With a new show, a darling child, and a stunning new home, it may seem like actress Rachel Bilson has it all. But in a refreshing interview with People, the Nashville star revealed that life as a Hollywood starlet isn't always easy, especially when you're balancing work and co-parenting with an ex.
"Being a mom is No. 1 for me, and it always will be," she said. "Anything I choose to do for work has to be something I really want."
Bilson and Hayden Christensen, her partner for nearly a decade, announced their split last fall. Though they've been able to make things work for their three-year-old daughter, Briar Rose, Bilson admitted that co-parenting requires a lot of emotional effort.
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"We're still kind of trying to figure it out," Bilson, who's filming in Canada, said of coordinating schedules with Christensen. "It's a tricky one. And I don't know that there is any right way, necessarily. We say Mommy has a house and Daddy has a house, but she's pretty young to have an in-depth conversation."
Ultimately, Bilson said that putting in the work and sacrificing work opportunities, no matter how difficult, is worth it so long as her daughter grows up feeling loved.
"Most important for me is that Briar is okay and secure and stable," she said. "No matter what I'm dealing with or how much it hurts or how much anger there is, it's just about her.... Briar needs to feel loved from the people she loves the most. She has that love that is unconditional so I think we're doing okay."
For years, celebrity couples have made headlines for parenting with their famous exes. Gwyneth Paltrow and her fiancé, Brad Falchuk, brunch with her ex, Chris Martin on the reg, while Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick go on fancy summer vacations with their kids. All of these success stories are fantastic, but it's also encouraging to hear a celebrity talk about the difficult process of getting to that happy co-parenting place.