Celebrity Mama Bears: Famous Moms Who've Fought Back Against Internet Critics

Deena Cortese wasn’t going to let haters spoil her happy moment when she posted a photo of her then-2-day-old son Christopher “CJ” John leaving the hospital, only to receive backlash about the baby’s attire and car seat safety. The Jersey Shore star responded to the criticism succinctly: “Going home 💙 ( it’s not a jacket .. it’s a onesie and hospital approved it ) we’re not perfect but we got this 👌🏼.Thank you for the concerns 😘.”

Never mess with Pink when it comes to parenting. After the singer posted an adorable photo of her son Jameson Moon on Instagram with melted chocolate on his face and hands with a cheeky caption that read, “Chocolate is good for babies right? Help me Instagram, we can’t possibly parent without you,” one fan took her up on her offer – criticizing husband Carey Hart for “lack[ing] the responsibility” to parent their kids. Pink defended her husband at length, concluding, “Do check in from time to time to let us all know what other teachings you may have for us, oh perfect f—ing stranger.”

Almost as soon as actress and new mom Gabrielle Union posted a sweet video of herself giving daughter Kaavia James kisses on the lips, the social media mom patrol sounded the alarm about the dangers of  kissing a newborn on the mouth. But Union reassured fans that while on the set of her Oprah at Home special, she had a nurse with her and even went as far as asking Oprah’s crew to get vaccinations before entering her home. “If you think I waited this long and went thru [sic] all this to put my baby in harm’s way… you got another thing coming,” Union concluded.

You can’t always trust what you see on social media. Reality star and beauty mogul Kim Kardashian West quickly corrected the social media mob who called her out for giving her 2-year-old son Saint a pacifier, declaring it to be bad parenting practice over the age of 1. Kardashian didn’t waste time letting people know they were too quick to judge. “P.S. mom shamers it’s not a pacifier, he’s eating candy!” she responded. (Though we’re sure mom shamers had plenty to say about that, too.)

Model and Twitter legend Chrissy Teigen delivered a message to “trolls” who were negatively commenting on her 6-month-old son Miles’ helmet, which she explained he had to wear to help round out his “adorable slightly misshapen head.” The short and sweet message simply said, “Good morning trolls! Just a friendly reminder that you do not indeed know absolutely everything. Miles has been seeing a physiotherapist – we didn’t just go straight to helmet. We tried muscle work and will continue. Also your flat headed kid turned out fine yes yes yes I agree.”

Pregnant 90 Day Fiancé star Paola Mayfield was probably not expecting to be mommy shamed even before she became a mom when she posted a photo with husband Russ Mayfield’s pet dog Phoebe. The reality star was criticized for looking too sexy and owning a pitbull while pregnant, with commenters piling on to warn her the breed is “simply not safe to have around children.” Mayfield shut them down: “My dog isn’t a pit bull she is a hound mix and she is the sweetest dog.”

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has been putting it all out there since her Jersey Shore days and can weather the criticism, but she’ll clap back at those who think they can shame her children. After Polizzi shared a photo of her 4-year-old daughter holding hands with Jersey Shore co-star Jenni “JWoww” Farley’s daughter Meilani, someone commented, “You have money dress your girl better. She’s beautiful but needs to look nicer. You take time to do your hair face and dress do the same for her.” Polizzi’s response? “Mind your own business tho. I let my daughter pick her own outfits. I let her express herself. Are you a mother? Worry about your own damn kids, and let us live. She’s 4 god damn years old, f— off.”

After the mom of three posted a bikini pic with the caption, “sometimes you need a day away,” a social media user left a snarky comment that said, “But sis you never work lmao.” Kardashian put time on the user’s calendar to set the record straight – to devastating effect.  “Let me respond to you with all the time I have… oh wait, my attorney’s on the other line to discuss 6 business deals, I have a camera in my face filming season SIXTEEN of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (you may have heard of it) and I’m raising my 3 amazing children… God bless you and your worry about me.” Now that’s boss.

Don’t think you can escape Khloé Kardashian’s wrath just because you deleted your comments. After followers had a lot to say about her daughter True’s skin tone, Kardashian took to Twitter to confront them. “I dislike the fact that people are allowed to comment on my daughters skin color but as soon as I comment kindly back and praise her for all that she is, the comment gets erased,” she wrote. “If you have the courage to post your nasty criticism please allow one to defend or comment back.”

Even fans with the “best” intentions should hold off before asking something they may regret. Model and Lip Sync Battle host Chrissy Teigen took a moment to respond to a fan who asked, “I’m asking this with the utmost respectful, but is @chrissyteigen pregnant again?” Mom to then-4-month-old Miles Theodore responded with her own tweet with a healthy serving of sarcasm that said, “I just had a baby but thank you for being soooo respectful.” The lesson here? Couching your criticism in “respect” isn’t going to stop Chrissy from coming for you.

A shot of Tori Spelling’s kids in back-to-school outfits seems relatively uncontroversial, but a group of social media users still managed to negatively critique each child’s appearance, calling them “disheveled” and “unfit.” Spelling blasted the commenters in response. “For all the individuals on here that felt the need to #momshame and #kidshame me and my children I say ‘Shame on you!’” she wrote. “I was raised to believe that if you can’t say anything nice about someone then don’t say anything at all.”

Kim Kardashian West is so used to mommy shamers that she will call you out even before you get a chance to say anything. When she posted a photo of her two youngest kids on Instagram, showing baby girl Chicago sitting on the shoulders of big brother Saint, anticipating comments about her children’s hair and whether the baby was safe, the star captioned the photo, “Wild Hair Don’t Care Wild Hair Don’t Care. *Don’t worry I’m holding her up from the back” – proving that Kim is always one step ahead of the Internet.

Good American mogul Khloé Kardashian shared an adorable photo of her baby girl True riding in the driver’s seat of a mini white Bentley gifted to her by Kimora Lee Simmons. “I’m not sure what’s cuter, the cute teddy bear driving the Bentley truck or True’s cheeks and smile,” the star wrote. When one social media user accused Kardashian of “embedding materialism in [True’s] brain” by allowing her to have the car, the star snapped and said, “She’s a baby who received a beautiful sweet gift and I was SOOO excited to put her in it and take a picture!’m enjoying every single moment I can with my sweet angel! The angel GOD gave me!”

Mother of two Kendra Wilkinson hopes to make the Internet a happier place for parents. In a lengthy Instagram post, Wilkinson said that she doesn’t “get the hate at all” and that the way your kids see you and love you is all that matters. “Stop the hate and stop the abuse but always encourage love n respect people’s ways,” Wilkinson said. “I love hearing people’s parenting techniques n would never judge someone unless there’s hate involved.” Let’s be nicer and more open minded to mommas everywhere, shall we?

After experiencing criticism for both her post-baby weight loss journey and her decision to return to work, the star turned all the negatives in a positive, writing Tweets in support of other moms feeling the pressure. “Completely over mommy/body shamers!” she wrote in the first one. “Women who choose 2take their time after baby, I’m so proud of you! Women who choose to work out after baby, I’m so proud of you! We all must do what’s best for US! Please b kind 2urself! A happy mommy makes for a happy baby! Love your process.” The second was just as poignant. “We are so hard on ourselves. Please be patient and gentle with your journey,” she wrote. “Don’t compare yours to anyone else’s. You are right where you need to be! You are amazing!! You are worthy!!!”

Nicole Phelps is so committed to destigmatizing public breastfeeding and pumping, she posted a photo of herself with a fully visible breast pump underneath the dress she was wearing – then was hit with a wave of backlash. Phelps, the wife of Olympian Michael Phelps, defended herself by saying, “We should be able to, without judgment nurse/pump (easier with a wireless pump) anywhere we’re comfortable… bc we all know you’re not going to ‘let down’ if you’re not relaxed!!” We wholeheartedly agree.

Kim Kardashian West doesn’t need advice when it comes to daughter North’s hair. “Don’t straighten her hair too much it’ll ruin her curls 😫,” one fan advised on Twitter. “I did that to my hair and ruined it but I’m finally getting my natural curly hair back.” Oh silly fan, of course the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star has her own rules about North’s glam. “She is allowed twice a year, on her birthday and birthday party!” the KKW Beauty mogul responded. “This pic was taken back in June on her bday.” See? She’s got it all under control.

When a supportive fan on Twitter gave Khloé Kardashian respect for “opening up about supplementing baby formula” to feed her daughter True, Kardashian responded with a candid confession. “Mommy shaming is real!” she said. “But the truth is I’ve tried and tried and tried to breast feed only and it wasn’t working for me. I feel fortunate that I am able to still breast-feed but with the help of formula. Breast-feeding is something I really wanted to do. Just am not fully able.”

The Flip or Flop star posted an Instagram photo of a slumber party she was hosting for her daughter’s friends, featuring the 6-year-olds frolicking in the pool and her then-19-month-old son Brayden looking on. Soon enough, commenters ganged up on the newly single mom for letting her son so close to the pool, seemingly without adult supervision. “OMG 1. It’s a beach entry if he fell in it’s only a foot high, he would be ok 2. It’s not his first time in or around the pool,but thanks for your “concern” aka judgment,” El Moussa replied. “3. AND most importantly I am right there and could be to him in 3 seconds SMH at this …..!!!!” A follower later clarified her comment as “not hating,” but other fans jumped to El Moussa’s defense, writing, “None of you are perfect!!! Nothing is more hateful than trying to bring a Mom down!!!!”

When an Instagram follower asked the actress — on multiple occasions — why she never shows her kids’ faces in photos, Berry finally bit back. “I’ve noticed you have said this several times now so let me be clear — I’m not at all ashamed of [my] children. I try to find creative ways to incorporate them into my feed because they are the biggest part of my life, but I also work very hard to keep their identities as private as I can considering they are only children,” she wrote. “When they grow and they’re of age and they want [to] share their images on the internet, that will be for them to decide, not me. Feel me? Have a beautiful day.” 

Yes, even celebrities are shamed for breastfeeding in public, the mom-of-two told Vanity Fair. “There were many times where I didn’t bring a cover with me, and so I just did it in a restaurant, in the subway, in the park, at airports and in planes. Why did I do it in public? Because I had to feed my child. She’s hungry,” the actress explained of Wyatt, now 4. But dirty looks “took us a little aback because people actually looked at us in a shameful [way], and we were like, ‘Oh my God,’ because it’s so not a sexual act. I think it’s unfortunate that people are so hard on women who choose to do it and do it in public. If it’s not for you, don’t look.”

Nine days after welcoming daughter Luna Simone, new parents Teigen and John Legend went out for dinner sans baby. Sounds innocent enough, right? Not to Internet commenters, who said things like “What in the hell is wrong with her?” and “This is just insane.” Days later, Teigen responded to the madness on Good Morning America, saying, “I knew mommy-shaming was a thing, but I didn’t think it would come from going to dinner. We needed a break. We needed to go enjoy each other’s company and be out. We were gone for an hour.” Legend even piped up, supportively tweeting, “Funny there’s no dad-shaming. When both of us go out to dinner, shame both of us so Chrissy doesn’t have to take it all. We’ll split it.”

A photo of Farley’s then-9-week-old son Greyson hanging with dad Roger Mathews in the pool in July 2016 turned into a PSA about sun protection after Instagram followers flipped out at the former reality star. “First off, my son is two months and in a salt water pool up to his belly… Probably for a total of three minutes,” Farley wrote in a follow-up Insta post. “But second is where I need to really educate trolls… Let me explain to the haters that decided to comment about no sunscreen and the dangers bla bla bla My son actually does have sunscreen on. It’s the same concept as diaper cream. Probably even better than the crap s– you lather your children in.” She even shared her DIY sunscreen recipe, reminding people she’s in the tanning industry “and pride myself on knowing this.”

The country singer was excited to start then-6-month-old daughter Jolie on solids in June 2016, posting a pic of a grocery store conveyor belt full of baby food. Not excited? Instagram followers, who slammed Kramer for not making her own meals. She responded with a photo of a handwritten note that read: “Dear Mommy Shamers, Unless you are Jolie’s doctor, her father, or her mom, do NOT tell me how to raise my child, or how to feed her. Sincerely, Jolie’s MOM.” An accompanying caption reminded fans of the golden rule, too: “If you have negative comments about how I parent my child, keep it to yourself!!”

Cavallari’s Fourth of July 2016 Instagram became less about the holiday and all about her sons’ weight after followers expressed concern over the visibility of her boys’ bones. “I understand you live a very strict dietary lifestyle but these children are very obviously nutritionally deficient,” one Instagram user wrote. “Seeing pictures of your boys and how they look is a bit shocking to see! I know you cook healthy but to see the bones just doesn’t seem normal, sorry!” read another comment. Cavallari decided to block the offenders, and penned a sarcastic response to their concerns. “Yep, I starve my children,” she wrote. “Just blocked the most people I’ve ever blocked in my entire life. Happy 4th hahaha.”

Her baby-to-be with then-fiancé Rob Kardashian was still cooking – but the model was already feeling the pressure to be perfect, as evidenced by the hate she received after donning a casual jumpsuit for lunch with friends. “To all you people out here with negative comments and insecure words (obviously because you have nothing else to do but criticize the next) I AM HAVING A BABY!” she wrote on Instagram. “Exactly what do you expect to see?! If I walked out in makeup and heels everyday to be beautiful to your means I WOULD BE MISERABLE AND UNHAPPY which are two vibes I refuse to transfer to my little one.”

“Today has been rough,” the former Bachelorette and then-mom-to-be told PEOPLE in 2016. “I posted a picture of me this morning in the car with a cup of coffee, and then later on I posted another pic of a coffee. All of these people are like ‘You shouldn’t be drinking so much caffeine.’ I stopped drinking alcohol, I stopped partying, I don’t do Botox anymore … I’m going to drink my damn coffee!” Harris did say she felt the criticism was coming “from a place of love,” but added, “I’m not an idiot. I’m not stupid – I’m a grown adult. I think I know what’s right and what’s wrong.”

The reality star and mom to baby Chanel was happy to remind Twitter followers she is “#100%wife” after some implied she wasn’t pulling her weight at home. “Some comments really frustrate me at times..some assume since u have money and live in a “celebrity world” that you don’t do s—!” she tweeted in December 2015. “I don’t have nannies or babysitters. I’ve been 100% hands on w/Chanel. I also clean my own house & do my own laundry #100%wife”

After facing criticism about her weight gain during her second pregnancy with son Saint, Kardashian West did what she does best: post a sexy selfie to silence the haters. “First they say I’m too skinny so I have to be faking it…Now they say I’m too big so I have to be faking it…SMH! Some days I’m photographed before I eat & look smaller, some days I’ve just eaten & I look bigger. It’s all a part of the process,” she captioned her August 2015 Insta. “Everyone’s body is different, every pregnancy is very different! I’m going to get even bigger & that’s beautiful too! I’m blessed to even be pregnant … Whatever the case may be I’m grateful to God for this miracle & no matter what rumors or comments you throw my way this time they truly don’t affect me! #NoFilter #NoPhotoShop #GoodLighting” #schooled

Holliday faced similar backlash during her second pregnancy in 2016, as people often told her they couldn’t tell she was pregnant because of her size. Her reply was an equally artful nude selfie with a simple, strong caption: “I will continue to live unapologetically, to thrive in this body, prove the naysayers wrong & laugh at the ignorance.” A follow-up post gave support to moms facing similar struggles: “I’m part of a small minority that’s telling you it’s okay to not have a perfect baby bump, or not show at all, to be plus size & have a healthy child, & most importantly to find a care provider that doesn’t shame you about your size. It’s also okay to tell someone to f— off when they give you unsolicited advice about what’s “best” for you & your baby. As women, we know what’s best & that’s our business.. No one else’s.”

Long a proponent of breastfeeding, Milano decided to introduce daughter Elizabella to the world in October 2014 with a sweet nursing shot. However, many on the Internet didn’t find it so sweet, shaming the actress for sharing. “I got really sad about it,” she said during an appearance on The Talk that December. “Who are we, that now we get upset as human beings if we see a woman feeding her baby? It’s crazy to me. Crazy, crazy, crazy. I just think, ‘Where are we that this has now become offensive?’ So not only is it beautiful, but it’s also a necessity. I’m feeding my kid.”

Daughter Willow has always marched to the beat of her own drum – so when she decided to chop her hair off in 2012, her mom Jada Pinkett wasn’t going to let random commenters make her feel anything less than great about it. “This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don’t belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self determination,” she wrote on Facebook. “Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair. Even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother’s deepest insecurities, hopes and desires.”