The couple shares two young daughters
Celebrity Parents—They’re Just Like Us (Kind Of)
In a rare and refreshingly candid interview with The Times, Eva Mendes opened up about stepping away from Hollywood, her future ambitions, and what matters most: her family with longtime partner Ryan Gosling.
Reflecting on life at home with their two daughters—Esmeralda, 10, and Amada, 8—Mendes described her and Gosling’s parenting style as both hands-on and intentionally strict.
“Letting my kid use the internet like that, to me, feels like saying, ‘Sure, go walk down a dark street alone at night. You’ll be fine,’” Mendes explained. “I know it sounds dramatic, but that’s truly how I feel.”
It’s part of the reason the couple’s daughters, who are homeschooled, aren’t allowed smartphones or access to social media—a decision rooted in a deep desire to protect their childhood and privacy.
Mendes also emphasized the importance of helping their kids understand the value of hard work and the privileges they now enjoy. She and Gosling often share stories from their own childhoods, growing up with limited means and scraping by paycheck to paycheck.
“I tell them what I didn’t have, what Ryan didn’t have—how hard we had to work, the struggles we faced,” Mendes said. “But the truth is, they may never fully understand unless they go through it themselves.”
Mendes and Gosling met in 2011 on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines and have been together ever since. Though they tend to keep their relationship private, Mendes didn’t hold back when sharing how Gosling continues to make her feel confident and desired—even at 50.
“I feel really f—ing sexy at times,” she said with a laugh. “The way my man looks at me… sometimes I’m just like, oh my God. That might not sit well with everyone, but honestly, so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he gives me.”
