Single parents: Celebrities we love!

Michelle Williams, 33, is single mom to Matilda, 6 — her daughter with the late Heath Ledger. We love how Michelle praised Matilda in her Golden Globe award acceptance speech earlier this year:

I consider myself a mother first and an actress second. So the person I most want to thank is my daughter, my little girl, whose bravery and exuberance is the example that I take with me in my work and in my life.... Thank you...for suffering through six months of bedtime stories where all the princesses were read aloud in a Marilyn Monroe sounding voice.

Happily, Michelle's now in a committed relationship with funny actor, Jason Segel.

Katie Holmes, 33, seems noticeably more happy since she and Tom Cruise, 50, divorced. Now that she has sole custody of their daughter Suri, 6.5, Scientology seems to have gotten the boot; Suri's going to a fancy private school in the fall.

What's more? Katie's now in the process of co-writing and starring in a film about single motherhood.

Bad boy Colin Farrell, 36, is back in the spotlight again, thanks to his latest Total Recall movie. He's single dad to James, 8, with ex-girlfriend, Kim Bordenave. Last year, Colin opened up to David Letterman about his son's rare genetic condition, Angelman Syndrome. "He's pretty high-functioning and is a very, very happy boy,” Colin said. Indeed, excessive smiling is a symptom of the syndrome.

Colin is also dad to 3.5-year-old Henry, with ex-girlfriend Alicja Bachleda.

Totally not surprisingly, Colin was voted "Hottest Single Dad" at perfectmatch.com back in 2009.

Ahh, the public has made a game out of determining who the father of January Jones' 11-month-old baby Xander is. But the 34-year-old Mad Men star threw us off the scent when she shocked the mainstream with her joy of placenta eating.

Snow White and the Huntsman star, Charlize Theron, 37, recently opened up to Australia's Madison Magazine about adopting baby Jackson. "I always knew I would adopt. Always," she told the mag. But she didn't know she'd do it on her own. "You know, I don't think any mother aims at being a single mom," she said. "I didn't wish for that, but it happened."

Charlize is far from alone, though. She's got Grandma Gerda right by her side, showing her the ropes!

Padma Lakshmi, 41, is a single mom to Krishna Thea, 2, and she certainly doesn't think her daughter is lacking anything (or anyone) in her life. Here's what she told Yahoo! Shine about parenting (not so) solo: 

I am a single parent. But I don't feel alone at all in parenting my daughter. I have a big family, who I am surrounded by, and friends. Krishna has a whole other side of her family who loves her, too. And so Krishna is parented by me, but also by her grandmother and aunts and cousins and uncles and friends. It's a corny thing, but it does take a village. The more who encompass her, the more different kinds of people who are in Krishna's life, the better off she is.

Love that...!

Oscar and Grammy award-winner Jamie Foxx, 44, has enjoyed joint custody of his daughter, Corinne Bishop, 18. "I want to be a man who shows up for her," Jamie said. "I want to have such a big influence on her so that she knows she can call on me for anything — which she does." Love!

Sandra Bullock, 48, adopted little Louis, 2, on the heels of her bitter divorce from ex-husband Jesse James. When asked about balancing her career with single motherhood, Sandra said, "I wasn't thinking about any of that. I was just so happy being a mom. I'm still very happy being a mom. That just shifted and became my full priority."

Circle of Friends actress, Minnie Driver, 42, said this about splitting with TV producer Timothy J. Lea while pregnant with his now-4-year-old child, Henry (who clearly inherited Mom's curls):

I had good friends around me, so it was sort of hilarious....I was making a film at the time and the paparazzi would shout, "Who’s the sperm donor?" at me.

When asked if her ex was involved in Henry's life, Minnie replied, "Sort of. He's figuring it out.... I mean, he hasn't been that involved; his choice. But he is now."

Being a young single mom to son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara, 20, hasn't been easy for stunning Sofia Vergara, 40. "It's fantastic to have a kid young," Sofia told Redbook. But, she says, "it's a big responsibility. You can't go out much at night. Instead of buying a pair of shoes, you have to buy diapers."

Sofia gave birth to Manolo when she was 19, and divorced his father at 21.

Reese Witherspoon, 36, was single mom to Deacon, 8.5, and Ava, 12.5, for a long time before she married her second husband, Jim Toth, last spring. Now Reese is expecting a child with her new hubby, and things look blissfully amicable among her and the kids' dad, handsome Ryan Phillippe, 37. They're often seen chatting together at soccer games and other events.

Ryan Phillippe is the handsomest single dad ever, in my opinion. But I'm biased because he and I were born on the exact same day (which is why I'm not including his age, *cough.*) Here he is with his adorable son (Reese Witherspoon's clone), Deacon.

Ryan's often seen shopping with his kids, taking them to lunch, and coaching or watching his kids' games.

He also has a one-year-old daughter, Kailani Merizalde Phillippe Knapp, with ex-girlfriend Alexis Knapp.

Before recently remarrying, Kate Hudson, 33, was single mom to her son Ryder Robinson, 8, with ex-hubby Chris Robinson (of the Black Crowes). But she never thought of herself as a single mom. “Being a single parent can be difficult, but I don’t feel I am one,” she told InStyle UK a while back. “Chris and I are co-parenting.”

Kate and her new hubby, Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy, also have a one-year-old baby "Bing" together.

In addition to being a single mom to Lola, 7, and Sam, 8, (with ex-hubby Charlie Sheen), Denise Richards, 41, recently adopted a baby girl, Eloise. "I knew I wasn’t done having children, and I've always wanted to adopt," Denise told SheKnows.com. "So, I made a decision to do it on my own. She's a blessing, and I can’t imagine my family without her."

Gary Oldman, 54, says he's grateful for being single dad to his sons, Gulliver, 14, and Charlie, 13, of whom he has full custody. Here's what he says about parenting solo in Vogue UK's August issue:

I asked myself a very simple question. Am I a dad who's going to be away working all the time? Or am I going to be a dad who's around at home? And I decided to be at home. It set a new course for the ship.... I had really felt that I had not done it successfully with my first son, although our relationship was always good.... But I felt that I had been given the gift of a second chance. I'd been awarded these children, by the court — which is unheard of in California — and I felt that I now had these boys for a reason.

Well, I'm officially a fan now..., you?!

Gary also has a son, Alfie (who's in his 20s now), with first wife, Lesley Manville.

Liv Tyler, 35, has been a single mom to Milo Langdon, 7.5, since 2008, when she and Milo's dad, British musician Royston Langdon, got divorced. "It was always a dream of mine to be a mother," Liv says in the March 2012 issue of Marie Claire UK. "I’m always trying to figure out what’s the best for him [Milo] as a person. The kind of person I want him to be. The values I want him to have. Much as I love my friends in LA, I wanted him to have more of an East Coast upbringing. The sense of community. Walking to school four blocks away.”

Desperate Housewives actress, Teri Hatcher, 47, has a 15-year-old daughter, Emerson. As a single mom, Teri has said finances are always a concern:

Well, I’m not a desperate housewife. I just play one on TV. I’ve been blessed by a job filled with new friendships and memories and the freedom to not worry — quite so much — about college tuition and mortgages. As a single mom, there’s always a nagging feeling that this celebrity [status] could go away in a poof. You have to be conservative and smart; no Ferrari for me.

Courteney Cox, 48, is mom to 8-year-old Coco, with ex-hubby David Arquette. Courteney and David have a famously amicable relationship. "He's my best friend." Courteney has said. "No matter what happens in our future, he's my very best friend."

Since becoming single dad to Coco, David Arquette, 40, has officially become a man — he had a Bar Mitzvah last month at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem!

Last year, he spoke to Oprah about being a newly single dad. "I get Coco a few days a week and it always lights the place up," he said. "I'm just more present in the time I spend with her."

R&B singer Usher, 33, is in the middle of a prolonged and passionate custody battle with ex wife, Tameka Foster, over his sons Usher Raymond V, 4, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 3.

"We had to put our issues aside and focus on raising them," Usher told People Magazine. "There will never be another mother for my sons, and I'll always be their father."

Tragically, Tameka's 11-year-old son, Kile Glover, whom Usher was reportedly very close with (he was his stepfather), recently passed away after a jet skiing accident. I followed the story from its inception and, needless to say, am devastated for the family. Our thoughts are with them.

Jennifer Lopez, 43, is single mom to 4-year-old twins, Max and Emme. It's allegedly never sat well with Jennifer's ex, Marc Anthony, that Jennifer's 25-year-old boyfriend, Casper Smart, has been spending quality time with his kids.

Kate Winslett, 36, has two kids with ex-husband Sam Mendes — Joe, 9, and Mia, 11.5. She recently opened up to Britain's OK! Magazine about being a single mom: 

It's not the easiest situation being a single mother, but Sam has been very good in helping me with the kids.... They've been spending time with both of us and even though it was hard at first, we're all doing great. I've never felt better. I'm very happy with the work I've been doing and I'm enjoying my time with my children, who mean the world to me."

Halle Berry, 45, has a daughter, Nahla, 4, with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry. Unfortunately, the custody battle over Nahla has gotten ugly at times — even preventing Halle from securing acting gigs. In the meantime, though, Halle is happily moving forward with fiancé Olivier Martinez.

Uma Thurman, 42, just had a new baby girl with boyfriend Arpad Busson!

Of course, she's also mom to Maya, 13, and Levon, 10 — her kids with ex-hubby Ethan Hawke. And, according to Uma, being a single mom hasn't been easy. "Trying to raise kids on your own is not easy," the actress has said. "It’s why I haven’t worked as much as I should or could have. It’s why I haven’t made a film in a year. But let’s face it, whoever you are, a girl’s got to make a living.”

Madonna, 53, is a single mom of four. She has a daughter, Lourdes, 15, with Carlos Leon, two sons, Rocco, 11, and David Banda, 6, with ex-hubby Guy Ritchie, and a daughter, Mercy James, 6. She adopted David Banda with Guy, and Mercy James on her own. As for being a single mom, Madonna got honest with the UK's The Sun. "I'm not going to lie," she tells the paper. "It's hard work having four kids and doing all the work I do. Sometimes I cope with it very well, sometimes it's a struggle."

She also revealed her latest single, "I Don't Give A," is "about the life of a single mother.... It’s a challenge juggling everything — multi-tasking is my middle name. I try to express that.”

Sex and the City's Kristin Davis, 47, who adopted little Gemma Rose last October, had this to say when asked about single parenthood:

It had taken me a while to feel that I could take on parenthood by myself. It is a huge change in my life, but one I am so ready for.... Some people feel desperation about finding a man... Personally, I don't.

Related article: What I'll miss about being a single mom>