Celebs open up about their experience of empty nest syndrome

Kelly Ripa opened up on an episode of 'Live With Kelly and Ryan' about the "brutally painful" experience of dropping her and Mark Consuelos' son, Joaquin, the youngest of their three kids, off at college. "It was hard," she admitted. "It was really hard." She explained that when her kids were little she would give them a goodnight kiss, then exit the room and then return saying, "One more! One more!" It was something they eventually grew out of, until Ripa's 50th when her daughter suggested they all sleep in the same room and asked her mother to continue on her old tradition.

And so, when Ripa was dropping off Joaquin at the University of Michigan, she explained, "We gave him a hug. It was actually brutally painful. Anyway, I gave him a hug, and I said, 'I did not realize that 18 years would go so fast.' And he didn't say anything. He was just giving me a hug. He turned to walk away, and I said, 'Wait, Joaquin, one more.' And he kept walking," she said while appearing to tear up. "I knew that…it was happening to him, too. The emotion."

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Kathie Lee Gifford -

TV host and mom of two, Kathie Lee Gifford struggled when her kids left for college. But she didn't dwell, instead she came up with coping strategies that she shared with others.

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Kathie Lee Gifford -

Those strategies include baking cookies, closing your kids' bedroom doors and resisting the urge to go in, and having a get together with your kids' friends' parents.

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Rob Lowe -

In his autobiography 'Love Life,' actor and producer Rob Lowe wrote candidly about the heartbreak he felt when sending his two sons, Matthew and John, off to college.

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Rob Lowe -

He wrote, "There are parents sending their kids off to battle zones, or putting them into rehabs and many other more legitimately emotional situations, all over our country. How dare I feel so shattered?"

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Meredith Vieira -

Journalist and TV personality Meredith Vieira has three kids, and although she struggled when she sent her first off to college, she actually sees the empty nest in a positive light.

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Meredith Vieira -

In an interview with Parade she said, "You’re supposed to give your children roots and wings, and their roots are firmly planted in the ground and they have a sense of themselves and of place and purpose. They have the ability to fly away from home and to test those wings."

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Susan Sarandon -

Actress Susan Sarandon is a mom of three, who are all now adults. In 2009 she told The Express that she was looking forward to the empty nest, as it would allow her to take back control of her schedule.

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Susan Sarandon -

She said, "The thing is, when you have kids you're such a captive to their school schedule so you get an invite or you wanna go someplace or something, you have to be back (by a certain time). I'm very hands on so I have to break that habit."

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Denis Leary -

Actor Denis Leary is another one who couldn't wait for the nest to empty. In a 2010 interview he described his excitement at the prospect of being able to take over their rooms.

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Denis Leary -

He said, "If you have teenagers – their rooms are full of such great stuff... My kids have plasma TVs and games and PlayStations and three different game systems and laptops. It’s a blast!"

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Sigourney Weaver -

Actress Sigourney Weaver expected it would be tough when her daughter left for college, but she was determined to have a positive outlook on the whole thing.

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Sigourney Weaver -

She told The Telegraph, "I’m determined not to be one of those mawkish, soppy mothers so I’m determined to be very busy. Plus it’s kind of exciting watching her go out there into the world."

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Kyra Sedgwick -

Kyra Sedgwick also sees the good in the empty nest. She told Parade, "There’s something to waking up and thinking, ‘What am I doing today?’ instead of, ‘How can I squeeze in what I need to do around their schedules?’"

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Kyra Sedgwick -

She did add, however, "But hearing my kids walk through the front door saying hello is still the best sound to me."

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Katie Couric -

Talk show host Katie Couric has two daughters and raised them as a single mom after her husband sadly passed away in 1998.

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Katie Couric -

She once told USA Today, "It’s less that I’m worried about being an empty nester than I am at being absolutely flabbergasted at how fast time flies. That’s a little bit scary."

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Andie MacDowell -

Actress Andie MacDowell is an empty nester now that her three kids have left home. She used the opportunity to refocus her energy on her career.

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Andie MacDowell -

She told the TV blog Zap2It, "I asked myself, 'What am I doing here? There are no kids. I am ready to go now.'"

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Alfre Woodard -

Actress Alfre Woodard is a mom of two who struggled when her son and daughter flew the nest.

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Alfre Woodard -

She is another one who made the most of the time, however, by throwing herself into work. Shortly after she became an empty nester, she starred in the Lifetime remake of 'Steel Magnolias' (2012).

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Michelle Pfeiffer -

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer is a mom of two who struggled when both her kids left for college, leaving the nest empty for the first time.

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Michelle Pfeiffer -

In 2012 she told Ladies Home Journal that being an empty nester was scary, but that she was finding other ways to fill her time, including painting portraits.

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Christie Brinkley -

Model and actress Christie Brinkley is a mom of three who have now all left home. She gave an interview with Page Six in 2016, during which she talked about being an empty nester.

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Christie Brinkley -

She revealed that she would get "misty-eyed" every time she thought about being an empty nester, even though she had always encouraged her children to be independent.

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Julianne Moore -

Actress Julianne Moore found it difficult when her son Caleb left for college, even though she also has a younger daughter.

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Julianne Moore -

She has described how childhood seems to last forever, but how "adolescence goes by in a flash" and how for parents it is "shocking" to watch their children get older.

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Jools Oliver -

Jools Oliver is a former model and the wife of British celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver. In 2013 she told Hello! that the empty nest scared her so much she was thinking about having a fifth child.

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Jools Oliver -

In 2013 her youngest was just two years old, but the celebrity couple went ahead and added to the brood anyway. They welcomed their son River in 2016.

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Angelina Jolie -

Actress Angelina Jolie may not be an empty nester yet, but she has spoken publicly about how difficult it is watching your child leave home.

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Angelina Jolie -

In 2019 she told Entertainment Tonight that she had an "embarrass your children ugly cry" when dropping her son Maddox off at college.

Sources: (HuffPost) (Today)

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Kelly Ripa -

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Kathie Lee Gifford -

TV host and mom of two, Kathie Lee Gifford struggled when her kids left for college. But she didn't dwell, instead she came up with coping strategies that she shared with others.

Getty Images

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Kathie Lee Gifford -

Those strategies include baking cookies, closing your kids' bedroom doors and resisting the urge to go in, and having a get together with your kids' friends' parents.

Getty Images

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Rob Lowe -

In his autobiography 'Love Life,' actor and producer Rob Lowe wrote candidly about the heartbreak he felt when sending his two sons, Matthew and John, off to college.

Getty Images

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Rob Lowe -

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Meredith Vieira -

Journalist and TV personality Meredith Vieira has three kids, and although she struggled when she sent her first off to college, she actually sees the empty nest in a positive light.

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Meredith Vieira -

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Susan Sarandon -

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Susan Sarandon -

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Denis Leary -

Actor Denis Leary is another one who couldn't wait for the nest to empty. In a 2010 interview he described his excitement at the prospect of being able to take over their rooms.

Getty Images

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Denis Leary -

He said, "If you have teenagers – their rooms are full of such great stuff... My kids have plasma TVs and games and PlayStations and three different game systems and laptops. It’s a blast!"

Getty Images

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Sigourney Weaver -

Actress Sigourney Weaver expected it would be tough when her daughter left for college, but she was determined to have a positive outlook on the whole thing.

Getty Images

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Sigourney Weaver -

She told The Telegraph, "I’m determined not to be one of those mawkish, soppy mothers so I’m determined to be very busy. Plus it’s kind of exciting watching her go out there into the world."

Getty Images

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Kyra Sedgwick -

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Kyra Sedgwick -

She did add, however, "But hearing my kids walk through the front door saying hello is still the best sound to me."

Getty Images

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Katie Couric -

Talk show host Katie Couric has two daughters and raised them as a single mom after her husband sadly passed away in 1998.

Getty Images

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Katie Couric -

She once told USA Today, "It’s less that I’m worried about being an empty nester than I am at being absolutely flabbergasted at how fast time flies. That’s a little bit scary."

Getty Images

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Andie MacDowell -

Actress Andie MacDowell is an empty nester now that her three kids have left home. She used the opportunity to refocus her energy on her career.

Getty Images

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Andie MacDowell -

She told the TV blog Zap2It, "I asked myself, 'What am I doing here? There are no kids. I am ready to go now.'"

Getty Images

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Alfre Woodard -

Actress Alfre Woodard is a mom of two who struggled when her son and daughter flew the nest.

Getty Images

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Alfre Woodard -

She is another one who made the most of the time, however, by throwing herself into work. Shortly after she became an empty nester, she starred in the Lifetime remake of 'Steel Magnolias' (2012).

Getty Images

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Michelle Pfeiffer -

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer is a mom of two who struggled when both her kids left for college, leaving the nest empty for the first time.

Getty Images

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Michelle Pfeiffer -

In 2012 she told Ladies Home Journal that being an empty nester was scary, but that she was finding other ways to fill her time, including painting portraits.

Getty Images

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Christie Brinkley -

Model and actress Christie Brinkley is a mom of three who have now all left home. She gave an interview with Page Six in 2016, during which she talked about being an empty nester.

Getty Images

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Christie Brinkley -

She revealed that she would get "misty-eyed" every time she thought about being an empty nester, even though she had always encouraged her children to be independent.

Getty Images

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Julianne Moore -

Actress Julianne Moore found it difficult when her son Caleb left for college, even though she also has a younger daughter.

Getty Images

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Julianne Moore -

She has described how childhood seems to last forever, but how "adolescence goes by in a flash" and how for parents it is "shocking" to watch their children get older.

Getty Images

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Jools Oliver -

Jools Oliver is a former model and the wife of British celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver. In 2013 she told Hello! that the empty nest scared her so much she was thinking about having a fifth child.

Getty Images

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Jools Oliver -

In 2013 her youngest was just two years old, but the celebrity couple went ahead and added to the brood anyway. They welcomed their son River in 2016.

Getty Images

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Angelina Jolie -

Actress Angelina Jolie may not be an empty nester yet, but she has spoken publicly about how difficult it is watching your child leave home.

Getty Images

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Angelina Jolie -

In 2019 she told Entertainment Tonight that she had an "embarrass your children ugly cry" when dropping her son Maddox off at college.

Sources: (HuffPost) (Today)

Getty Images

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Celebs open up about their experience of empty nest syndrome

It's tough for famous parents too!

17/07/22 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Kids

When it comes to raising children, there are many milestones along the way. The first birthday, the first day at school, and the high school graduation are all occasions that tend to bring up mixed emotions for parents. There is a great deal of happiness and excitement, but also a certain nostalgia and even shock at the speed at which time is passing.

One particular milestone that parents tend not to look forward to is the day that all their children are grown and have flown the nest. While some fear it and find it more difficult than others, it's safe to say that transitioning to an empty nest is not easy for any parent.

Check out this gallery to see what celebs have to say on the topic.