Meet Sweet Magnolia Star JoAnna Garcia Swisher's Real-Life Kids
JoAnna Garcia Swisher plays the role of Maddie Townsend in the Netflix drama "Sweet Magnolias." The young divorcee has captured the imagination of fans as she navigates life as a single mother of three. However, Swisher's acting ability is not the only reason she's so at ease when she's playing Maddie in front of the camera. In real life, the actor has kids of her own and loves being a mother. On Mother's Day, she wrote a tribute to her children, saying, "Around every corner, every milestone, every moment big and small, I will forever be yours. Being your mother is my greatest gift."
Her husband, former MLB player Nick Swisher, also has only the highest praise for JoAnna as a mother, wife, and partner. He appeared on "The Jeremy Ryan Slate Show" podcast and revealed how she commanded the Swisher household. He said, "My wife, she's the leader of our s***, bro. Like she was the Derek Jeter of the Swisher house, no doubt about it. She is the one that we follow... I married the hottest girl in the world, the nicest girl in the world, you know, the greatest mom on the planet." Once Nick started, he couldn't say enough good things about his family, including the fact that his kids are amazing. But, in all fairness, we always knew the Swisher brood would be something else with a gene pool like theirs.
Emerson and Sailor Swisher have special ties to JoAnna's parents
After all, how many kids can brag that their grandfather delivered them? "The Ultimatum: Queer Love" host JoAnna Garcia Swisher gave birth to Emerson Jay Swisher on May 21, 2013. She told People that her Cuban-born OB-GYN father, Jay Garcia, after whom Emerson was named, played an important role in her birth. "He actually was present for my first delivery and caught my first baby," she said. Many years later, Emerson has her own passions and interests. She is a keen equestrian and participates in various competitive events. JoAnna shared a selfie of her and Emerson, noting, "Living that horse show life these days."
Grandpa Jay was also in the delivery room when Sailor Stevie Swisher was born on June 28, 2016. In an Instagram birthday tribute, JoAnna described Sailor as "The [crown emoji] of the one liner, with a heart of gold." Sailor isn't the only family member with a witty take on life. It seems as if Sailor may have inherited the trait from JoAnna's mom, Loraine Garcia. JoAnna wrote that, before her mother died, "She still had moments that would make us gasp with laughter. Reminding us of the delicious witt [sic] and sass that brought us so much joy. She was the QUEEN of the one-liners. Always knowing when to throw one out to totally turn your day around." Even though both of JoAnna's parents have died, she still carries precious memories of them through her daughters.
The Garcia Swishers share some parental wisdom
The birth of their daughters, Sailor and Emerson Swisher, helped JoAnna Garcia Swisher and her husband, former Yankees baller Nick Swisher, flex their parental muscles. Nick appeared on "The Jeremy Ryan Slate Show" podcast and was able to draw a parallel between the sense of failure an athlete might feel after a disappointing game to when his daughter Emerson Jay did not have a good day at a horse show in which she competed and was crying. Nick said, "I'm thinking to myself like, 'Man, you've got to remember why you're doing this sweetheart... We're not doing this to finish first place. We're doing this because we have a love for it, and we have a passion for it...'"
He went on to say that Emerson was able to make a comeback and placed third in the following competition. He added, "Once you could pick yourself up... great things will happen to you because you don't learn anything about yourself when you're kicking ass, right. When you're winning all the time, you don't learn anything about yourself. You learn about yourself when you're going through the tough times."
JoAnna talked about parenthood with PopSugar in June. She shared that she allowed space for her children to develop their own sense of self. The "Reba" actor then added this nugget about being present while your kids grow up. "It does go by fast, but every stage is so beautiful," she said.