Triumph on the World Stage
When you think of teen parents and their children, what springs to mind? Often people think of the negative stereotypes - poverty, lost opportunities, and poor outcomes. But there are numerous teen parents and children of teen parents who have defied expectations and excelled on the world stage. Sheesh, some are even considered the ‘Greatest of All Time’ in their respective fields!
This does not mean that their journeys were easy. Some experienced profound trauma and were under the age of consent. Yet, in spite of the challenges, these teen parents and/or children of teen parents have gone on to reach extraordinary levels of global success.
In this article we start by highlighting 15 celebrity teen parents and/or children of teen parents and detail their remarkable achievements. The list includes Olympians, Grammy winners, Oscar nominees, Nobel Peace Prize nominees, US Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, Emmy award winners, a world-renowned dramatist, the world’s first black billionaire, a Bollywood star, influential hip-hop artists, and a US president!
At the end of the article we list a further 32 celebrity teen parents and famous children of teen parents who may also provide inspiration.
1. LeBron James
NBA Player for the Los Angeles Lakers and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Parent at age 19. His mother was 16 when LeBron was born.
Considered one of basketball’s GOATs - LeBron James’ achievements include:
winning four NBA championships;
competing in 10 NBA Finals;
winning the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 and was awarded MVP (most valuable player);
receiving four Finals MVP awards;
winning two Olympic gold medals;
being named an All-Star 20 times;
selection to the All-NBA Team 19 times (including 13 First Team selections);
selection to the All-Defensive Team six times;
runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice;
being the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and ranks fourth in career assists;
being a member of the U.S. men’s national team; and
being the oldest player in the NBA.
LeBron James was born in December 1984. His mother Gloria Marie James was aged 16 at the time of his birth.
In October 2013, LeBron James became a father at 19 years old. His partner Savannah James was aged 18. Their son Bronny has also become a standout basketball player and was named a McDonald’s All American in 2023, two decades after his father’s selection.
For more information on LeBron’s story being a child of a teen mother and a teen father himself, you may want to visit some external websites like these ones here, here, and here.
2. Selena Gomez
Actress, singer, music artist, songwriter, producer and business-woman.
Selena’s parents were aged 16 when she was born.
Selena Gomez has reached phenomenal levels of success, with some of her greatest achievements including:
release of three US Billboard 200 top ten albums with her former band (all certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America);
numerous solo albums and singles that have topped the US and Canadian music charts, and gone gold and platinum;
nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for her Spanish-language EP;
winning MTV VMA’s Best Duet, Song of the Year, and Best Afrobeats Awards in 2023
having her collaborative single ‘Calm Down (Remix)’ become the most commercially successful Afrobeats song of all time and the best selling collaboration of 2023 globally (with over 1 billion plays on Spotify and over 850 million views on YouTube as at early 2024);
nomination for a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy Awards;
starring in over 30 films including as a voice artist in animated films;
starring in over 20 television series, having started as a child actor in 2002;
producing a teen drama series, a documentary, a cooking show, and a mystery comedy series;
being named Billboard’s Woman of the Year in 2017;
setting 16 Guinness World Records;
being named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020;
being the most followed woman on Instagram as of early 2024, with over 430 million followers;
being a philanthropist, a UNICEF ambassador, and an advocate for mental health and gender, racial and LGBT equality; and
launching her mission focus brand Rare Beauty in 2020.
Selena was born in 1992 to her mother Mandy Teefey, who was 16 years old. Selena and her mom have created their own production company, July Moon Productions, which produced the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Additionally, together they founded Wondermind, a mental health multimedia company that launched in 2022.
You can read more of Selena and her mother’s story on external websites like the one here.
3. Justin BiEber
Canadian music artist, actor, producer.
His mother was aged 18 when Justin was born.
Bieber is one one the best selling music artists of all time, with some of his greatest accolades including:
estimated sales of over 150 million records worldwide;
four Diamond certifications from RIAA;
two Grammy Awards;
one Latin Grammy Award;
eight Juno Awards;
two Brit Awards;
one Bambi Award;
26 Billboard Music Awards;
18 American Music Awards;
22 MTV Europe Music Awards (the most wins for any artist);
23 Teen Choice Awards (the most wins for a male individual);
33 Guinness World Records;
being the first artist in Billboard history to have five U.S.number-one albums by the age of 18;
being named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011; and
being included on the Forbes’ list of of the top ten most powerful celebrities in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Justin Bieber’s parents, Pattie Mallette and Jeremy Bieber were both aged 18 when Justin was born. For more about Justin Bieber’s mother and their story, visit external websites like the one here and here.
4. Mahatma Gandhi
43rd President of the Indian National Congress, Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, political ethicist, and non-violent resistance leader.
Became a parent at age 16.
Gandhi’s name is known throughout the world. Some of his most notable accolades include:
being considered by many as the “Father of the Nation” in India;
being voted as the greatest man of the millennium in a 2000 BBC poll;
being 43rd President of the Indian National Congress and leading nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women’s rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, and above all achieving swaraj or self-rule (instead of British-rule);
being known as an uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence throughout his life, including after the partition of the British Indian Empire into India and Pakistan; and
nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize five times.
Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi was aged 18 when his first son, Harilal, was born. To read more of Gandhi’s story, visit external websites such as the ones here and here.
5. SoFia Vergara
Columbian-American actress, television personality, model & business woman.
Parent at age 19.
Sofia Vergara has achieved outstanding success in the entertainment world and in business, including:
being the highest-earning woman in U.S. television in 2012 & 2016 (Forbes);
being ranked as the 32nd most powerful woman in the world (Forbes) in 2014;
receiving nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series from 2010 to 2013;
winning five Screen Actors Guild Awards from 2010 - 2013;
being named by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard as one of the most influential Latin women in Hollywood;
receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015;
winning two People’s Choice Awards for Favourite Comedic TV Actress (2017) and Favourite Comedy TV Star (2020); and
launching several clothing, furniture, jewellery and intimate apparel lines (2005 - 2022) and her own beauty brand (2023).
Sofia Vergara married her high school sweetheart at the age of 18 and became mother to her son Manolo when she was 19. To read more of Sofia’s teen parenting story, visit external websites like here.
6. MAYA ANGELOU
Poet, author, civil rights activist.
Parent at age 17.
Maya Angelou has reached global fame and achieved the following:
published seven autobiographies (which is said to have set a precedent for not only other Black women writers, but also African American autobiography as a whole);
published three books of essays;
published several books of poetry;
is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years;
received dozens of awards, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom;
received a Tony award;
was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize;
has received more than 50 honorary degrees; and
is the first black woman to be depicted on a U.S. quarter (coin).
Just three weeks after finishing school, Maya gave birth to her son, Clyde. At the time, Maya was 17 years of age. To discover more of Maya Angelou’s story read her autobiographical books and her poetry, particularly “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “‘Gather Together In My Name” or visit external websites like this one here for more info.
7. William Shakespeare
Playwright.
Became a parent at age 18.
Although William Shakespeare died over 400 years ago, his legarcy lives on:
he is often regarded as the ‘greatest writer in the English language’ and ‘the world’s pre-eminent dramatist’;
his extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses;
his plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright;
his works, despite being written around the mid to late 16th and early 17th Centuries continue to be studied and reinterpreted today.
William Shakespeare was 18 when he married Anne Hathaway. Within six months their daughter Susanna was born. To find out more about Shakespeare’ family life, visit external websites like this one here.
8. Dimple Kapadia
Indian actress, predominantly appearing in Hindi films.
Parent of first child at age 16 and second child at age 18.
Dimple Kapadia is a successful Bollywood and Hollywood actress, with her most notable achievements including:
winner of 9 Best Actress Awards (India);
winner of a Best Supporting Actress Award (India);
nominated for acting awards by Filmfare Awards, Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, National Film Awards, Damascus International Film Festival and Asia-Pacific Film Festival from 1973 to 2014;
she has over 69 movies to her credit.
Dimple Kapadia was married at 15 and gave birth to two daughters while in her teens. Her eldest daughter, Twinkle, was born in December 1973 when Dimple was 16 years old. Her second daughter, Rinke, was born 19 months later. For more info on Kapadia, visit external websites like the ones here, here and here.
9. Lil Wayne
American rapper.
Parent at age 16. His mother was 19 when he was born.
Lil Wayne’s list of achievements includes:
being regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation by American hip-hop magazine XXL;
being one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with sales of over 120 million records worldwide, including more than 20 million albums and 70 million digital tracks in the United States;
winning five Grammy Awards;
winning 11 BET Awards;
winning four Billboard Music Awards; and
winning eight NAACP Image Awards.
Lil Wayne’s mother, Jacida Carter, gave birth to him when she was aged 19. Lil Wayne’s first child, Reginae Carter, was born when Lil Wayne was 16 years old and his partner at the time, Antonia ‘Toya’ Johnson was 14 years old. For more of Lil Wayne’s teen parent story visit external websites like the one here.
10. Oprah Winfrey
Talk show host, author, actress, philanthropist, producer and media proprietor.
Her mother was aged 18 when Oprah was born. Oprah also gave birth at 14 to a son who was born prematurely and died in infancy.
Oprah is renowned the world over. Some of her greatest achievements include:
hosting and producing the Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 years from 1986 to 2011;
being dubbed ‘the Queen of All Media’;
being the richest African-American of the 20th century;
being once the world’s only black billionaire;
being often ranked as one of the most influential women in the world;
being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama;
winning 8 Daytime Emmy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, a Golden Globe, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award awarded by the Academy Awards.
being nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress; and
being nominated for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
Vernita Lee was 19 years old when she gave birth to Oprah. Oprah also became pregnant in her teenage years, but her son was born prematurely and died shortly after birth. To read more of Oprah’s teen parent story visit external websites here and to hear more about her own teen mother visit external websites like here.
11. Keisha Castle-hughes
Australian-born Māori, New Zealand actress.
Parent at age 16.
Keisha Castle-Hughes has achieved the following:
nomination for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress (a the time she was the youngest person nominated in the Best Actress category and second Polynesian actress to be nominated for an Oscar);
winner of a NZ film award for Best Actress;
nomination for Best Leading Actress at America’s Young Artist Awards;
nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 2010 Qantas Film and Television Awards;
winner of the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Actor/Actress; and
was invited to become a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
At the age of 17, Keisha Castle-Hughes gave birth to her daughter named Felicity. For more of Keisha Castle-Hughes teen parenting journey, visit external websites like here.
12. Barack Obama
44th President of the United States of America.
His mother was 18 years old when Barack was born.
Barack Obama has reached one of the highest global positions of power. His achievements include:
serving as US president from 2009 to 2017;
being the first African-American president of the United States;
prior to becoming president, he won seats in the Illinois State Senate and the US Senate;
he also finished law school and became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago.
Barack Obama’s mother, Ann Durham, was aged 18 when she gave birth to Barack. For details on the life of Obama’s teen mother, Ann Dunham, visit external websites like here.
13. Eminem
US rapper.
His mother had him at age 18.
Eminem is most known for:
selling over 220 million records worldwide;
being credited as one of the greatest rappers of all time;
having 13 number one albums on the Billboard 200;
being named ‘Artist of the Decade (2000-2009) by Billboard;
having over 10 billion views of his music videos on his YouTube Vevo page;
being named the most-streamed music artist of all time (in 2014);
winning 15 Grammy Awards;
winning eight American Music Awards;
winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song;
winning two MTV Movie & TV Awards;
ranking in several global music lists including the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the Rolling Stone list of 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time;
induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022; and
performing in the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Bilge, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent.
Debbie was 18 years old when she gave birth to Eminem (he was named was Marshall Bruce Mathers III). For more of Eminem’s teen parent story, visit external sites like here.
14. Aretha Franklin
American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer and civil rights activist.
Gave birth to her two children when she was aged 12 and aged 14.
Aretha Franklin has been referred to as the “Queen of Soul”, with her achievements including:
recording 112 charted singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles;
winning 18 Grammy Awards and being nominated 44 times, this includes 8 Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968-1975);
winning a Grammy Awards Living Legend honour and Lifetime Achievement Award;
being twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer and ninth greatest artist of all time;
being the first female artist to be inducted ion the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame;
winning a Pulitzer Prize posthumously;
winning a Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Aretha gave birth to her first child, a son named Clarence, two months before her thirteenth birthday. At the age of 14, Franklin had a second child, named Edward. For more of Aretha Franklin’s teen parent story visit external sites like here and here.
15. Shirley Temple-Black
US singer, actress, dancer and diplomat.
Became a parent at age 19.
Shirley Temple made a name for herself from a young age. Her list of achievements include:
being Hollywood’s number-one box office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938;
appearing in 29 films from the ages of 3 to 10;
receiving numerous awards and honours including the Kennedy Center Honors, a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award;
is ranked 18th on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest female American screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema;
being reportedly the most frequently photographed person of the world in the 1930s;
she went on the have a diplomatic career (being appointed as the US Ambassador to Ghana and later the US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia); and
she sat on the boards of multiple corporations.
Shirley Temple married at age 17 and together with her husband welcomed their first child, a daughter named Linda Susan, on 30 January 1948. Shirley was aged 19. For more of Shirley Temple-Black’s story, visit external websites like here and here.
32 MORE celeb teen parents & CHILDREN OF Teen PArents…
While we’ve already detailed the successes of 15 teen parents and children of teen parents in this article, there are of course many more. Here are a list of 32 other celeb teen parents and children of teen parents that you may want to find out more about…
Genevieve Nnaji (Nigerian Nollywood actress) - mother at age 17.
Charlie Sheen (actor) - father at age 19.
Ice T (rapper, actor and producer) - father at age 18.
Rod Stewart (singer-songwriter) - father at age 17.
Whoopi Goldberg (actress) - mother at age 18.
T.I. (rapper) - father at age 19.
Jamie Lynn Spears (actress) - mother at age 16.
Lamar Odom (basketballer) - father at age 18.
Brian Jones (musician and singer) - father at age 17.
Solange Knowles (singer-songwriter and actress) - mother at age 18.
Angela Rayner (UK politician, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the UK) - mother at age 16.
Emily Maynard (reality TV star) - mother at age 18.
Roseanne Barr (actress) - mother at age 17.
Taylor Hanson (music artist) - father at age 19.
Naomi Judd (singer) - mother at age 18.
Fantasia Barrino (singer) - mother at age 17.
Niki Taylor (singer and supermodel) - mother of twins at age 19.
Loretta Lynn (singer-songwriter and author) - mother at ages 16, 17 and 19.
Jourdan Dunn (supermodel) - mother at age 19.
Stacey Solomon (television personality and singer) - mother at age 18.
Anna Nicole Smith (model, actress and TV personality) - mother at age 17.
Suzanne Somers (actress and author) - mother at age 19.
Bristol Palin (reality TV star) - mother at age 18.
Boosie BadAzz (American rapper) - father at age 19.
Dr Dre (rapper and record producer) - father at age 16 & his mother had him when she was 16.
Eric Clapton (musician, singer, songwriter) - his mother had him when she was 16.
Jamie Foxx (actor) - his mother had him when she was 16.
Jack Nicholson (actor) - his mother had him when she was 16.
50 Cent (rapper) - his mother had him when she was 15.
Louis Tomlinson (singer, songwriter) - his mother had him when she was 19.
Nick Cannon (TV host, actor, rapper, comedian) - his mother had him when she was 17.
Frankie Grande (dancer and sibling to Ariana) - his mother had him when she was 18.
(Note: If you’re wondering where all the teen parent/children of teen parent sporting heroes be at, then we’ve got you - check out our upcoming blog on the “GOATs”. It includes some of the world’s most bussin’ footballers, basketballers, ice-hockey players, gymnasts, American football players, and athletes!)
Despite the challenges, it is clear that teen parents and children of teen parents can live incredibly successful and extraordinary lives!
References and further reading:
LeBron James
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeBron_James
https://www.lebronjames.com/
Selena Gomez
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411125/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selena_Gomez
https://www.selenagomez.com/#/
Justin Bieber
https://www.justinbiebermusic.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3595501/
Mahatma Gandhi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi
https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/mahatma-gandhi
https://gandhifoundation.org/
https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/mahatma-gandhi-imperishable-gift-humanity#tab=tab-1
Sofia Vergara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sof%C3%ADa_Vergara
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005527/
https://www.sofiavergara.com/
Maya Angelou
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou
https://www.mayaangelou.com/biography/
William Shakespeare
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/how-many-children-did-shakespeare-have/
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-life/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare
Dimple Kapadia
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0438092/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimple_Kapadia
https://mubi.com/en/cast/dimple-kapadia
Lil Wayne
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lil-Wayne
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Wayne
https://www.lilwayneofficial.com/
Oprah Winfrey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001856/
https://www.oprahdaily.com/
Keisha Castle-Hughes
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1095720/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keisha_Castle-Hughes
https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/keisha-castle-hughes/biography
Barack Obama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Dunham
https://barackobama.com/
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/magazine/mag-24Obama-t.html
Eminem
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eminem
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004896/
https://www.eminem.com/
Aretha Franklin
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0291349/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin
https://www.arethafranklin.net/
Shirley Temple-Black
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Temple
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000073/
https://www.shirleytemple.com/
Apologies for any errors or omissions.
Image credit: Getty Images.
Last updated: 14 June 2024