Ayesha Curry says mom guilt is real — but so is her need to keep her own identity

Four kids later, and Ayesha Curry says she still feels mom guilt.

During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of “Call Her Daddy,” Curry said she doesn’t want motherhood to define her whole identity.

“I still experience that. I’m almost always in therapy talking about this,” Curry told podcast host Alex Cooper about dealing with mom guilt.

“Like, for me, being married and with my husband, if you lose all of those things that were interesting about you, even for yourself, even the things that made me feel confident and cool, then like, what are you doing?” Curry said.

As a creative person, Curry said it’s always been “important” for her to explore the different sides of herself.

“It keeps me who I am to my family and the people that I love. But it also allows me to have a certain level of confidence that I don’t think I would have otherwise,” she said.

Curry is the founder and CEO of Sweet July, a lifestyle and wellness brand. She is also a restaurateur, a television host, and the author of two cookbooks.

Despite her success across different industries, Curry says women are rarely celebrated for their versatility the way men are.

“When men do it, they’re like, ‘Oh my god, you’re so multifaceted. Wow, what a renaissance man.’ And I’m like, ‘Why can’t women do the same thing?'” Curry said. “What is giving you the ick so bad that you feel like I can’t do these separate things, be good at them, or at least try to?”

A representative for Curry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

Curry is not alone. Many female celebrities are opening up about balancing motherhood with their ambitions and dealing with mom guilt.

In a March 2024 episode of “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg said she chose her career over her child.

“My kid came before my career, and I chose my career because I knew this would never happen again,” Goldberg said.

In August 2024, Halle Berry said she has “aspirations outside of being a mother.”

“Before I was a mom, I was me, and I try to stay connected to that so that my life doesn’t turn into ‘I’m only a mom,'” Berry said.

Earlier this month, Keke Palmer said she doesn’t think women should feel mom guilt for working “in this economy.”

“But the reality is, if you got to work, you got to work,” Palmer said.

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