Kristen Bell on the Paparazzi Stalking Children: ‘I Saw a Problem, Attacked It Like a Mother, and Actually Made a Difference’
Kristen Bell (Photo: Instagram)
Kristen Bell has done it. No, she hasn’t cured cancer — she’s done the next best thing: figured out how to deal with difficult people.
“My kids help me see other people in a different light,” says Bell, who has two daughters — Lincoln, 3, and Delta, 17 months — while chatting with Yahoo Celebrity. “I meet a lot of new people through my work, and there are so many different personalities. So when someone is more difficult or sees things differently, I think to myself, ‘This person’s mom knows their shortcomings and would want me to be kind to them and treat them with patience and respect.’”
It’s that fierce motherly instinct that led Bell to team up with Johnson & Johnson and the United Nations Foundation for the fourth annual Global Moms Relay, a digital campaign that proves small actions can lead to big changes by encouraging parents to help tackle some of the world’s most important challenges. From now until June 17, celebrities including Bell, Jennifer Lopez, Zoe Saldana, and Bryan Cranston will share their responses to the relay question: What do you wish were true for every child, everywhere? Every post, tweet, or share will trigger a $1 donation by Johnson & Johnson to one of five charitable initiatives — including UNICEF, Shot@Life, and Girl Up – up to $350,000.
In celebration of being the first to answer the Global Moms Relay question in a heartwarming video, Bell talked with Yahoo Celebrity about becoming a part of the initiative, what her two daughters are teaching her about being a mom, and how her “No Kids” anti-paparazzi campaign with husband Dax Shepard has helped change the celebrity media landscape.
Yahoo Celebrity: What inspired you to become a part of the Global Moms Relay?
Kristen Bell: Well, obviously I’m a mom, and I believe wholeheartedly that small changes add up to a bigger impact, so I’m thrilled to be part of the campaign. The true objective of the Global Mom’s Relay is all about bringing people together to participate and raise awareness around the idea that if you gather people together, big change can happen. As an outspoken mom, I was really excited to be the first to share a message and my ideas for what I want for children everywhere. It’s something I think about often — I put my child’s face on everyone I see, and it really altered my experience of how I saw people. Someone who’s struggling, or snarky, or smiling … I look at them and think, “That could be my kid!”
One of the things we loved about your video was how you said kids can choose who they are and discover any path in life if they have health and security. How important is it for both parents and kids to know that?
People are complex. They need opportunity, safety, and health. For me, having grown up with a mom as a nurse, I focus a lot on health and safety. I vaccinated my kids, and when I share my photos, I donate to a charity called Shot@Life that helps give vaccinations to kids in need around the globe, because if a kid isn’t safe and healthy, they’re not allowed to be anything. And that’s particularly true now with the disease crises going on, the displacement of 65 million people, war-torn areas … and heads of state are working to figure out how to deal with those issues. But for me, I’m very grateful to live in an area where I had medical attention and vaccinations. I think of that for other kids when I see pictures in the media, and it’s nice to know other moms are concerned as well. Moms hold a key. The way in which their perspective changes when they become a mother enhances everything, and it really is the key to life.
Related: 8 Times Celebrity Moms Got Real About Motherhood
What kind of small action can I take that could lead to big change in the lives of children?
An entry point is going to GlobalMomsRelay.org and sharing a photo — it only takes take two seconds. And if you spend a little more time looking at the site, you’ll see more opportunities to get involved. It’s really about cracking into everyone’s personal creativity, so you can find what’s meaningful for you. Plus, you can go to the site, download the app, and find another charity, like Shot@Life. And there’s lots of opportunities to make a difference through social media. You can donate to events on Omaze, join Crowdrise, and thread awareness through your group of friends and community. Awareness is the first step to solving a problem. The more people who know the problem, the closer we are to finding a solution. And big ideas come from sharing small stories.
Kristen and hubby Dax Shepard. (Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images)
A while back, you and Dax were huge in spearheading the initiative to raise awareness about paparazzi who were stalking celebrity kids for photographs, and the magazines that purchased the photos. Now that some time has passed, do you feel it’s gotten better, or is there more work to be done on that front?
We’ve noticed a big difference in our own life — we haven’t been followed by paparazzi since the kids have been born. It’s a huge feeling to know I saw a problem, attacked it like a mother, and actually made a difference. I’ve heard from entertainers with a bigger profile that it made a difference in their lives and that their children are less paranoid because they’re not being hunted by a strange group of men and women. Culturally, I think we’ve evolved a little bit. When we started [the No Kids Policy], we asked a question: Are you comfortable with these photos, and are you comfortable looking at them when I tell you how they’re procured? The answer was no, and that was because moms were talking about it in the media. I think we’re one step closer to healthy consumerism.
Related: Sweet Photos Celeb Moms Have Shared of Their Kids
Do you have any special plans for Mother’s Day?
Oh, I have no idea! Because I’m a working mom, and millions of moms can relate, all I want to do is spend time with them during the weekend and watch them do what they want to do. I want to spend time with them. So if they want to play with dolls or ride bikes, I just want to experience it along with them. I don’t want to be spoiled on Mother’s Day; I want to spoil them.
What did you learn about motherhood from your mom, and what are your daughters now teaching you?
Every cliché I’ve ever heard came true when I had kids. I had more respect for the things my mom experienced when I was growing up, and I see my mom in a different light. But my kids help me see other people in a different light. I meet a lot of new people through my work, and there are so many different personalities. So when someone is more difficult or sees things differently, I think to myself, “This person’s mom knows their shortcomings and would want me to be kind to them and treat them with patience and respect.” Because I realize my kids could grow up to have a bad personality! And if that happens, I hope everyone treats them with patience and respect. So I’m reminded of that when I’m away from my kids — honor who I’m dealing with, and honor their mother.
