Megan Fox opens up about motherhood, fame, and how she teaches her children about gender identity in an emotional interview with Glamour UK.
Fox has three sons: Noah, nine, Bodhi, eight, and Journey, five. She’s been open about Noah’s desire to dress up to express himself since he was a toddler, as well as the bullying he’s faced as a result. During the interview, she discusses how she has always taught her children about gender identity and how to be confident in who they are. [Editor’s note: In this story, we use both gender-neutral and masculine pronouns, similar to how Fox refers to Noah.]
“When Noah was about two, he started wearing dresses, and I bought a bunch of books that sort of addressed these things and addressed a full spectrum of what this is,” Fox explains. “Transgender children wrote some of the books.” Some of the books are simply about how you can be a boy and wear a dress; you can express yourself however you want through your clothing. And it doesn’t even have to do with your sexual orientation.”
She acknowledges how difficult it is for her to control how other children are taught about issues such as gender identity.
“That’s why I don’t put my kids on Instagram or social media,” she explains.
Fox claims that her children attend a school where “the other parents have similar beliefs,” and that most of the students do not have regular access to the internet. While explaining how it works, she became emotional and began to cry.
“So they know their parents are famous,” she explained, “but their knowledge of it is very limited.” “I knew when they were very young that I wanted to protect them in any way I could, and a lot of that had to do with limiting their internet exposure.” So far, we’ve done a great job of keeping their innocence in many ways, but I know I can’t protect them forever, even though I have a child who suffers.”
Fox last posted photos of her children on Instagram in 2018. She says she’s a proud mother, but she doesn’t feel comfortable putting them out there for the world to see and react to.
“I’m so proud of my kids. Noah is an unbelievable pianist. Noah can learn Mozart’s concerto in an hour and just absolutely shred on the piano,” she says, explaining that she’d love to be able to share that with people. “But I also don’t want the world to have access to this gentle soul and say all the things that we all know they’re going to say.”
It’s understandable that celebrity parents would want to protect their children’s autonomy and boundaries by keeping them out of the spotlight and off their social media accounts. Because children are unable to make these decisions for themselves, it is our responsibility as parents to make them on their behalf.
A post shared by Megan Fox (@meganfox)
Sure, we all want to share the wonderful memories of our children’s childhoods and our parental pride with the rest of the world from infancy onward. Celebrities and influencers may have chosen a public life, but their children have not. Your children have access to the rest of the world, but the rest of the world does not have to have access to your children.
In regard to Noah and her desire for him to live life as true to themself as possible, she acknowledges that the world isn’t always kind to kids they deem “different” and how she wishes she could protect him.
“So I have a lot of worries about that, because I just wish that humanity was not like this,” Fox says “Although my kid is so brave and my child is so brave and I know that they’ve chosen this journey for a reason. It’s just hard as a mom.”
One thing she’s completely nailed is making sure her children know they’re accepted, loved, and brave at home by having open discussions and reading inclusive children’s books about gender identity.
“I’ve incorporated those things into their daily lives since they were very young, so nobody feels weird, strange, or different.”
Mama, you rocked it. You and your children are lucky to have each other on this journey.