What Christina Hall, Rachel Bilson & More Have Shared on Co-Parenting

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Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have a body of co-parenting experience. So the Jennifer’s Body star and the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum—who share kids Noah, Bodhi and Journey—try to follow a key rule. 

"The number one," Brian told E! News in April 2024, "is always make sure that everything is centered around the experience of the kids."

Because as he put it, a breakup is “gonna affect the kids. The only choice you have is how it affects the kids.” Part of that, Brian continued, is recognizing that it’s important to “pick your battles.”

"The person that you were with that you're now separated from, you guys are separated for a reason," he added, "because you didn't get along. So, you can't expect to then get along after the fact in raising your kids. So, you have to decide, ‘OK, it's not about us getting along anymore. It's about us co-parenting, which is a totally different situation.'"

Megan—whose divorce from Brian was finalized in 2022 two years after the filing—agrees. 

"I think it's really important when people separate to never ever disparage the other parent or even in a passive aggressive way make remarks," the Transformers actress said on a 2023 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. "I don't let anything in my energy like that when I'm around my kids. Because if I don't accept and love their father, I'm rejecting a part of them because he's a part of who they are always. He's in their blood, and he's in their psyche, and they exist because of him."

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Where is the love? Josh Duhamel and Fergie certainly have it for each other as co-parents.

"Fergie is an amazing woman. She really is," the Safe Haven actor said on a 2023 episode of The Jess Cagle Show, going on to share how the singer welcomed his wife Audra Mari into the family. "She's taken Audra in. And it could be much worse. That's the thing—you never know how these things are going to go."

In fact, Josh said Fergie was thrilled for the couple after they announced in 2023 that they were expecting their first child together: Shepherd. The little one—born in January 2024—joined big brother Axl, whom the Las Vegas alum shares with the former Black Eyed Peas member.

"Because she's such a kind-hearted person, she really truly is, she only has love for Audra and is excited as—well, I can't believe how excited she is for us," continued Josh—whose divorce from Fergie was finalized in 2019, two years after they announced their split. "Like I said, it could be a lot worse. I've seen it, I've lived it. Thankfully, we have a really civil situation."

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Irina Shayk, who shares daughter Lea with ex Bradley Cooper, isn't a big fan of the terminology.

“I never understood the term co-parenting,” the model told ELLE in 2021. “When I’m with my daughter, I’m 100 percent a mother, and when she’s with her dad, he’s 100 percent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting.” 

Though Irina and Bradley split in 2019 after four years together, they've continued to stay on good terms. And even with their busy schedules, the runway vet and the Silver Linings Playbook actor have continued to go on family vacations, hang out in New York and support one another since their breakup.

“He’s the best father Lea and I could dream of," she told the magazine in 2023. "It always works, but it always works because we make it work.”

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As Mariah Carey put it, love takes time—and so can finding a rhythm in co-parenting. However, Nick Cannon, who shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with the Grammy winner, suggested they’ve settled into a good routine.

“Mariah and I co-parent very well,” The Masked Singer host said on a 2022 episode of The Language of Love with Dr. Laura Berman. “We’re really great friends. She’s taught me so much. That’s family.” 

And Mariah seems proud of how far she and Nick have come since their split in 2014 and subsequent divorce.

“I think Nick and I have done pretty well in co-parenting,” she told People in 2019, “staying friends with each other so that we can talk.”

In addition to being father to Moroccan and Monroe, Nick shares Zion Mixolydian, Zillion Heir and Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; Golden “Sagon,” Powerful Queen and Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell, Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi, Onyx Ice with LaNisha Cole and Halo Marie and the late Zen with Alyssa Scott.

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Of course, we have to include Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. After all, the Oscar winner and the Coldplay singer—who share kids Apple Martin and Moses Martin—did popularize the phrase “consciously uncouple” when they announced their split in 2014.

“Chris and I committed to putting them first, and that’s harder than it looks,” Gwyneth said on a 2020 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Because some days, you really don't want to be with the person that you’re getting divorced from. But if you're committed to having family dinner, then you do it. And you take a deep breath, and you look the person in the eye, and you remember your pact, and you smile, and you hug, and you make a joke, and you just recommit to this new relationship that you're trying to foster.”

And the Goop mogul noted she and the musician will always be family.

"That's how it will be forever," she continued. "Some days it's not as good as it looks. We also have good days and bad days. But I think it's driving towards the same purpose of unity and love and really what's best for them. We have this idea that just because we break up we can't love the things about the person anymore that we loved and that's not true."

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After divorcing in 2022, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady had to tackle a new challenge.

“I think there’s easier days than others,” the supermodel, who shares kids Benjamin and Vivian with the former quarterback, admitted in a 2024 interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, later adding, “They’re super smart children. They know what they can get away with. So I think it’s natural that it has different rules, and then kids just adapt. And they’re going to try to do what they want. And I can only control what I do.”

And as Gisele put it, it’s all about balance.

“Tom has time with them, and I have time with them,” she added, “which I think is amazing because they get to really experience—again, more-enriching for their lives—two different worlds, and they get to learn from two different worlds and that’s wonderful for them I think.”

Tom also shed some light on how the exes are on the same team.

"I'm trying to raise them—we all are, myself and their mom—in a very loving way toward one another," the athlete, who also shares son Jack with ex Bridget Moynahan, told E! News in 2023, "to be very kind, to be empathetic and to have great perspective. Our kids are growing up in different ways than we grew up but also we want to raise them with the right values."

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Having played a superhero, Ben Affleck knows one when he sees one IRL. And he includes ex-wife Jennifer Garner—with whom he shares kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel—in that league.

"Jen is a superhero mom,” the Oscar winner—whose divorce from the 13 Going on 30 star was announced in 2015 and finalized three years later—told E! News in 2016. “She’s an amazing mother, and I'm really lucky to have her as a partner to co-parent these kids with. We try our best, we put them first and that's what we do."

Jennifer Lopez, who wed her fiancé from the aughts Ben in 2022 before filing for divorce two years later, agreed—previously telling Vogue Jennifer is “an amazing co-parent,” and that she and Ben “work really well together.”

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While Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik’s split in 2021 made headlines, they’ve been able to move forward together as co-parents for the sake of their daughter Khai.  

“Co-parenting is good,” the One Direction alum said on a 2023 episode of Call Her Daddy. “We have a really good relationship for Khai. She’s the main importance. So yeah, it’s going well I think.” 

As for their advice for other parents in similar situations?

“Just keeping the importance of the child’s happiness at the forefront,” Gigi told The Sunday Times that same year. “You have a long life alongside this person.” 

And the fact that Khai “can be with both parents,” the supermodel continued, “makes me very happy.”

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Khloe Kardashian is keeping up a co-parenting relationship with ex Tristan Thompson.

However, the reality star has admitted that maintaining this bond with the basketball player—who was at the center of several cheating scandals during their time together—for the sake of their children True and Tatum Thompson hasn’t always been easy.

"It's way harder when you're really mad at someone, it's really hard to sit in their face in front of your kids and be like, 'Hi!'" she told tmrw in January 2024, per People, later adding, "Trust me, that's not how I feel every day. I had to learn to take control of my feelings. There were so many times that my feelings got control of me and I was impulsive and I tweeted something or posted something and things that you regret. But in my opinion, I'll never regret being a nice person."

And ultimately, Khloe wants her kids to have a strong connection with Tristan, who is also dad to son Prince from his relationship with Jordan Craig and fathered son Theo with Maralee Nichols. 

"I want my kids to have beautiful relationships with their dad,” the Good American mogul added. “And if we're blessed enough to have a dad that wants to be there and wants to show up and be hands-on, why would I prevent that from happening?”  

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While Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr broke up in 2013, they’re still part of a co-parenting fellowship for son Flynn—one that also includes The Lord of the Rings star’s fiancée, singer Katy Perry, and the supermodel’s husband, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.  

“I adore Katy, and I just feel so happy that Orlando’s found someone that makes his heart so happy,” Miranda said on a 2020 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Because at the end of the day, for Flynn to have a happy father and a happy mother, it’s just the most important thing. So I’m just so grateful that Orlando and Katy found each other and I’m so grateful that I found my incredible husband and just that we all really respect each other.”

And though their schedules keep them busy and their families have grown—Orlando and Katy are also parents to daughter Daisy Dove and Miranda and Evan share sons Hart, Myles and Pierre—they still manage to come together. 

“When it comes to special occasions when we have to be together, we work it out,” Miranda added. “So we have compromises that we work out together for what is the best for our whole family? But we really do always think of what is the best thing for Flynn? And I just think that that’s the most important thing at the end of the day.”

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Unlike a love fern, Kate Hudson doesn’t think she has to let her amicable bond with exes Chris Robinson and Matt Bellamy die.

“Chris and I just need to check in once in a while,” the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actress told The Sunday Times in 2022 of her former house and dad to son Ryder.

As for Matt, dad to her son Bingham, he's "so wonderful—I couldn’t have asked for a better co-parent," she continued. "For me it’s like, you loved this person. That doesn’t just go away, but you can re-establish a different kind of love. You can have an amazing time with an ex-partner because you’re really only focused on the love of your child.”

Kate is also mom to daughter Rani, whom she shares with fiancé Danny Fujikawa.

“It might not look traditional from the outside, but on the inside I feel like we’re killing it,” she added. “The unit that I’ve created with three children with three different fathers is a seriously strong unit, and it’s ours.” 

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Sometimes, it can seem like co-parents are galaxies apart. But Anna Faris has suggested that her relationship with ex Chris Pratt, with whom she shares son Jack, and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger has grown.

"We're all getting much closer, and I so appreciate that," The House Bunny  actress, who split from the Guardians of the Galaxy actor in 2017 and finalized their divorce the following year, told People in 2022. "They're very protective of me, and I want to be very protective of them. I so appreciate their support."

In fact, Anna called Katherine—who also shares daughters Lyla and Eloise with Chris and is reportedly expecting their third child together—"awesome."

"She's just on top of it," the Mom star continued about The Gift of Forgiveness author. "I love how she is with Jack."

And ultimately, Anna—who is now married to cinematographer Michael Barrett—indicated she's happy with how things are going for the blended family.

"It feels just much easier now that time has passed," she told the outlet. "It feels really good to not live with that internal churning of unpleasantness."