Her very own Brat Pack! In addition to being one of John Hughes’ leading ladies, Molly Ringwald is a proud mother of three.
The Sixteen Candles star welcomed daughter Mathilda and fraternal twins Roman and Adele in 2003 and 2009, respectively, with husband Panio Gianopoulos. She was previously married to Valery Lameignère from 1999 to 2002.
When asked about the most surprising aspect of parenthood during a January 2011 interview with Good Housekeeping, Ringwald replied, “Just what an amazing father my husband is.”
The Breakfast Club actress — who wed Gianopoulos in 2007 — continued: “He’s seven years younger than me, and I was pushing for kids, so he decided to do it while he was younger than he had originally anticipated being. I thought because I was a woman, I would know what to do all the time, but I really think he’s the natural.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the California native gushed about the best part of her day — “When all the kids are sleepy and want to snuggle together at the same time.”
Ringwald added of the cherished family ritual: “It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s really delightful.”
As her children grow older, the Secret Life of the American Teenager alum has been candid about struggling with whether to show them her iconic teen movies from the ’80s and ’90s.
During an October 2021 appearance on SiriusXM, Ringwald told Andy Cohen that she hadn’t “found the strength” to share her famous roles with her younger two children.
“My 12-year-old daughter, Adele, is the most woke individual you’ve ever met,” the Pretty in Pink star said. “I just don’t know how I’m going to go through that, you know, watching it with her and [her] saying, ‘How could you do that? How could you be part of something [like] that?’”
Ringwald has also admitted that despite her distinction as rom-com royalty, her kids still think of her as an embarrassing mom.
“In terms of been a teen queen and being the parent of a teenager, you would think that it would give me some points and make me a little cooler. It doesn’t at all, it means absolutely nothing to them,” she said during a September 2022 talk for the Center for Parent and Teen Communications. “To them, I’m just their mom and I’m just as dorky and out of touch … as every other mom.”
Scroll down to see Ringwald’s sweetest moments with her family over the years:
