take a lot. And then there's certain things that I just have to draw the line on. Two of you have, are grandmothers as well as mothers. How has that chapter of motherhood changed for you? It's just fun seeing how your children act with their kids, trying to find out what kind of a parent they're gonna be. You know, watching your son be a father is just like, how can they be so tender and be such a maniac out on the field, you know? Travis is a good uncle and Jason's a great dad. And it's just very heartwarming to know that they have that within them to be very nurturing, very kind, very gentle. And not only that, you know, you get to hug your kids too, hug your grandchildren. What's grandmotherhood like for you, Tina? Oh God, it's the best. I become a kid. I was in the Hamptons with them and I mean, I swang on a swing every day and swim and have fun. It's like being a kid again with them. Because you know, when you're raising your kids, you don't really have the time sometimes to do all of those kiddie things with them. I could buy all the noisy toys and they'll get on their parents' nerves and you know, do things that I didn't get to do with my kids. It's the best. Do you see your daughters as similar types of mother that you were? Yes, very much so. What are your favorite depictions of motherhood in pop culture? My favorite was Claire Huxtable. She was a lawyer, she was a mother of five and she was a wife and she could do it all. And I'm like, that's who I wanna be like. So yeah, she was my mentor. That's what I wanted to be like. I didn't wanna be your mom that just stayed home and was with you all day long. Somebody to show you the way. If you work hard, you have a good work ethic, you can achieve anything you want. When I was a little girl, I loved Julia and you probably, Diahann Carroll played Julia. And it was for a very similar reason because the Brady Bunch and all those ladies were wonderful but they stayed at home and they were like the perfect mothers. They looked perfect. But this was a career woman who had to balance having a child with going to work. That was the first time too that I saw a black woman that was a professional. So I grew up just loving Julia. And of course, Claire Huxtable. There was some Disney moms, still watching one of my grandchildren and those moms are super cool. They're not like so perfect. Like they kind of zany and I love them. I grew up with Julia too, was a favorite. You're the first person I talked to that knows because everybody like, when was that? Like 1950 something? 1965, maybe. Currently, I mean, America Ferrera's character in Barbie. I mean, was there ever a better speech that summed it all up? That was a nice depiction of, you know, this devoted mother who was trying so hard with this. You know, I think that was nice. And you brought up Barbie. That's honestly one of the lines when we thought about this cover and wanting you four women on it. We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back and see how far they come. How was watching Barbie for all of you? I like Barbie. I mean, I had a special relationship to Barbie. So it was- Were you in Barbie? No, but my kids wrote that song. Beautiful song. But that line, I think it's a balance of that, right? We don't want to just be like, we're here so you can go here. But I think it's important that as you are hoping your children go much farther than you and have better lives and that we reduce generational trauma in each generation and we do that, you still have your own life. And it's important to model for them that you can still do. You know, at every age, you can still do. You can create, you know. So I think it's kind of equally important. I would agree. I think it is a mix of both. I was a commercial banker and I wanted to get ahead. And so I worked really, really hard. I was a major breadwinner in the family. I think it's important for them to see that a woman can do whatever she wants, but I did stand still. My husband and I knew that our marriage was not working, but we stayed together for the kids to make sure that they had the most normal relationship that they possibly could. In that one respect, I did stand still for several years until I could move on on my own. It reminds me of when I was in high school because I did get pregnant with Selena at 16 and my school counselor told me I ruined everybody's life, including the child and the boy who participated in the project. I was determined to graduate high school, do something and show her that no matter what comes your way you can really fight your way through it. And I wanted to be that role model for her because I didn't have that. As I was growing up, I can do it and she can do it and she's gonna know that she can do it. That's kind of what we do, right? We stand in the gap for our kids.