Balancing life as a Hollywood actress with motherhood isn't easy, but Gabourey Sidibe has a unique approach to keep her children grounded and out of the spotlight.
- April 4, 2025
AceShowbiz - Gabourey Sidibe opened up about her unusual parenting style. The "Precious" star is now navigating the world of motherhood after welcoming twins, Cooper and Maya, last year with her husband, Brandon Frankel.
Since then, the actress has been fiercely protective of her babies. She's so determined to keep them away from the chaos of Hollywood that she has no qualm about lying to the kids about her profession.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Gabourey detailed her plans to tell her children she is a teacher rather than a movie star. She explained, "There's a very strange thing where I'm a mom and I'm a mama bear."
"I'm protective of my kids, but because of what I do for a living, I kind of expose them to this bigger world that I hope that they never find out. I really would like to hide the world from my children, and I will for as long as I can."
Sidibe has been intentional about ensuring her twins don't have screen time. "Everyone was like, 'Oh, do you let them watch you on TV?' And I'm like, 'First of all, my babies don't have screen time,' " she explained.
"Secondly, I'm just simply going to lie to them as long as I can about what I do for a living. I'm going to tell them I'm a teacher, and also, our household is very normal," she said.
Despite her reservations about public exposure, Sidibe occasionally shares pictures of her twins on social media to keep friends and family updated.
"It is kind of scary to share them online, but also they're just so cute and we have family and friends in other states, and sometimes it's just easier to put things on [Instagram]," she admitted.
Despite this challenge, Sidibe expressed the joy of being a mom, and her hands-on parenting makes her so observant of her babies. "Cooper will sometimes speak for Maya and alert us that she's about to spit up. Maya loves her name being sung to her and is the queen of comedic timing, and Cooper loves his sleep and has the funniest facial expressions," she shared with Shutterstock.
Gabourey Sidibe's approach to parenting reflects an intriguing strategy that exemplifies how even those in the limelight strive for the humble joys of an ordinary life.
