Big names ranging from actor Ryan Reynolds to first lady Jill Biden are honoring the moms in their lives for Mother's Day.
Reynolds, known for his goofy, often eyebrow-raising posts honoring wife Blake Lively on special occasions, got (mostly) sentimental in his tribute to the mother of his three daughters: James, 6, Inez, 4, and Betty, 19 months.
"It can’t be said enough … you’re the heart and soul of every moment this family shares," Reynolds captioned a Sunday Instagram post of himself hugging his wife. "I’m grateful for the light and for the kindness you smuggle into each and every second of our lives. I see you in the eyes of our children … Every laugh. Every blink and every thoughtful moment of vulnerability. The tender grit it takes to be a mother in 2021 is an act of pure strength and heroism."
But the actor had to get his signature ribbing in along with the sweet comments – he also joked that he's thankful an "anonymous" airport bathroom rendezvous led to their relationship after Lively hired Dog The Bounty Hunter to find him.
"Either way, I’m lucky to reflect a little of the sunlight you shine on all of us," he concluded. "Happy Mother’s Day, my love."
Benji Madden praises wife Cameron Diaz: 'We love you forever'
Actress Cameron Diaz and her Good Charlotte rocker husband Benji Madden are largely private about their personal lives, but Madden offered a rare glimpse into their home with a sweet Instagram post for Mother's Day.
"My Religion is family, and Mother is GOD," Madden wrote Sunday next to a piece of artwork. "@camerondiaz You care for us and nurture us. Everything around you grows and flourishes in your light. Our little one and me get to live our life being loved by you and we are grateful. We love you forever Mommy-thank you for all you do."
Madden went on to praise Diaz's food and wish a "blessed day" to other "selfless incredible mothers and to all the mothers out there who may not get to hear these words from someone today much love from our family."
Diaz and Madden married January 5, 2015, and announced almost exactly five years later the birth of their first child, a girl named Raddix Madden, whom they said wouldn't be making an appearance on their social media pages in order to protect her privacy.
John Travolta tributes late wife Kelly Preston
John Travolta honored his late wife, Kelly Preston, on the first Mother's Day since she died in July at 57 after a battle with breast cancer. The couple shared three children – daughter Ella, 21, and sons Benjamin, 10, and Jett, who died at age 16 in January 2009 after having a seizure while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas.
"Dearest Kelly, you brought into my life three of the most wonderful children I have ever known. Thank you. We love and miss you. Happy Mother’s Day," he wrote on Instagram alongside family photos.
Ella Travolta also paid tribute to her "mama."
"Thank you for all you have done for us and for this world," she wrote with a throwback photo. "I miss you and love you very much, but your smile, warmth and love is ever lasting."
Ben Affleck 'so happy to share' his kids with ex-wife Jennifer Garner
Ben Affleck, who shares three children with Jennifer Garner, wished the actress a Happy Mother's Day with an Instagram slideshow tribute on Sunday, which included throwback images of Garner and their kids: Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9. The two announced they planned on divorcing in 2015 following 10 years of marriage.
"So happy to share these kids with you," Affleck wrote. "Luckiest parents in the world. Thanks for all the good you do."
Gigi Hadid celebrates her daughter with Zayn Malik for first Mother's Day
Model Gigi Hadid, who in September welcomed her first child with former One Direction singer Zayn Malik, is celebrating her first Mother's Day with baby Khai.
"The rumors are true: my best friend, purpose, muse, greatest pride & joy!" Hadid, 26, wrote Sunday on Instagram alongside a slideshow of herself with the infant: cradling her outdoors, pushing her in a stroller and snuggling in bed.
"I feel so lucky and inspired bein your mama, my Khai !!" she added. "An old soul full of sunshine, you light up everyone’s days! Thank you ? thank you ? thank you ?"
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Jackée Harry reminisces on playing mom Lisa Landry in 'Sister, Sister'
In a sweet Mother's Day tribute, actress Jackée Harry explained how her role as Lisa Landry in the '90s sitcom "Sister, Sister" allowed her understand the value of motherhood.
Harry admits she was wary to play a TV mom, because she felt she "was too young and sexy to be anybody’s MOTHER!" However, she admitted she's "glad I did because it helped me realize how fulfilling it is to mentor younger women."
"Showing other people how to develop their skills and talents, helping them gain confidence, strength, self-worth, self-awareness, love for others – it feeds my soul in a way that not even acting does," Harry said Sunday, adding that she is thankful that her character and representation as a Black mom on TV "resonated with so many of you."
The actress concluded her post by acknowledging the hard work of all moms out there.
"You’re the perfect example of how mothers can be sexy, strong, and successful. Happy #MothersDay!"
Jill Biden honors 'resilient moms'
First lady Jill Biden honored the role "strong and resilient" mothers have played in taking care of their families after a "challenging" year of facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic has affected every part of our lives, challenging us and changing us like we never could have imagined," Biden, 69, said in a video shared to social media on Mother's Day.
"Whether your kids are 2 or 52, this year has been a tough one for moms," she said. "I know it feels like so much is on you – it was a lot even before the pandemic. And just when you thought you had little left to give, you have more. Because you're a mom, and that's what moms do."
Jill and Joe Biden share one daughter, Ashley, 39. Following the death of Joe Biden's first wife, Neilia Biden, in 1972, he married Jill in 1977, making her stepmother to his two young boys: Hunter Biden, now 51, and the late Beau Biden, who died in 2015 of brain cancer at age 46.
"Jill and I never talked about it alone or with the boys, but I noticed one day that they were no longer calling her Jill," Joe Biden reflected in his 2007 memoir, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics." "They were calling her Mom. Neilia would always be Mommy, but Jill was Mom. I’m sort of used to being in charge, but in truth it was Jill and the boys who shaped the contours of our remade family."
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Since entering the White House, the first lady has championed several causes pertaining to families, including Joining Forces, an initiative that works to ensure military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors get the support they need, and causes related to education. (Biden, who holds a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware, is a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College.)
"I'm proud of how we've come together even when we had to remain apart, supporting each other in countless ways," Biden concluded in the video. "I know how hard you're working, and I want you to remember that you're strong, you're resilient and you're doing an amazing job. From one mother to another: I see you and I thank you."
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