While an unexpected pregnancy is certainly not good news for most teenagers, some celebrities managed to overcome the surprise and still follow their dreams, whether they ended up raising their kids or giving them up for adoption.
While Bristol Palin and Oprah are some of the biggest names that come to mind when it comes to celebrity teenage mothers, check out a few other celebrities who were teen parents, and ended up making it work while still focusing on their career.
Sofia Vergara
“Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara was already married by the time she was 18, and gave birth to her only son at the age of 19. The marriage only lasted for two years, and the Colombian actress ended up as a single mom.
She still found time to model and host TV shows in her native country before moving to the US and becoming the 32nd most powerful woman in the world in 2020, according to Forbes magazine.
Solange Knowles
Beyoncé’s younger sister was already married by the age of 17, and she gave birth to son Julez the same year. While her marriage only lasted for 3 years, Solange is one of the celebrities who were teen parents and doesn’t regret it. Currently living in New Orleans and co-parenting, the singer called her son the “greatest unplanned blessing.”
Natalia Vodianova
Few models take a break at the start of their career to become and mother and manage to get back on top. Russian model Natalia Vodianova gave birth to her first of four children in 2020, just a month after getting married. By 2020, she was the third highest-earning model in the wold, earning over $8.5 million, according to Forbes.
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Jamie Lynn Spears
Some celebrities who were teen parents are forced to take a different career path. Britney Spears’ little sister was at the start of her acting career when she discovered she was pregnant at 16. Jamie Lynn took a hiatus in order to focus on her daughter, but the engagement to the father didn’t end up at the altar. Jamie Lynn Spears reinvented herself as a country music artist, releasing her first album in 2020.
Fantasia Barrino
“American Idol” winner Fantasia dropped out of school in order to give birth at the age of 17. Three years later, she found success thanks to the singing competition. The Grammy-winning artist explained in her autobiography that she almost didn’t get her big break, since “Idol” producers asked her to step back after learning that she was a teen mom.
Jourdan Dunn
Another model who took a brief hiatus in order to give birth, Jourdan Dunn is also among the celebrities who were teen parents. Dunn gave birth to her son in 2020, at the age of 19, then quickly bounced back, becoming the first black British model to make the Forbes top-earning models list in 2020.
Suzanne Somers
Going from sitcom star to Infomercial Hall of Fame inductee, Somers started her career a single mom. Getting pregnant in her first college semester, she ended up dropping out to have a son at the age of 19. Even though the married the father, it didn’t last, and she ended up as a single mom who had to support her child.
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Aretha Franklin
The R&B legend who started out by singing gospel isn’t just one of the celebrities who were teen parents, she’s also the youngest ever Grammy-winning mom. She gave birth twice as a teenager, once at 13 and once at 15. Her sons were raised by her aunt while she focused on her musical career, becoming one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with over 75 million records sold.
Anna Nicole Smith
Long before she became the 1993 Playmate of the Year, Anna Nicole Smith gave birth at the age of 18, then waited twenty years before becoming a mother again. After raising him along, their bond was so strong that she was completely devastated after his death, and passed away herself a few months later in 2020.
Roseanne Barr
Some celebrities who were teen parents ended up giving their up for adoption, and Roseanne Barr is one of them. The comedienne had a girl at the age of 17. She never spoke about any regrets, but she ended up reuniting with her daughter years later.
