Brooke Shields, Katie Holmes, and 12 Other Celebs Who Got Candid About Their Empty Nests

Brooke Shields, 59

During a heartfelt conversation with SHE Media CEO Sam Skey at the SHE Media Co-Lab Whole Life Health at SXSW 2024, Brooke Shields opened up about the realities of becoming an empty nester. 

“The empty nest thing is real,” Shields said. “…[My daughter] was sort of balking at something I said, as usual, and I said to her, ‘You’ve got to realize for about 18 years I have told you everything to do and be. Now you’re revealing yourself to me as a young woman and I’m having to adapt to that.”

The Blue Lagoon actress, who has daughters Rowan and Grier with her husband Chris Henchy, mentioned to Skey that this new stage of life is about more than just getting used to the absence of her daughters—it’s also about navigating the overwhelming emotions. 

“My unique and extraordinary baby girl spreading her wings,” Shields wrote on Instagram in 2021, captioning a series of photos with her eldest daughter Rowan.  “I love you so. We are so proud of you. This was the saddest drive away from anywhere I’ve ever had to make. But my baby is BEGINNING one of the most important adventures of her life to date … NOW!” 

Shields’ words resonate with many parents facing the bittersweet experience of watching their children step into adulthood. The mix of pride and heartache, the excitement for their future, and the nostalgia for the years gone by make this transition a profoundly emotional journey.

Katie Holmes, 45

In a 2024 interview with Town & Country, actress Katie Holmes got candid about her daughter, Suri Cruise, with whom she shares with ex-husband Tom Cruise, going away to college in the fall. Holmes, who is best known for playing Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek, says although she’ll miss her daughter, she’s extremely proud of her 18-year-old, who planned to attend Carnegie Mellon.

“I’m proud of my daughter. Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I’m really proud of her and I’m happy,” Holmes says. “I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It’s exciting to learn about yourself, and I loved that time, so it makes me happy to think about it like that.”

Fortunately, Holmes won’t have to face it alone—she has a strong community to support her.

“The members of my book club are going to get annoyed hearing from me,” she told the magazine. “I’ll be like, ‘Let’s meet once a week.’ ”

Courtney Cox, 60

While some people dread the empty nest stage, Courtney Cox has embraced it with open arms. A big reason for that might be her daughter, Coco Arquette—whom she shares with ex-husband David Arquette—who’s been gradually helping her mom adjust to the idea. In 2022, Cox shared with Ellen DeGeneres that while she and Coco are “so close,” Coco is definitely eager to start her own journey.

“It’s sad. There are people who get that empty nest syndrome, and my sister literally went crazy when her second [child] moved out,” Cox said. “I haven’t even thought about it, and I think [Coco]’s doing such a good job at prepping me for this. She never leaves her room. She’s never home, and if she is, literally the door is shut and I don’t know what she’s doing back there. But I don’t think I’m going to be as affected.”

Michelle Obama, 60

During a 2023 episode of Glennon Doyle’s podcast, We Can Do Hard Things, former First Lady Michelle Obama got candid about the new phase of parenting.

“I’m moving from mom-in-chief to advisor-in-chief,” she told Doyle. She’s stepping aside to watch her girls fly the coop, relishing in the comfort that she has prepared them to do so, and readying herself to offer advice when solicited.

Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha, who spent eight years of their lives in the White House, are now roommates in California—a choice that has made Obama incredibly happy.

“It is the best feeling in the world,” she said. “And my kids are already accomplishing some pretty amazing things out there. They’re great students. They remained sane in a pretty unusual childhood… But the truth is that when I see them building community with each other and taking that out and staying connected to their friends and creating their own rituals, I don’t doubt that they can do the work that comes.”

Gwyneth Paltrow, 51

In 2023, Gwyneth Paltrow got candid on The Late Late Show with James Corden about how challenging it is to have a half-empty nest. The Marvel star and Goop founder, who shares daughter Apple and son Moses with ex-husband Chris Martin, described Apple’s departure for college as a “huge change.”

Although Moses is still in high school and Paltrow has some time before fully facing an empty nest, Corden couldn’t help but ask how she’s preparing for the transition.

“Not very well, not very well. I’m going to be coming to Hilary’s house,” she said, turning to her co-guest Hilary Swank who was pregnant with twins at the time. 

Paltrow continued by saying: “In every phase [of their life], I’m like ‘I wish I could freeze time, I’m never going to love them more than this,’ and then you just love them more.”

Michelle Pfeiffer, 66

Michelle Pfeiffer and her husband David E. Kelley have been empty nesters for some time now, but those first few years when their kids, Claudia and John, started moving out were anything but easy.

“It is really hard,” the Scarface actress told Parade in 2012. “I remember reading an interview with Dustin Hoffman; his first child had just gone off to college, and he said, ‘Nobody talks about their [empty] room.’ I feel like I’m going to cry just thinking about it.”

Gayle King, 69

Gayle King is now embracing her role as a grandmother, thanks to her daughter Kirby, but adjusting to an empty nest wasn’t easy for the CBS Mornings host. 

“I used to joke that I was just pretending they were still away at college,” she told the Palm Beach Post about a decade ago.

These days, though, she’s fully enjoying the “me-time” that comes with this stage of life. It’s actually what led her to take on the early morning show gig. 

“I never imagined myself on the morning news,” she shared with excitement. “But now, at this point in my life, it’s exactly where I want to be. It’s so cool.”

Julianne Moore, 63

When it came to coping with her kids out of the house, Julianne Moore turned to technology to stay connected. In a 2017 interview with the Daily Mail, Moore said she used everything from family group texts to emojis, Bitmojis and Snapchat. However, Moore said she still feels nostalgic about the days when they were all living under one roof. 

“It’s such a shock when your kids grow up,” she said. “One minute, they’re 18 and off doing their own thing. Childhood feels like it lasts forever, but adolescence flies by. I was looking at my son’s room and thought, ‘He’s never really going to live here again.’ My husband reassured me, ‘He’ll be back, but it won’t be the same.’ College is kind of like a halfway house—they’re out there being independent, but still not fully on their own.”

Andie MacDowell, 66

When it came to having kids, Andie Macdowell decided to take some time away from acting to raise her children. However, once her kids were out of the house, that’s when she decided to pick up where she left off. 

“One of the reasons I didn’t really want to do TV earlier in my career was because it is so life-consuming, and I wanted to spend time with my kids and be a mother,” she told Express in 2013. “I didn’t want to leave them. But as soon as my youngest daughter finished high school, I started thinking it would really be great. It was all timing.”

Jennie Garth, 52

Beverly Hills 90210 star Jennie Garth has a different outlook when it comes to being an empty nester. Garth, who shares three daughters with ex-husband Peter Facinelli, refers to it as a time of pride and new beginnings.

“It’s such a great time at that age to start sort of reinventing yourself and figuring out what the f*ck you want for the rest of your life,” she says. “… It’s actually a really exciting time, if people can wrap their mind around that, then they’re going to be good to go.”

Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld, 53 and 71

While being honored at the 10th Annual Greenwich International Film Festival (GIFF) Changemaker Gala in 2024, legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his wife Jessica opened up about their experience being empty nesters.

“The most important part is we have coffee together every morning,” the Seinfeld creator and actor told Extra. “I make the coffee, and I have two little cups, and we meet and we just kind of spend some time together, and that gives you that family feeling and togetherness. That’s one of my favorite parts of the day.”

Additionally, Jessica mentioned that their relationship with their children has evolved as well.

“The other thing we do is FaceTime one of our kids during dinner, so we lean the phone up against something on the table and we’ll be eating dinner and one of our kids will be on the phone talking to us,” she said. “So, we’re still in the newer phases of empty nesting.”

She added, “I think maybe by next year we’ll be normal… It’s a real transition.”

Adrienne Maloof, 63

One mom who isn’t so happy to have an empty nest is Adrienne Maloof. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum’s eldest son is 21 and her twins are 18, and Maloof described it as “sad” and “really hard” to have them all out of the house.

“I like excitement. I like laughter,” she told People in 2024. “My kids bringing their friends over, always ready to feed them. I miss that. I really do.”

At the same time, Maloof knows that looking towards the future is the way to find comfort. “I’ve learned that I got to get on to the next chapter in my life,” she said. “And I’ve got some great projects coming up. So I’m blessed for that.”

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance, 66 and 65

Turns out, Angela Bassett had a plan for facing the immediate emotions of becoming an empty nester. The award-winning actress shares twins Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah with her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance, and after college drop-off day, she grabbed Vance’s hand and led him to their kids’ rooms.

“We went into their bedrooms and we just stood there,” he said on The Talk in 2024. After a few minutes of taking in the empty rooms, Bassett said, “OK, I’m good,” Vance recalled. “And it is good!”

Luckily, the twins aren’t far from each other — just two hours apart — and Vance and Bassett are rightfully proud of how they raised them. “We worked really, really hard, and you do the best you can,” he said. “When people say to us, ‘Your kids are very well mannered and they are very polite,’ I say, ‘They better be.'”

Kelly Ripa, 54

Kelly Ripa is looking on the bright side of empty nesting. Shortly after her youngest son, Joaquin — whom she shares with husband Mark Consuelos — graduated college in 2025, Ripa shared that after your kids move out, “your entire life becomes nudity in the household wherever you want!”

In all seriousness, the Live with Kelly and Mark host acknowledged that there are stages to empty nesting, especially if you go through it with multiple children. “The first one is like a bit of a shock,” the mom of three explained. “Each one, like the second one, is like, no big deal. Third one, for 24 to 48 hours, you’re gonna be like, ‘Oh my gosh, what have we done now? Now it’s just us.'”