Highlights
- Hollywood nannies can make a fortune off of A-list celebrity clients like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who relied on a team of nannies.
- Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have opted for a more hands-on approach to childcare and decided not to have nannies.
- Mila and Ashton cherish the early moments of raising their children without a nanny, but may consider getting help when their busy careers demand it.
Given the hectic lifestyles of A-list celebrities, finding time to take good care of their children isn't always easy. As such, Hollywood nannies can make a fortune off of celebrity clients. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have relied on a team of nannies – and while Jennifer Lopez spent thousands of dollars each week for a nanny, her unpredictable schedule led her to describe the situation as being like "a revolving door."
On the other hand, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis approached childcare differently from the beginning – forgoing nannies in favor of a more hands-on approach.
We'll take a look at why Ashton and Mila opted out of nannies, and what they've said about their decision as their careers evolved.
Updated, September 2023: Although not related to their parenting, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis received intense social media backlash recently following their decision to write letters in support of their former That '70s Show castmate Danny Masterson.
Ashton and Mila uploaded a video to Instagram to address the controversy. In the video, Ashton said the couple were "aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson," adding that they "support victims."
Why Mila And Ashton Keep Their Home Life Under Wraps
As far back as 2013, Ashton Kutcher spoke about keeping his family's personal life away from the Hollywood gossip cycle. Ashton later explained he "learned the hard way how valuable privacy is" as a young actor.
It seems that the lesson stuck, and Ashton and Mila have kept their life at home out of the spotlight – mostly.
"You know, I've learned the hard way how valuable privacy is," Ashton said an April 2013 interview with Elle. "And I've learned that there are a lot of things in your life that really benefit from being private. And relationships are one of them. And I am going to do everything in my power to have [our] relationship be private."
Though the couple typically keep their children out of the public eye, Mila confirmed that their daughter Wyatt and son Dimitri know how their parents met:
"Somebody told them that mommy and daddy met on a show, and so our daughter [Wyatt] was like, 'What does this mean?' So we try to explain it to her in the most, like, safe way ... I don't know if it registers, I don't even know if she cares."
Growing up, they're likely to learn a lot more about their famous parents.
Mila And Ashton Wanted To Experience Raising Children Without A Nanny
Nannies are an extremely common and often necessary part of celebrity parenting. But Mila and Ashton handled things more directly, especially during their kids' early years.
In an interview with People magazine, Ashton discussed the couple's decision to raise their kids without the help of a nanny. He explained:
"We just want to know our kid ... We want to be the people that know what to do when the baby’s crying to make the baby not cry anymore. We want to know, like, when she makes a little face or something, we want to be emotionally in touch with her. And I think the only way to do that is by being the one who’s there."
"It’s like getting a new cell phone where all the features don’t work yet ... It’s like a phone that won’t take pictures, and you’re like, ‘Why won’t my phone take pictures?’ And it won’t make calls, and it doesn’t do a lot, but it looks really cute."
Mila was in agreement – but wouldn't commit to life without a nanny forever.
Mila 'Will Always Cherish' Early Moments Without A Nanny, But Hasn't Ruled Them Out
Mila fondly recalled taking care of their firstborn and enjoying every minute of it. She also credited Ashton with handling diaper duty in those hectic early days.
Mila and Ashton continued without a nanny – but she later indicated that might change in response to her involvement with new projects:
"When I go back to work full time and have to have 17 hour work days, I’m gonna need somebody to come and help me because I can’t do both ... But because I’m in a very specific place in my life where I could take time off, I did."
Nanny or not, Mila and Ashton have been devoted parents despite their time-consuming careers.