Disturbing Confessions Of Famous Nannies
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Unsurprisingly, celebrities hire nannies to take care of their kids. While some A-list stars fail to mention the extra helping hands they receive when it comes to parenting their children, other celebs love to share how hiring a nanny has been a wonderful experience for their children and themselves. Just look at Marvel actor Zoe Saldana and her husband Marco Perego, who treat their workers as a part of the family. When Yahoo! Life asked how she manages to raise three small children while being a movie star, Saldana answered, "Our assistant, our nanny, and our housekeeper. They are literally raising our children with us. It's because of them I am able to rip myself away as long as I can, and my husband as well, to do what we do." She continued, "They're teaching us how to manage our pain as they're raising our kids with us."
However, hiring a nanny hasn't always been the best experience for other stars. How many times have we heard rumors of a nanny breaking up a celeb marriage? Of course, we'll never forget Jude Law's public apology to then-fiancee Sienna Miller for sleeping with the nanny, or the alleged long-term affair between Gwen Stefani's then-husband Gavin Rossdale and their children's nanny that supposedly led to divorce.
Plenty of nannies have come forward to share their stories of working with big-named stars. From cheating scandals to blackmailing their A-list bosses out of thousands, former nannies of the famous have found themselves in the tabloids after revealing disturbing confessions.
Kate Gosselin
"Jon & Kate Plus 8" followed the lives of then-married couple Jon and Kate Gosselin and their eight children. After the couple divorced in June 2009, the show was called "Kate Plus 8," which showcased Kate raising her children as a single mother. Of course, raising eight kids was no easy feat, and the Gosselin family enlisted the help of nannies. However, there are allegations that Kate may have been a little too controlling when giving specific orders to her workers.
A former nanny to Gosselin's kids reportedly spilled the tea to E! News. The source said Kate had her employees take note of a manual on her pet peeves, making sure they were not vacuuming at specific times and not placing anything on the floor, for example. If the clock struck 9 p.m., employees were to stop whatever they were doing and call it a day. The ex-nanny also admitted that she had to eavesdrop on the kids' conversations with their father, Jon Gosselin.
"When Jon called the kids on the phone, Kate said to us nannies, 'You are Kate, so always listen in on the phone calls,'" the former nanny revealed, adding, "Kate would say she had no problem with the kids having a relationship with Jon, but it always felt like a facade to me." The childcare provider decided to stop working for Kate when she witnessed the reality star spanking her son Colin in front of the other kids using a plastic spoon — among other uncomfortable situations.
Jon Gosselin
Believe it or not, Kate Gosselin's ex-husband, Jon Gosselin, has also been in the news for his nanny drama, but for an entirely different reason. Jon allegedly had an affair with his children's nanny, Stephanie Santoro, after he and Kate filed for divorce in June 2009, but while he was already in a relationship with his then-girlfriend Hailey Glassman.
Speaking with In Touch (via HuffPost), Santoro claimed that after meeting Jon several times in the bar she worked at, he invited her to his home in Pennsylvania and asked for a massage. Things escalated when Jon shared, "Well, I guess we can kiss just once," and allegedly cautioned Santoro, "Whatever you do, don't fall in love with me because it's going to be impossible for me not to fall in love with you." Shockingly, Santoro detailed her intimacy with Jon: "It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't the best I ever had." She indicated that they were close but had not discussed marriage.
Glassman and the father of eight split in October 2009. In an interview with Radar, she revealed that Jon had cheated on her with a reporter named Kate Major but did not mention the ex-nanny.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey's infamous diva-like behavior had her children's nanny exposing her dirty laundry. In January 2015, the singer's former nanny Simonette DeCosta filed a lawsuit against the star and her ex-husband Nick Cannon, claiming that the former couple neglected to compensate the nanny for unpaid overtime.
According to ABC News, the lawsuit alleged that DeCosta cared for Carey and Cannon's twins Monroe and Moroccan from October 2013 until late January 2014, and during that time, "often worked well over 100 hours per week" and received no sleep or meal breaks while being on call 24 hours a day. It was also stated in the suit, "Ms. Carey terminated [DeCosta] after berating her for exhibiting too much affection towards her children." According to Page Six, the ex-nanny settled her lawsuit against her former boss in June 2015 for an undisclosed amount.
Carey has admitted to having a hard time keeping nannies. She shared with Power 105.1's "The Breakfast Club" in 2014, "Unfortunately, I have to have nannies, but I'm very hands-on. I fire nannies like this (snapping fingers). And I hate doing it, but I have to because if they try to make themselves more important in the baby's mind than me..."
Mick Jagger
In 2002, Claire Verity, the former nanny to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger's son, Gabriel (whom he shares with former partner Jerry Hall), confessed to having sex with the rockstar. In an interview for the Mirror, Verity, who has worked for the likes of Sting and Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, revealed that the alleged affair took place just 48 hours after meeting Jagger.
According to her confession, the nanny worked for Jagger in 1998. She alleged that the singer introduced himself naked and fresh out of the shower while Hall and their young son were just a few feet away in their hotel. "I have to say he's pretty well endowed," Verity admitted. Things intensified when Verity had an alleged affair with Jagger while Hall was in another room. "He hitched me up onto the breakfast bar, and he pulled down my jogger bottoms. We kissed passionately; my head was swimming. The next thing I remember, he was making love to me," she said, adding that she did not regret the incident. "After all, I was with one of the sexiest stars on the planet," the nanny mused.
Jagger's spokesman Bernard Doherty denied the allegations. Jagger and Hall split after 22 years together when she learned of his affair with Brazilian model Luciana Gimenez, who gave birth to Jagger's son Lucas in May 1999. Jagger and Hall share four children. According to Closer Weekly, the rockstar has welcomed eight children with five women.
Katie Lowes
Katie Lowes is best known for starring as Quinn Perkins in "Scandal," but before she made it big in Hollywood, she was like everyone else, working numerous jobs to pay the bills. Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel in October 2013, Lowes revealed that she worked as a nanny to one famous celeb who had an odd way of parenting.
Lowes told Kimmel, "I babysat for one celebrity — who will remain nameless — family who didn't believe in diapers." She further elaborated by sharing, "If he would start to make a face of frustration ... what you would have to do is quickly remove the onesie, rush to the toilet, hold the baby over the toilet... I would have to make encouraging poop sounds behind his face."
Although Lowes kept the identity of that celeb a secret, fans quickly put two and two together when actor Connie Britton spoke to E! News in January 2014 and admitted that Lowes was the nanny to her son Eyob. "I was so upset when she got the little pilot... I think it was really pretty selfish on her part; I'll be honest," the "Nashville" star joked.
Thomas Ravenel
Thomas Ravenel, who starred in Bravo's "Southern Charm" for five seasons, was accused of assaulting his children's former nanny, Dawn Ledwell, in 2015. Ledwell, who came forward in May 2018, revealed that the ex-reality star allegedly tried to kiss her, exposed himself in front of her, blocked the door, and forcibly removed her clothes while she was cleaning his home. Police arrested Ravenel in September 2018 after he was investigated for "first-degree forcible rape," per People. Ledwell decided to share her story when real estate agent Ashley Perkins alleged that her mother, Debbie Holloway Perkins, was assaulted by Ravenel after the pair had gone on a date in December 2015. After meditation, Ashley claimed the case was settled for $200,000.
Ravenel was charged with battery in the second degree and assault in the Ledwell case. In September 2019, Ravenel pleaded guilty to charges, agreed to pay a $500 fine, and avoided jail time, per WCSC. Ledwell told People, "I mentioned that a fortune such as his will never make me fortunate. He needs to be accountable for his actions and realize he is hurting people." Ravenel shares two children with "Southern Charm" star Kathryn Dennis, whom Ledwell watched over. He is also the father to a son named Jonathan, whom he shares with Heather Mascoe. In August 2018, Ravenel tweeted that he was leaving the show (via People): "I decided I've got too much to lose and informed them I'm not coming back," he said.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Philippa Christian
Philippa Christian is known as the nanny to the stars. The Australian nanny has worked for countless celebrities and even royalty. She's been on private jets and has gone to some of the most lavish celebrity parties. Christian told "The Morning Show," "Australian nannies worldwide are sort of known as being the cream of the crop." But despite being an open book about her experiences (she's literally written the novel "Nanny Confidential" based on her life), she has sworn never to reveal her past employers. "When you're a nanny, the best interests of the children always come first. Of course, it's quite easy to name a lot of people I've worked for and to make a lot of money that way, but I would just never do that," she shared on the talk show.
In 2016, Christian dished to ET that affairs between nannies and celebrities are more common than the ones we read about in the tabloids. "A lot of my nanny friends and myself know of one nanny in particular who has had a baby to a celebrity father who the media don't know about." She also shared that some stars aren't fond of nannies forming relationships with their kids (see Mariah Carey above). "It's just because parents feel as though that child is becoming too close to you, and they are getting jealous of the relationship so you can be replaced like that," Christian said.
According to the Daily Mail, Christian no longer works as a nanny but teaches up-and-coming nannies the tricks of the trade.
Victoria and David Beckham
Victoria and David Beckham's marriage has been a hot topic since they wed in July 1999. There has been constant news of the soccer player's infidelity, and it didn't help when a former nanny decided to expose the famous couple and tell a tale of a crumbling marriage to the press.
According to the Daily Mail, in 2005, former nanny Abbie Gibson sold her story to the now-defunct publication News of the World for approximately $300,000. Her allegations included witnessing the famous couple arguing non-stop and Victoria reeling over David's cheating ways. Gibson elaborated that the couple's marriage was on the rocks due to David's alleged affairs with a personal assistant, a beautician, and one additional woman. David responded to the allegations, stating (via E! News), "When you invite someone into your home to look after your children — your most precious possessions — you have to trust them. ... Of course, we have arguments like everybody, but, at the end of the day, I know that I love my wife."
The Beckhams sued Gibson for breach of confidence, and in March 2006, received an undisclosed settlement from the British publication News of the World, per BBC. As read in London's High Court (according to Reuters) in June 2009, Gibson apologized to the Beckhams "for breaching her duties of confidence."
Rob Lowe
In April 2008, actor Rob Lowe found himself in a legal battle with his former nanny of seven years after she accused the star of 12 allegations, including sexual harassment and labor-code violations. The ex-nanny, Jessica Gibson, alleged that Lowe would inappropriately touch her and expose himself during her employment. Gibson also claimed that Lowe's wife, Sheryl, harassed her by discussing sexual experiences and speaking with vulgarity, per People.
Lowe went public with the claims by denying them and revealing that Gibson was blackmailing the star and his wife for a whopping $1.5 million. The actor filed a preemptive lawsuit against Gibson. He wrote for HuffPost, "My family is devastated at this betrayal; this woman worked in our home and traveled with us off and on for seven years, without complaint. In fact, she left other jobs to return to work for us three different times." According to People, two of the 12 allegations pertaining to labor-code violations were dismissed by a judge in June 2008. Entertainment Weekly reported that in May 2009, both Lowe and Gibson dropped their lawsuits.
It wasn't over for the Lowes, who faced another sexual harassment claim by a second nanny named Laura Boyce. According to People, she accused Sheryl of saying "racial and sexual epithets" throughout Boyce's seven months on the job. The actor sued Boyce for confidentiality agreement violation and defamation; however, both suits were also dismissed.
Tom Cruise
Celebrity nanny Suzanne Hansen had no problem exposing her past employers in her 2005 book "You'll Never Nanny in this Town Again." Her tell-all book discusses the good and bad of working as a nanny to the elite in Hollywood, including her rough gig as a live-in nanny for agent to the stars Michael Ovitz's children, and her more pleasurable time working for Danny DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman.
Hansen may have inadvertently started a rumor about actor Nicole Kidman and her adopted kids, Isabella and Connor, whom she shares with ex-husband Tom Cruise. The nanny confessed to Page Six (via Hollywood.com) that she did not see Kidman out and about. However, Hansen seems not to have nannied their kids directly, so she may not be authorized to comment on Kidman's involvement with them. She also spoke on the family's non-disclosure agreements: "Tom would make his nannies sign confidentiality agreements that were so strict, they couldn't even say for whom they were working. So basically, if [Cruise] went on camera and said how he didn't have any help raising his children, they couldn't say anything."
Kidman and Cruise announced their separation in February 2001. Their divorce was finalized that August, and they had reached a settlement by November (per Entertainment Weekly). "The Others" actor went on to marry country singer Keith Urban in June 2006 and welcomed two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. Contrary to any alleged comments over Kidman's lack of parenting, the actor did share in 2020 with Marie Claire Australia, "We never leave the kids, one of us is always there."