Eva Mendes talks her 'personal choice' to become a mom at 40: 'As a woman, I just wasn't ready'

Eva Mendes is opening up about her motherhood journey.

The Hitch actress appeared yesterday on the Today show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, where she talked about what inspired her to have children in her 40s. Mendes, who shares two children with her partner Ryan Gosling, said it wasn’t until meeting the La La Land star that she felt prepared for motherhood.

"I met Ryan Gosling, I fell in love with Ryan Gosling, and then I was like 'Oh right. I want your babies,’” she explained.

Sharing that she “wanted to wait a bit” until she was “older,” Mendes added, “I just didn't feel — really it wasn't until I met Ryan and fell in love. But also as a woman, I just wasn't ready. It's such a personal choice for a woman, obviously. Then you run the risk of... you're always running a risk. When I was pregnant there was always something to worry about. But thankfully I had really healthy pregnancies and I was happy I waited.”

Mendes, who welcomed the pair’s first child in 2014 at age 40, has spoken about her decision to delay parenthood before. In a 2019 interview with Women’s Health, the Ghost Rider actress shared that becoming a mom was once the “furthest thing” from her mind, but that meeting Gosling made her realize she wanted to have his kids. Now, Mendes explained, both their families are helping raise their little ones.

“We have an amazing support group: Ryan’s mom, my mom, Ryan’s and my sisters,” she told the magazine. “It’s a village that helped us. My heart goes out to women who do this alone.”

Last year, Mendes stirred up a parenting debate on her Instagram when she posted the quote, “Spanking does for a child's development what hitting a spouse does for a marriage.”

When a follower disagreed with her stance, she replied back, “Thank you for your comment. So happy to agree to disagree. Want this page to offer that in a loving way.”

She shared that we “all parent our own way,” noting that motherhood “didn’t come with a manual.”

“When there's something that resonates with me, I pass it on,” she added. “Lotsa love."

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