Brigitte Neilsen: 'Not everyone agrees with it but it's my life'

The actress talks about having her fifth child at the age of 54

Content Editor / July 30 2018

Actress Brigitte Neilsen has come under fire after giving birth to her fifth child at the age of 54.

Speaking to People magazine, the ex-wife of Sylvester Stallone said she’s received a lot of criticism for having daughter Frida later in life.

“Some women think, ‘oh my god, I’m too old.’ Well yeah I can understand people saying ‘how dare she.’”

The blonde actress went on to say that many men have children in their 60s and 70s and don’t seem to come under as much scrutiny as older mothers do.

happy time ❤️ positive vibes #happyness #positivevibes
happy time ❤️ positive vibes #happyness #positivevibes

“Do I understand that [people] are sceptical? Yes, I understand. I also totally respect the fact that not everybody agrees with it, but it is my life.”

The actress shares her daughter with husband Mattia Dessi, who at 39 is 16 years her junior. She has four grown-up sons already from previous marriages, so Frida is her first daughter.

The Red Sonja actress revealed she went through 10 years of IVF to fall pregnant with her daughter, and says fifth husband Dessi is “the real deal” and “a natural” with their baby daughter.

12yr marriage today and we still have love&fun with just being together❤️#love #together
12yr marriage today and we still have love&fun with just being together❤️#love #together

“I’m literally a different person, and that has a lot to do with my husband, because my husband doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink,” she revealed. “When I met him I was like rock and roll, and he said, ‘I adore you, but I cannot live with that.’

“I have that real old-fashioned feel to my family that I always wanted, the kind my mom and dad had.”

Nicola Conville has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 20 years across a wide range of print and online publications. Her areas of expertise are parenting, health and travel. She has two children; Lucy, age eight, and Nathan, age five.