Actress Olivia Munn has divided the internet over her decision to allow her toddler son to walk the streets of New York City without shoes on.
The “Your Friends &amp; Neighbors” star, who is married to comedian John Mulaney, discussed the incident in a lengthy Instagram post accompanied by a photo.
“Yes, this is my 3-year-old walking through the streets of New York in only his socks,” she wrote in the post shared last week.
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“I’m posting this for all the parents who thought it would be great to take advantage of the beautiful weather and took their toddler on a walk only for them to lie down screaming on the floor of Whole Foods, run through the aisles of CVS screaming ‘I don’t like anyone!!’ and knocked over your iced tea before your first sip, all while carrying your 7-month-old strapped to your body,” Munn continued.
“After all of that, he insisted on walking home without his shoes,” she wriote. “And in a moment which I can only describe as total exhaustion, I said okay. So we walked over a mile home with only socks… through every street in NY.”
The actress concluded, “This Easter Monday will live in infamy in my memory as the day I tried my absolute best, got us home without another tantrum and learned that the rubber padding on toddler socks can only take so much. Cheers to anyone else who went through this today or any other day. You have my utmost respect.”
The post led to a ton of both positive and negative comments, with some parents expressing their disgust and horror at letting a young child do something so dangerous. Others stood up in solidarity with Munn and shared toddler tantrum stories of their own.
“But you make it sound like you were alone dealing with this situation — so who was on hand to take the photo? Sort of detracts from the entire story if you had another set of hands to help the entire time,” one commenter noted.
“Who is taking your photo but not helping you?!” another person echoed.
“Letting your child be exposed to disgusting dirt and whatever else is on their streets including sharp objects&#8230; really stupid idea,” said a third.
Another wrote, “THAT is why gentle parenting tactics are garbage. At some point it&#8217;s time to lay down the law. Who is parenting whom?”
“I’ve been there. Children really know how to help us evolve,” another person replied.
“Love this post ! We have ALL BEEN THERE ! Congratulations for keeping your sanity and making home !!!” another said.
“Someone get this woman a ‘good mom’ bracelet,” said another commenter.
Munn addressed the incident again this week at an event. “Oh my gosh, the other day, I was walking on that same street and I ran into some women who wanted to say &#8216;Hi&#8217; to my little baby,” Munn told <a href="https://people.com/olivia-munn-reveals-parents-reaction-photo-son-without-shoes-exclusive-11723923">People</a> while attending An Unforgettable Evening Benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund in Los Angeles on Monday.
“And I just started crying. I was like, it&#8217;s just so hard. And they were very sweet,&#8221; she said.
Munn and Mulaney have a 3-year-old son, Malcolm, and a 7-month-old daughter, Méi June.

Olivia Munn

Olivia Munn Divides Internet After Letting Her Toddler Son Walk Streets Of NYC Shoeless

Celebrities

Entertainment

John Mulaney

New York City

Parenting

U.S.

In 2007, when Hillary Clinton was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/us/politics/26DEBATE-TRANSCRIPT.html">asked</a> in a Democratic primary debate whether she would be comfortable having “King and King” — a children’s picture book about a prince who marries another man — read to her second-grade child as part of the school curriculum, she responded that it was a “matter of parental discretion.”
It’s remarkable how far off the deep end the Left has gone in just a few short years.
This week, the Supreme Court will <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_calendars/MonthlyArgumentCalApril2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hear a case</a> brought by a group of parents claiming what Clinton argued years ago: Parents should be able to decide whether or not their children read LGBTQ storybooks at school.
Oral arguments will be heard for the parental rights case Mahmoud v. Taylor, which <a href="https://becketfund.org/media/religious-parents-ask-supreme-court-to-restore-opt-outs-for-pride-storybooks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">originated</a> when the Montgomery County Board of Education introduced LGBTQ storybooks to the elementary school curriculum and revoked its existing parental notice and opt-out policies. Muslim, Jewish, and Christian parents challenged the school district’s ban on elementary school opt-outs on the grounds that the policy burdened their constitutional right to free exercise of religion.
The diverse coalition of parents isn’t asking the school district to remove the LGBTQ storybooks from classrooms. They simply want the option to remove their children from the classroom when content is taught that conflicts with their religious beliefs. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and that vocation doesn’t stop when kids begin to attend school.
The board of education added storybooks that introduce gender ideology and sexuality to children as young as three or four years old. These storybooks are transparently part of an activist push to introduce children to same-sex relationships, transgender ideology, and LGBTQ vocabulary at a startlingly young age.
“Born Ready” features a female main character who repeatedly claims, “Inside, I’m a boy,” and whose parents immediately start treating her like a boy. “Not everything needs to make sense. This is about love,” Penelope’s mom tells her confused older brother. The book’s author, Jodie Patterson, serves on the board of the Human Rights Campaign, a radical LGBTQ advocacy group.
Another book in the Montgomery County curriculum, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">titled</a> “My Rainbow,” is about a transgender-identifying boy’s desire to have long hair to fit in with “cisgender girls.” Trinity Neal, a transgender-identifying boy, and his mother, DeShanna, a nonbinary activist, wrote the story based on their experiences. DeShanna <a href="https://history.delaware.gov/lgbtq/my-rainbow-and-trinity-neals-rainbow-wig/">advocated</a> for Medicaid coverage of Trinity’s puberty blockers, resulting in the first Medicaid coverage of transgender medical procedures in their home state of Delaware. Subsequently, Trinity <a href="https://history.delaware.gov/lgbtq/my-rainbow-and-trinity-neals-rainbow-wig/">became</a> the first minor in the state to change his birth certificate’s gender marker from male to female.
“Jacob’s Room to Choose,” about a cross-dressing boy whose school accommodates him by abolishing gendered bathrooms, was <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">published</a> through the American Psychological Association’s children’s book imprint. APA has prominently <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/02/policy-supporting-transgender-nonbinary#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAPA%20also%20affirms%20the%20essential,appropriate%20youth%20self%2Dadvocacy.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a> transgender medical procedures for minors and advocated for so-called “gender-affirming care.”
The other books at the heart of Mahmoud v. Taylor are similarly written at an elementary school reading level but focus on complex adult topics of sexuality and gender identity. “Love, Violet” <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">focuses</a> on a same-sex relationship between elementary school classmates. “Pride Puppy” <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">instructs</a> readers to identify leather, underwear, a lip ring, an intersex flag, and a drag king in its illustrations.
“What Are Your Words?” <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">encourages</a> kids to change their pronouns, promoting confusing pairs like “ey/em,” “ze/zir,” and “xe/xir,” and using they/them pronouns to refer to individuals in the story. And “Intersection Allies,” another book <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wu2be63z1cfa0jg6fq3je/APiCjohPQCCnkdX6jXcrOIE/Book%20Covers%20%2B%20Pages/Storybooks%20(Full%20text)?dl=0&amp;e=3&amp;rlkey=te8vom170eoxvb57ivge6ecue&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">featured</a> in the case, includes a foreword by critical race theorist and activist Kimberle Crenshaw.
These storybooks are examples of radical propaganda written by progressive activists to shape the hearts and minds of the next generation. Kids may not know better than to believe what they’re taught, but American adults aren’t so convinced by these woke storybooks. Only 3% of Americans <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20250115160612/Religious-Freedom-Index-2024-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> that instruction on human sexuality and gender identity is appropriate for pre-K or kindergarten-aged children. And 77% of Americans <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20250115160612/Religious-Freedom-Index-2024-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> that parents should be able to opt their children out of gender and sexuality instruction.
Just a few years ago, I pulled my children out of Fairfax County Schools because of the progressive garbage they were being exposed to in their classrooms on a daily basis. My family is not alone. There is a large movement of parents who have made the same decision we have, but not every family is in a position to do so. Parents should undoubtedly have the right to opt their children out of reading these radical activist storybooks: Children are not wards of the state.
When public schools add storybooks that teach gender ideology as truth, the state has violated the right of parents to raise their children in their religious tradition, along with teaching them the corresponding religious beliefs about gender, human sexuality, and the meaning of marriage.
The government has no business mandating that elementary students learn radical gender ideology. Fortunately, parents will do whatever it takes to protect their children and exercise their parental rights — even if it means taking the case to the Supreme Court.
* * *
Terry Schilling is a parental rights advocate and president of the American Principles Project.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Mixed race teacher reading to class

Will SCOTUS Back Parents When It Comes To LGBTQ Storybooks?

Books

Children

Education

Gender

gender ideology

LGBTQ

Opinion

Parental Rights in Education

Public Schools

Schools

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) struck a deal with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) on Sunday to resolve an intraparty dispute over proxy voting for new parents in Congress, preserving constitutional in-person voting traditions while establishing accommodations for lawmakers with newborns.
The tentative agreement will formalize vote “pairing” — a centuries-old congressional rule that matches an absent member’s vote with a colleague who has the opposite stance.
This paired member then abstains from voting &#8220;yes&#8221; or &#8220;no&#8221; on the issue, essentially canceling out the vote of the absent member by proxy.
Luna confirmed the deal with Johnson on X: “Speaker Johnson and I have reached an agreement and are formalizing a procedure called &#8216;live/dead pairing&#8217; — dating back to the 1800s — for the entire conference to use when unable to physically be present to vote: new parents, bereaved, emergencies.”
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Speaker Johnson and I have reached an agreement and are formalizing a procedure called “live/dead pairing”—dating back to the 1800s—for the entire conference to use when unable to physically be present to vote: new parents, bereaved, emergencies. 
Thanks to POTUS and his support… <a href="https://t.co/48pJM8g00V">https://t.co/48pJM8g00V</a>
&mdash; Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1908980482668450148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Luna said the agreement would apply to new parents, those on bereavement leave, and &#8220;emergencies&#8221; but has yet to provide additional details, such as the maximum length of “pairing” and if mothers and fathers would receive the same treatment under the policy.
Democrats <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/06/proxy-voting-johnson-luna-compromise/">reacted</a> “skeptically,” according to the Washington Post, but have yet to come to a formal conclusion.
Luna, who gave birth to her first child in August 2023, had pushed the proxy voting resolution alongside Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), who has a 4-month-old son.
The compromise comes after last week’s surprise vote from nine Republicans derailed an attempt by House leadership to block Luna’s proxy voting proposal, forcing them to the table and eventually landing on a rule dating back to the 1800s.
During the pandemic, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democrat majority House allowed proxy voting for two years, with Speaker Johnson warning that it was an experiment that “was quickly abused. Republicans put an end to it then, and we cannot allow it again.”
Johnson initially opposed any form of remote voting, <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1907520482112569719">calling</a> it a challenge to constitutional principles.
According to officials familiar with the plan, Johnson also intends to set up designated nursing rooms near the House floor, making it easier for new mothers to fulfill their duties.
This agreement paves the way for Johnson to focus on rallying the GOP on a looming budget showdown, with several members of the House Freedom caucus indicating skepticism regarding the Senate’s version of the budget resolution, according to the Post.

House GOP Leadership Presser

Speaker Johnson Makes A Deal With Luna Over Proxy Voting Rules For New Parents

Congress

Mike Johnson

Politics

The Georgia dad who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/controversy-erupts-over-24-year-old-dad-who-left-kids-at-mcdonalds-during-job-interview?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Amanda+Harding&amp;title=Controversy+Erupts+Over+24-Year-Old+Dad+Who+Left+Kids+At+McDonald%E2%80%99s+During+Job+Interview&amp;category=News">went viral</a> for leaving his kids unattended at McDonald’s is in the news again. Earlier this week, people rallied around the man who claimed he left his three children at the restaurant playground to attend a job interview, raising money through a crowdfunding campaign. But now police say he &#8220;was not engaged in a job interview or application process&#8221; while his three children were left alone.
George Louis, 24, was arrested in Augusta on March 22 for deprivation of a minor after leaving the kids, ages 1, 6, and 10, alone at McDonald’s for a few hours. The Augusta Press reported that Louis had told police he was at a job interview. This caused an outpouring of support online from people who justified the man’s decision in order to improve his situation. 
Police are now saying the job interview story was untrue after they spoke to the eldest of Louis&#8217; children following the incident.
&#8220;A 10-year-old child, stated that she, her father (Chris Louis), and her two siblings had walked to McDonald’s from [an apartment complex],&#8221; the report said, per <a href="https://people.com/georgia-dad-left-kids-mcdonalds-not-job-interview-say-police-11708460">People</a>. &#8220;She further stated that her father left to deliver a backpack to [the apartment complex] and told her he would return shortly. The child also mentioned that her father frequently left them alone.&#8221;
Two witnesses said they heard Louis on the phone about 4:30 p.m. say he had to &#8220;drop something off.&#8221; This item was later stated to be a black backpack. Louis said &#8220;he lost his ID and another card and had been retracing his steps to find them,&#8221; per a <a href="https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/local/2025/04/02/augusta-father-disputed-alibi-in-child-neglect-case-spurs-fundraiser-mcdonalds-gofundme/82779661007/">statement</a> from Capt. Danny Whitehead of the Richmond County Sheriff&#8217;s Office Field Operations Division.
Law enforcement also visited the location when Louis said he applied for a job.
 “[The West Bank Inn manager] confirmed that Mr. Louis came in on March 22, 2025, and completed a job application,” police said. “She also conducted an informal interview with him on that date. When asked if Mr. Louis would be expecting a callback for a formal interview, she stated no,” the report continued. 
Police also questioned the timeline, saying security footage showed Louis leaving the West Bank Inn three hours before his children were observed alone at the McDonald’s.
“Based on the video evidence and the timeline provided by all parties involved, it was determined that Mr. Louis was not engaged in a job interview or application process during the time the children were left unattended,” the sheriff’s office reportedly said. “Furthermore, by his own admission, he was walking between McDonald’s and [an apartment complex] on foot during that period.”
The misdemeanor charge of deprivation of a minor &#8220;was appropriate to ensure the welfare of the children and facilitate a review of the matter by the court,&#8221; Whitehead concluded.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown started a GoFundMe to help Louis&#8217; cause.
“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc,” Brown wrote on GoFundMe, which is titled “Pursuit of Happiness.” 
As of Friday morning, the campaign had raised more than $83,000.

McDonald’s

Police Say Man Who Left Kids Alone At McDonald’s Wasn’t Really At A Job Interview

Police Says Man Who Left Kids Alone At McDonald's Wasn't Really At A Job Interview

Crime

Georgia

Police

Social media users are divided over the story of a young Georgia father who left his three children unattended at a McDonald’s restaurant playground so he could go to a job interview.
Chris Louis, 24, was arrested after leaving the children, ages 1, 6, and 10, at the restaurant after walking them there from his apartment in Augusta just before 4:30 p.m. on March 22, per <a href="https://theaugustapress.com/augusta-man-jailed-for-leaving-kids-at-mcdonalds-while-job-hunting/">The Augusta Press</a>. A witness saw Louis leave the children, then return to check on them before leaving again. 
Law enforcement was dispatched to the location after receiving a call from a concerned customer. They were waiting for Louis when he returned to the McDonald’s again at 6:20 p.m. The father told police he didn’t want the children to walk back home alone while he had the job interview. Officers waited at the restaurant until the mother arrived and picked up the children.
Louis was arrested and charged with deprivation of a minor.
The story has inspired a lot of conversation online, with users arguing both sides of the situation. Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown put his support behind Louis and started a GoFundMe to help his cause.
“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc,” Brown wrote on <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-man-from-the-story-that-has-gone-viral">GoFundMe</a>, which is titled “Pursuit of Happiness.” 
As of Wednesday morning, the campaign has raised just over $40,000 of the $50,000 goal, with $1,000 of it coming from Brown.
“This man is a hero, not a villain,” one person <a href="https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1907162412660179112">said</a>. “He is trying to get a job to support his kids and he CORRECTLY assumes that a 10 year old can watch their siblings at McDonalds for a few minutes while he interviews for a job across the street. All charges should be dropped immediately.”
“He had a kid when he was fourteen and holds himself responsible for it. A ten year old can watch a sibling for a short amount of time. This is a wild overreaction on the part of [law enforcement],” another X user <a href="https://x.com/bethanyshondark/status/1906859867085684738">agreed</a>. 
“If the kids were fine, he should be left alone to try and do his best. All that has happened here is they&#8217;ve turned someone that was working to be a productive member of society into someone forced to be a non-productive member of society. I have respect for this man for doing his best to better his situation, and all the police did was destroy it,” a third <a href="https://x.com/karldickey/status/1907098455815651697">agreed</a>.
Some users were skeptical that Louis was actually attending a job interview and questioned why he didn’t get a babysitter.
“Nah! I call BS. Did you read the article? It states that he was seen leaving and returning to McDonald’s multiple times,” one person <a href="https://x.com/LStark711/status/1907193116798693656">observed</a>. “If he was waiting for his turn to be interviewed and was uncertain about how many other applicants were ahead of him or how long it would take, why not have the 10-year-old entertain the younger children safely in the apartment during the interview? It makes no sense to take them to McDonald’s, leave them there, return, and repeat. Something about this scenario seems off.”
Many locals also noted that the location of that McDonald’s was not in a safe part of town.
“McDonald&#8217;s in Augusta is not a safe place for little kids unsupervised,” an X user <a href="https://x.com/MattDeluccia/status/1907171199341207966">said</a>. “Maybe it was 30-40 years ago, but definitely not today. I don’t think he should have been arrested though. I think a warning would have sufficed. Hope he got the job if he’s got 3 little kids.”
“There’s a huge difference between having a 10 yr old watch kids at your house for an hour and leaving them at a McD’s in a busy city,” another person <a href="https://x.com/544pibble/status/1907113606585385225">wrote</a>. “Hard no. I get that he’s trying. While I respect that, as an employer I’d say his judgment is questionable.”

Controversy Erupts Over 24-Year-Old Dad Who Left Kids At McDonald’s During Job Interview

Controversy Erupts Over 24-Year-Old Dad Who Left Kids At McDonald's During Job Interview

General

United States

The following is an excerpt from the new book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Left-Behind-Rationalizes-Separation/dp/B0DSJZWMDL/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mHwt-SB0BE6Z4SuvSL8BpJGq0o4KZKefFX7qCk2QDecQdDECQ5sacSwFhvoqNh0G.3kO-vQO6MHEer2Op5JTvskog7q0WE0RCOw0_toT-nOM&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;qid=1738089124&amp;refinements=p_27%3AAdam+Coleman&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1">The Children We Left Behind: How Western Culture Rationalizes Family Separation &amp; Ignores The Pain Of Child Neglect</a>,” by Adam B. Coleman (Wrong Speak Publishing, April 1, 2025).
* * *
“I don’t care if I die. I don’t care if I go to jail”. 
These were some of the final words spoken by Jordan Neely, a homeless thirty-year-old man who died inside a subway after threatening frightened riders and being subdued in a headlock by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-daniel-penny-found-not-guilty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Penny</a> on May 1, 2023.
Neely had a long 42-arrest history of criminal activity, involving four violent offenses spanning from 2013 to 2021, only to eventually die on the floor of an F train subway car.
While most of the public has focused on his threats before being taken down by Daniel Penny or the racial differences between Neely and Penny, I want to focus on Neely’s origin story.
My interest in sharing Neely’s story is twofold. Objectively, Neely was a troubled man who had a history of terrorizing riders and was riddled with mental health problems. But he wasn’t born that way. No child dreams of being a homeless person on the street. How did Jordan Neely go from an innocent child to dying on the subway? As I hope to illuminate for readers, it all stems from his abusive childhood.
The second reason why I want to share Jordan Neely’s story is more personal. In Jordan, I see something of myself: a child who was abandoned by his father. After my father left me, my mom, and my sister, my entire life was uprooted. By the age of six, I had lived in three states and various towns, residing with multiple family members and spending months in and out of homelessness. My father’s absence and my mother being left to raise me and my sister on her own led me to suffer from depression, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideation. At age eight, I was admitted to a mental hospital.
<div id="attachment_900349" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Left-Behind-Rationalizes-Separation/dp/B0DSJZWMDL/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mHwt-SB0BE6Z4SuvSL8BpJGq0o4KZKefFX7qCk2QDecQdDECQ5sacSwFhvoqNh0G.3kO-vQO6MHEer2Op5JTvskog7q0WE0RCOw0_toT-nOM&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;qid=1738089124&amp;refinements=p_27%3AAdam+Coleman&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-900349" class="size-large wp-image-900349" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/71DC2oU2QoL._SL1360_-384x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Wrong Speak Publishing" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/71DC2oU2QoL._SL1360_-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/71DC2oU2QoL._SL1360_-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/71DC2oU2QoL._SL1360_-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/71DC2oU2QoL._SL1360_.jpg 907w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /></a>Credit: Wrong Speak Publishing</div>
Would Jordan’s life have taken a different turn if he had a loving father in his life? Why could he not have been one of the lucky ones, like me, who by the grace of God overcame a traumatic childhood?
Neely grew up in an abusive household with his mother and stepfather. This violence from his stepfather escalated to the point of murdering Jordan Neely’s mother, Christine Neely, by strangulation, subsequently stuffing her body in a suitcase, and dumping her body on the Henry Hudson Highway in Bronx, NY, when Jordan Neely was 14 years old.
In <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/03/subway-chokehold-victim-jordan-neely-spiraled-after-moms-death-aunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an interview</a> with The New York Post, Carolyn Neely, Jordan’s Aunt, stated that his mother&#8217;s murder was the pivotal starting point of his mental downfall.
“My sister Christie was murdered in ‘07, and after that, he has never been the same. It had a big impact on him. He developed depression, and it grew and became more serious. He was schizophrenic, PTSD.”
After his mother&#8217;s killing, Jordan bounced around from foster home to foster home for four years, being left behind in New York City’s dysfunctional foster care system.
After Jordan Neely’s death, New York’s PIX 11 News <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iX7lkOZA_g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interviewed</a> Neely’s foster brother, Larry Smith. Larry Smith viewed Jordan Neely as his best friend, big brother, and mentor.
Eventually, both Smith and Neely aged out of the foster care system, leaving them homeless on the streets of New York City. In the early years of their brotherly relationship, Neely would perform Michael Jackson dance routines on subway cars for money to feed themselves.
“He would do the whole Billy Jean [dance routine], and I would sit there and have the one hat that he gave me for Michael Jackson and collect a couple of dollars. He used that because foster parents were abusing us.”
It is Smith&#8217;s final statement that encapsulates the deep desire of every child: “Jordan never wanted money … Jordan wanted a home.”
Every child wants a home, and not just in a physical sense. It’s not enough for a child to have a place of shelter; they also need a place where they know they belong and are safe.
In various articles I’ve read about Jordan Neely in his teenage years, he was described as a quiet child who enjoyed Japanese anime. However, this quiet child was hardened like the concrete streets he’d occasionally sleep on.
There are only so many chances you’ll give the world to hurt you before you acknowledge your hopelessness by outwardly exclaiming, “I don’t care if I die. I don’t care if I go to jail.”
He gave his stepfather a chance, who ultimately murdered his mother. He gave the foster care system a chance, and they abused and abandoned him. If every adult you encounter lets you down, you’d probably go insane too and grow a deep hatred for mankind, including hatred for yourself.
Jordan Neely’s situation isn’t abnormal, and that’s the problem.
The only reason we even know his name is because of a fluke circumstance of being filmed by a journalist. But if he had overdosed alone on a street corner, he would be just another statistic.
Thousands upon thousands of Jordan Neelys all over America are on the street. They are adults now, but they were once children left behind by nearly every adult they encountered.
I once felt all the rage that Jordan felt. I sometimes still do. My father chose himself over me, my sister, and my mother and neglected me until the day he died. Thanks be to God, I made it, but my successes should never be a reason for parents to risk playing Russian Roulette with their children’s lives.
I am also a father now. And as a father, my job has been to raise my child to become greater than myself and to be a healthy and functional member of society. Over the years, I became incredibly conscious of how my actions and lack of actions could turn my son into the man you’d never want to be alone with on the streets at night.
Raising children isn’t just about feeding and housing them. How we treat them and what we teach them directly affects their likelihood of success in the world.
If you fail your children, don’t be surprised when they fail in our society.
* * *
Adam B. Coleman is the author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Left-Behind-Rationalizes-Separation/dp/B0DSJZWMDL/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mHwt-SB0BE6Z4SuvSL8BpJGq0o4KZKefFX7qCk2QDecQdDECQ5sacSwFhvoqNh0G.3kO-vQO6MHEer2Op5JTvskog7q0WE0RCOw0_toT-nOM&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;qid=1738089124&amp;refinements=p_27%3AAdam+Coleman&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1">The Children We Left Behind</a>” and founder of Wrong Speak Publishing. Follow him on X: @wrong_speak
This excerpt is published by permission from Wrong Speak Publishing.
The views expressed in this book excerpt are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-JUSTICE-TRANSPORT-FUNERAL-NEELY

Let Jordan Neely’s Story Be A Warning To Parents: We Must Always Put Our Children First

Let Jordan Neely’s Story Be a Warning to Parents: We Must Always Put Our Children First

Daniel Penny

Foster Care

Homelessness

Jordan Neely

Subway

Pop singer Chappell Roan is getting all kinds of backlash following an interview she did on the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast with Alex Cooper.
The 27-year-old singer, who quickly rose to fame and is popular for her unique, drag queen aesthetic and prickly personality, is facing criticism for comments she made about parenting, and politics in particular.
First the Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Kayleigh Amstutz, talked about going back to her hometown after getting famous and seeing everyone married with regular jobs and children.
“I don’t know when that’s gonna happen for me,” the singer said. “Like, I don’t know when that is realistic.”
“Do you want that?” Cooper asked.
“Like get married and … yeah, I don’t know,” she replied. “Part of me is like, is it even gonna be legal to marry, like, my wife one day, you know? I don’t know.”
“But kids? All my friends who have kids are in hell,” Amstutz continued. “I don’t know anyone – I actually don’t know anyone who’s like, happy and has children at this age,” she went on, rattling off ages of children five and under as examples. “I literally have not met anyone who’s happy, anyone who has like light in their eyes, anyone who has slept.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Chappell Roan: Are People Scared Of Me? (Full Episode)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kzLrHTEvVfE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Many commenters pointed out that Amstutz’s friends may have very young children, and could have just been voicing normal complaints.
“Chappell Roan going on call her daddy saying none of her friends with kids are happy is a prime example of why you cannot just vent to anyone,” one popular reply on X <a href="https://x.com/tallowmom/status/1905721349156544714">says</a>. “Because I guarantee she has this perspective because a few of her mom friends are going through it…. may a friendship like that never ever ever ever find me. May the friendships of narcissistic childless women with no sense of loyalty ever find me.”
“This is why you only vent about parenting to other mom friends who get it,” another person <a href="https://x.com/smalltown_wife/status/1906058559991009305">agreed</a>.
“Her viewpoint was SO out of touch and disappointing. Imagine being those friends that probably had a bad day and confided in her and hearing her spin on their situation on an international podcast. So wrong and so sad. We need to celebrate motherhood,” another person chimed in.
Amstutz also talked about her feelings on discussing politics after fans came after her during the 2024 election for not explicitly endorsing Kamala Harris.
The singer discussed how she doesn’t have time to care about politics. “Tour. Write. Perform. Interview. Sleep. Eat. And eat! And f***ing work out. How can they do it all? And lead the team, and be a boss, and pay people … and be like, f***ing so politically educated.”
“It’s exhausting,” Cooper agreed.
“And it’s also impossible,” Amstutz replied. “Also, why the f*** are you looking to me for some political answer? You think I have the f***ing answer? I&#8217;m a pop star. I wish I had the answers, I wish the president was a pop star, but she&#8217;s not,” the singer said.
The “Pink Pony Club” singer also reflected on her childhood. “I don’t even know if my young self would be able to register that as a part of me. That’s how removed … I was so, so, so opposite of me now,” she told Cooper. “It just wasn’t [awakened].”
“Young Kayleigh just felt so restricted because I was a problem child and so angry and so depressed and I felt like no one understood me,” Amstutz continued. “Now, that part of me is so alive … I just wanted to be free, but I didn’t think it would actually happen. Now that it has, it’s like she wouldn’t believe it at all. I don’t think she’d believe that this is what I do.”

Chappell Roan

Singer Chappell Roan Called Out For Saying All Her Friends With Children ‘Are In Hell’

Singer Chappell Roan Called Out For Saying All Her Friends With Children 'Are In Hell'

Music

Our children are bombarded by technology, certainly a natural progression of our tech-dependent society. But our educational institutions, with tech companies’ eager help, have enabled this growth – and dependency.
Surveys <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-the-massive-shift-to-1-to-1-computing-means-for-schools-in-charts/2022/05">indicate</a> that more than 90% of middle and high school students and more than 80% of elementary students have a school-issued learning device.
Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-03-19/michael-bloomberg-kids-are-spending-too-much-class-time-on-laptops?utm_campaign=wp_the_technology_202&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter">pointed out</a> that children are spending too much time on laptops at school, citing that “social skills are deteriorating and test scores are near historic lows,” and called on schools to turn back to “using books and pens.”
Children’s near ubiquitous use of screens at school is worth reconsidering, in light of the dismal <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nation’s Report Card</a> finding that students are losing ground in reading and are not improving in math. While screens in schools may not be the only reason children are failing, they also don’t appear to be helping.
This is one reason why there’s a growing movement of school districts and states taking steps to restrict students’ cell phone use in classrooms. A 2023 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/health/phones-allowed-school-children-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found that “97% of 11- to 17-year-olds use their phones during school time.”
Teachers see the impact of cell phone use in their classrooms. According to a Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted in fall 2023, 72% of U.S. high school teachers consider cell phone distraction a major problem in their classrooms. Middle school teachers (33%) and elementary school teachers (6%) also share concerns about student distraction due to cell phones.
Phones are not only distracting to children (and let’s admit it, they are for adults too), children are especially vulnerable to addictive technology and powerful algorithms that feed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tech-and-tv-study-shows-excessive-screen-time-explicit-content-changing-the-teenage-brain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmful content</a> to them. Children can also be groomed by predators and exposed to sexually explicit and graphically violent content on social media platforms. Personal tech can also be weaponized in schools – creating and magnifying bullying situations against classmates and teachers.
For all of these reasons and more, children should not have smartphone access during the school day.
I am encouraged that school districts and elected leaders across the U.S. have been working to restrict cell phones in classrooms. The issue is even <a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-cell-phone-bans-states-e6d1fe8ddfde33f086d5cd2a19f4c148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uniting Republicans and Democrats</a>. Los Angeles Unified School District banned them, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has unveiled a plan to ban them, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wants to restrict them, to name a few. Across the pond, Denmark has banned phones in schools and there are calls for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/ban-mobile-phones-schools-europe-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the EU</a> to do the same.
The Parents Television and Media Council’s whitepaper, <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/resources/PDF/Studies/240723-REPORT-School-Phone-Policies.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartphones in the Classroom: What States are Doing to Confront These Digital Distractions</a> (July 2024) revealed that 28 U.S. states made efforts to eliminate or restrict cell phones in classrooms. That number is certainly larger now.
For this to work though, it will take parents uniting against these digital distractions, as many parents want to be able to reach their child instantaneously if there’s an emergency. While this is a valid concern, most schools already encourage parents to call the school office should they need to reach their child.
There are enough anecdotes alone to know that freeing children from cell phones in school is wise. School administrators have seen children and teens increasingly interact with each other.
A Study.com <a href="https://teachinglicense.study.com/featured-insights/mobile-bans-increase-engagement-and-learning-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> found that “76% of teachers working in schools with strict cell phone policies believe that cell phone bans increase student engagement,” and “70% believe [the bans] enhance student safety.”
“Students were actually paying attention to his lessons,” <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-24/yondr-pouches-enforce-school-cell-phone-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a high school dean of students about one teacher’s feedback after the Los Angeles Unified School District’s cell phone ban began.
If our children are to succeed in school, it’s time to reduce screen time – and cell phone use – during the school day.
* * *
Melissa Henson is the Vice President of the <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents Television and Media Council</a>, a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. On X: @ThePTC.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Teens in circle holding smart mobile phones – Multicultural young people using cellphones outside – Teenagers addicted to new technology concept

It’s Time To Remove Cell Phones From The Classroom

cell phones

Computer

Elementary Schools

Smartphones

Students

Technology

Teenagers

Testing

A parent’s love for their child can be a fierce and fearful thing. It can give the ability to act heroically, even supernaturally, if faced with something that threatens the beloved child’s life or safety.
On September 8, 2008, <a href="https://catholiceducation.org/en/faith-and-character/7-sons-lay-hero-dad-to-rest.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://catholiceducation.org/en/faith-and-character/7-sons-lay-hero-dad-to-rest.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1742489777083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Q_yApPFxQJY_PLRJxIuHU">Thomas S. Vander Woude</a> was working on his family farm with his 20-year-old son, Joseph, when Joseph fell through the cover of a septic tank, plunging into the sewage below. Without any thought for his own safety, Tom dove into the tank and held his son’s head above the foul sewage until he could be rescued.
While Joseph survived the incident, Tom drowned in the stinking darkness. The family lost their beloved husband and father, friends lost a devoted and faithful companion, Christendom College lost their athletics director, and the world gained a hero whose inspiring story of selfless love should never be forgotten.
Augmenting the poignant beauty of his sacrifice, Tom’s son Joseph has Down syndrome.
Today is World Down Syndrome Day. There could be no better day to revere Tom’s memory and his valorous act because it points to one single object: the love of a father for his disabled son. An extra chromosome doesn’t matter to parents who love their children.
Dr. Brian Skotko, a geneticist and the director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, has researched <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajmg.a.34293" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajmg.a.34293&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1742489777083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1G3BvTjQ6yJbPuauZpr2ej">family attitudes</a> toward Down syndrome and shown that 99% of parents reported loving their child with Down syndrome, and 97% expressed pride in them. Additionally, 79% felt their outlook on life had become more positive because of their child. Only 5% felt embarrassed by their child, and 4% regretted having them.
The same year that Tom Vander Woude surrendered his life to save his son, Congress passed a bill that was intended to share this kind of news with families. Introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, the <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s1810" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s1810&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1742489777083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1pRBjqsAnI961dNBl8SpGj">legislation</a> required the federal government to make up-to-date, evidence-based information available about conditions that could be subject to prenatal or early postnatal diagnosis — conditions like Down syndrome.
Research has also shown that the Down syndrome population is about 30% less than it would be if there was no ability to prenatally diagnose the condition, and the bill was intended to make certain families had good information before acting on a prenatal diagnosis.
The Kennedy-Brownback bill was never funded by Congress, so individual states began to take up the task of passing similar legislation. To date, <a href="https://www.lettercase.org/issues/state-laws/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.lettercase.org/issues/state-laws/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1742489777083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2vFQmGzlR2uxlrvx2u_E1n">23 states</a> have implemented laws that are intended to make certain that families have the whole story about what it’s like to have a child with Down syndrome — the love families share as well as the challenges they might expect to encounter. Organizations like <a href="https://www.lettercase.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.lettercase.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1742489777083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3KcPAjVMonk66pQ812yPbb">The National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Diagnosis</a> and others have produced excellent supporting materials, easily accessible in print or for wide distribution through their website.
Asking physicians to provide factual and balanced information to families seems like a reasonable request, but recent research shows that the laws either haven’t been observed by physicians or the information accepted by families.
Two <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39829122/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38619097/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">papers</a> by Dr. Skotko and his team yielded disappointing results.
“Parents’ perceptions of the quality of postnatal medical support have declined, suggesting that legislative reform, medical education, and parent-to-parent outreach programs have been insufficient to effect a change in parental perceptions,” they wrote.
According to one paper, which surveys prenatal care, respondents “experienced substantial fear and anxiety and reported that their physicians provided insufficient contact information or explanatory materials.” Further, “an increased proportion of parents felt that their physicians encouraged pregnancy termination.”
On this World Down Syndrome Day, we should ask ourselves why this attitude of discrimination toward disability remain so deeply rooted in our culture, especially in the healing professions. From Skotko’s research, one parent said doctors and staff “constantly pressur[ed] us to terminate” and “treated us like we were crazy” for refusing; that parent felt so “traumatiz[ed]” that they changed providers. Another parent “got repeated calls to schedule a termination, even though we had all agreed to get an expedited anatomy scan before any decision was made,” while another was repeatedly reminded “that I only had so much time left to terminate.”
If there is a lesson to take from Tom Vander Woude’s sacrifice, it is that it validated Dr. Skotko’s research. Parents who accept children with Down syndrome love them fiercely.
 * * *
Mark Bradford is the Fellow for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the Word on Fire Institute.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Boy with down syndrome playing outdoors in garden.

‘An Extra Chromosome Doesn’t Matter’: A Father’s Love That Knew No Bounds

'An Extra Chromosome Doesn’t Matter': A Father’s Love That Knew No Bounds

Down Syndrome

A pizza shop owner is getting mixed reviews for kicking out a family that was dining in his restaurant recently, with some online critics saying he had every right to do it while others are outraged.
Dragon Pizza in Somerville, Massachusetts, became the topic of heated debate following the March 14 incident and subsequent social media posts. 
The owner recently shared an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHPnJmjst6c/">update via Instagram</a>, writing, “To all our guests with children: Anyone who has visited our restaurant knows we are a pizza shop that loves kids.”
“Sadly, we had to demand a group of negligent parents Friday to take their families home because they were disrespecting our dining room, other guests, and our team,” the post continued. 
“Our restaurant, or any restaurant, is not a place for unsupervised children to play,&#8221; it said. &#8220;It is here to share dining experiences.”
Dragon Pizza listed six points on the incident, noting that they “welcome all children dining in our restaurant with open arms” and “we do not appreciate parents who treat our pizza as a cheap, simple option to feed their children until they can have their own dinner.” 
The post concluded by saying, “It makes us very sad, but we refuse to allow entitled lazy parents to damage our reputation and the overall dining experience for all our guests. Respect restaurants. Bring your family to them. Raise your family in them. We are your community too.”
Restaurant owner Charlie Redd <a href="https://www.boston.com/food/food-news/2025/03/18/dragon-pizza-guests-with-kids/">said</a> in an interview with Boston.com that he is also a father and wants to make guests with children &#8220;comfortable.&#8221;
“It’s part of my philosophy to hospitality, for restaurants to engage everyone,&#8221; he told the outlet. &#8220;We’ve been very successful here at Dragon accommodating groups with kids.”
“The fault lies where the parents had to be spoken to multiple times and were ignoring our requests and our instructions to watch their kids,” Redd said. “Kids belong in restaurants. It’s a lot of fun.”
While many supported the restaurant in the comments, others questioned the decision to kick the family out.
“Why can’t parents give their kids pizza as a cheap easy option?” one Instagram commenter wrote, referencing one of the points made in the restaurant’s original post.
“Too many parents these days don’t understand that they need to actually parent their children. Good on you for sticking up for your staff and other patrons,” another person wrote.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who had a run-in with Redd in the past, also weighed in on the situation with a profanity-laced <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/1902400901928657073">post</a> on X that read, in part, “This has created quite the (conundrum) for yours truly because I absolutely despise this dude (Charlie) Redd.&#8221;
“He probably blew this out of proportion because this guy just likes being an a**hole. This guy is a professional a**hole. There’s no other pizza place that keeps ending up in the news,” he went on.
Portnoy got into an argument with Redd in 2023 while visiting the restaurant for his popular One Bite Challenge, which involves him rating pizzerias. The social media personality described the slice as “super floppy” and gave it a 6.4 out of 10. 
The owner told Portnoy he was in the wrong for “judging a business with one bite.” This led to a heated exchange that <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/barstools-dave-portnoy-speaks-out-about-dragon-pizza-feud-its-like-living-in-a-bizarre-world/3130297/">went viral</a> at the time.

Pizza

Pizza Shop Owner Gets Mixed Reactions For Kicking Out Family With Unruly Kids

Dave Portnoy

Massachusetts

Social Issues

Actress Kate Hudson says she’s open to expanding her family.
The 45-year-old mom of three made the remarks during a recent appearance on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. 
&#8220;I could have so many kids,&#8221; Hudson told Kelce, who is currently pregnant with her fourth child. &#8220;I even think about it right now. I&#8217;m like, &#8216;Am I totally done?&#8217; Because I just can&#8217;t imagine being done.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s a weird thing to think like, &#8216;Oh, no. I&#8217;m done having kids,&#8217; when you love having kids,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;It gets a little scarier when you start to watch them &#8230; when you start to have to let them go because you want them to love themselves and then you want them to make good decisions out in the world. So, you get a little bit of that, &#8216;Oh, man. I just hope they are good.'&#8221;
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The daughter of A-lister Goldie Hawn and actor Bill Hudson has talked about wanting a big family in the past. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been having children my entire adult life,&#8221; Hudson said during a 2022 interview for Byrdie&#8217;s &#8220;After-Dark&#8221; digital issue. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got my 4-year-old and I&#8217;ve got a kid in college. And I don&#8217;t even know if I&#8217;m done yet. You know, I don&#8217;t have that answer yet.&#8221;
She also told former daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres in 2020, “I don’t know if I’m done.” 
The “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” actress shares her oldest child, Ryder, with her ex-husband Chris Robinson. Ryder was born in 2004. Next came her son Bingham in 2011, whose father is the actress’s former fiancé Matt Bellamy. Hudson and her fiancé, Danny Fujikawa, welcomed a daughter named Rani in 2018.
Hudson previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-killing-it-kate-hudson-says-co-parenting-with-3-different-fathers-is-going-great">bragged about</a> how well she was doing with the demands of co-parenting with three different fathers for her children.
“It might not look traditional from the outside, but on the inside I feel like we’re killing it,” Hudson told The Sunday Times. “The unit that I’ve created with three children with three different fathers is a seriously strong unit, and it’s ours.”
She went on to say how creating a traditional family was never her goal.
“I’m not interested in forcing some conventional idea of love or marriage. I’d like to be able to grow intimately with my partner for a long time, but I also don’t have rose-colored glasses on,” the actress continued. “My goal in life is that I want to feel love and I want to give love, but I’m also practical, so, one day at a time. I work really hard at relationships because I like them.”
Hudson also mentioned in 2022 that she’s “not in a hurry” to marry Rani’s dad Fujikawa, whom she’s been engaged to since 2021.

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson Says She ‘Can’t Imagine Being Done’ Having Kids: ‘I Could Have So Many’

Kate Hudson Says She 'Can't Imagine Being Done' Having Kids: 'I Could Have So Many'

Hollywood

Actor Kieran Culkin is not a conservative by any stretch. Like most of Hollywood, he’s got unapologetically liberal views and has been vocal about his disdain for President Trump. But despite holding these beliefs, he’s also made headlines recently for expressing some refreshing takes on fatherhood which deserve to be celebrated.
In an industry rife with celebrities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thank-god-we-dont-have-children-seth-rogen-brags-about-decision-to-stay-kid-free">bragging about being child-free</a> and actresses <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-former-americas-next-top-model-contestant-rebukes-michelle-williams-babies-do-not-keep-us-from-our-dreams">crediting abortion</a> for their successful careers, Culkin is an anomaly. The 42-year-old star began his career as a child actor with roles in major productions such as “Home Alone” and “Father of the Bride.” After a brief hiatus and some theater appearances, he hit his stride as an adult actor and won an Emmy for his role as the snarky bad boy Roman Roy in “Succession.” 
Now Culkin can add Oscar to his list of awards, and that’s the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kieran-culkin-uses-oscars-speech-to-ask-wife-for-fourth-child">speech</a> that has everyone buzzing. The actor, who won Best Supporting Actor for “A Real Pain” at the 97th Academy Awards, used his time at the podium to sweetly petition his wife, Jazz, to have a fourth child. Culkin may be a liberal, but all the conservatives were left swooning.
“This is — please don’t play the music because I want to tell a really quick story about Jazz,” the actor said at the end of his speech, before going on to reference how after winning an Emmy, he had mentioned wanting to have a third baby.
“About a year ago, I was on a stage like this and I very stupidly, publicly said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award, I would, she would give me the kid. It turns out she said that because she didn’t think I was gonna win, but then people came up to her and were like, you know, really annoying her … I think it got to her, but anyway.”
<div id="attachment_887723" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-887723" class="size-large wp-image-887723" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202412394-384x576.jpg" alt="THE OSCARS® &quot;The Oscars&quot; will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will air live on ABC, Hulu and broadcast outlets in more than 200 territories worldwide. (Disney/Stewart Cook)KIERAN CULKIN (Photo by Stewart Cook/Disney via Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202412394-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202412394-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202412394.jpg 683w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Stewart Cook/Disney via Getty Images</div>
“After the show, we’re walking through a parking lot, she’s holding the Emmy, we’re trying to find a car. Emily, you were there, so you’re a witness, and she goes, ‘Oh God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid,’ and I turned to her and I said, ‘Really, I want four.’ And she turned to me, I swear to God this happened, it was just over a year ago, she said, ‘I will give you four when you win an Oscar.’ I held my hand out, she shook it, and I have not brought it up once until just now,” Culkin continued as the audience laughed.
“You remember that, honey? You do? Then, I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith. No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get crackin’ on those kids. What do you say? I love you!” he concluded.
As mentioned, this wasn’t the only time Culkin had requested a baby after winning a major award. He did the same thing after winning an Emmy in 2024. And it’s also not the first time he’s gushed about fatherhood.
The actor <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a43399530/kieran-culkin-succession-interview-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Esquire in 2023 that after his run in “Succession” ended, he didn’t have anything else lined up, and said he did it intentionally. 
“I would like there to be nothing for a little while..,” Culkin said at the time. “I feel like what I’m supposed to do is be a stay-at-home dad. That’s where I feel like I’m the most me. And anything that takes me away from that is wrong.”
<div id="attachment_887731" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-887731" class="size-large wp-image-887731" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202523665-864x576.jpg" alt="US actor Kieran Culkin, Oscar winner for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for &quot;A Real Pain&quot; poses with his wife Jazz Charton during the 97th Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202523665-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202523665-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202523665-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202523665.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images</div>
The actor even said he almost quit “A Real Pain” when the scheduling dates were such that he’d be away from his family, including Jazz and their two young children, for a whole month. 
“I was like, ‘I can’t be away from the family for that long,’ and I had a flip-out,” he told The New York Times in December. “I was in Warsaw and I asked for one less day of press so I could go home for a day. I was home for 32 hours — and I was sick the whole time, so the trip was pointless — but I just needed to be home and see the kids. The work is so I can be home, not so I can be at work,” he added.
During the same interview, the actor said becoming a father changed everything for him.
“That’s why with this movie, I was like, ‘Why did I say yes to this? There’s no money here, I don’t see how this is going to benefit me or my family in any way.’ I don’t have the same mentality of when I was 26 and single, being like, ‘I’m going to Shreveport to do a movie for a few weeks, who cares?’ Now I have to go, ‘Where does it shoot and for how long? Can I bring the family? When, because are my kids going to be in school?’ All those things matter before I even start the conversation of will I do it or not.”
He added, “[T]he real stuff is me being home with my kids, when I’m reading them books and singing them songs until they go to sleep. That’s the whole point of life. The rest of it I’m doing so I can get back to that.”
Culkin, whose brother is well-known “Home Alone” star Macauley Culkin, is one of six kids, so big families are nothing new to him. But the actor didn’t get along with his father. Christopher Cornelius &#8220;Kit&#8221; Culkin and Patricia Brentrup never formally married but stayed together from 1974 until they broke up in 1995. Culkin and his dad are currently estranged.
The “Succession” star said his dad was abusive during childhood, per <a href="https://people.com/all-about-macaulay-culkin-parents-8408576">People</a>. Culkin also said his father, an aspiring actor himself, was jealous of his success.
&#8220;[He said] &#8216;Do good or I&#8217;ll hit you.&#8217; He was a bad man. He was abusive, physically and mentally — I can show you all my scars if I wanted to,&#8221; Culkin said during an appearance on the podcast WTF With Marc Maron in 2018.
The family didn’t have a lot of money. They shared a railroad style apartment in Manhattan&#8217;s Upper East Side as his father worked as a cab driver and at a Catholic Church and his mom earned money as a phone operator. The outlet noted that five kids shared two bunk beds in one room until Macauley started earning bigger paychecks with his successful film career.
<div id="attachment_887733" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-887733" class="size-large wp-image-887733" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-104181879-384x576.jpg" alt="UNITED KINGDOM - CIRCA 1991: Macaulay Culkin, Kieran Culkin (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-104181879-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-104181879-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-104181879.jpg 683w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Dave Benett/Getty Images</div>
&#8220;It was just a hallway, and there were no separating doors, except for the bathroom, which didn&#8217;t have a lock,&#8221; the actor told Vanity Fair. &#8220;They raised seven kids in that apartment — for years! They just kept bringing babies home to this little space.&#8221;
Culkin has a better relationship with his mom, who he thanked during his 2024 Emmys acceptance speech. &#8220;My wonderful mom,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Thank you so much for doing everything you did for us. You&#8217;re an amazing woman.&#8221;
A rocky childhood hasn’t deterred the star from trying to create a stable family for himself. He and Jazz eloped in 2013, then welcomed daughter Kinsey Sioux in 2019, and son Wilder Wolf in 2021.
In December, he <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/kieran-culkin-colman-domingo-method-acting-sing-sing-1236241031/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Variety that besides being a father, “nothing else matters.”
“When I look at my life before I had kids, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, this was some guy who like, had hobbies and liked things. This isn’t a real person,&#8217;” he said. “… I’m a dad now, and that’s my only actual role in life is that, that’s real life, and all this is lovely, but I’m just trying to get home.”

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