Eva Mendes says she didn't have the confidence to raise kids in her 20s

• Eva Mendes, 50, says it was a good idea for her to have children later in life.
• "In my 20s, I shouldn't have even been around a child. I was foul-mouthed and smoking," Mendes told People.

Eva Mendes, 50, thinks it's a good thing she had kids later in life.

Mendes spoke about motherhood and aging in an interview with People and shared that she didn't have the confidence to raise children in her 20s.

"In my 20s, I shouldn't have even been around a child. I was foul-mouthed and smoking. I definitely could not have raised kids in any other era of my life but now," Mendes said.

Mendes shares two daughters, Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 8, with Ryan Gosling. The couple started dating in 2011, after meeting on set while filming "The Place Beyond the Pines."

She added that while her decision to have kids later in life caused a lot of buzz, she has no regrets.

"When I was 40, it was a big deal for people when I was pregnant, and it wasn't for me. And then I was 42 and I was pregnant with my second one and people were like, 'Oh my God, you're going to be so tired. That's why people have kids in their 20s,'" Mendes said. "I was like, 'That's the most asinine thing I've ever heard.'"

She also shared that leaving the acting industry to be a mother was the "easiest decision" she ever made.

"All those years are just so formative," Mendes said. "I wanted to be there for all of it."

In March, Mendes said she had a "non-verbal agreement" with Gosling that she would step back from acting to stay at home with their children when they decided to have kids.

"I still worked, I just didn't act because acting takes you on locations, it takes you away," she said.

According to her IMDB page, Mendes' last acting credit was for 2014's "Lost River," which Gosling wrote and directed. However, Mendes has been the co-owner and brand ambassador of a cleaning product company, Skura Style, since 2022.

Mendes isn't the only celebrity who decided to have children later in life. Hilary Swank gave birth to twins at age 48, while Naomi Campbell welcomed her first child when she was 51.

However, being an older mom isn't something that everyone wants.

In January, Sofia Vergara revealed her marriage to Joe Manganiello ended because they had differing views on having children.

The "Griselda" star, 51, then elaborated on her decision not to have any more kids at her age in a May interview with People.

"I didn't think because of my career, the way I live my life, the way my marriage was, that it was fair to bring a kid to this world, and I'm not going to be able to give 100 percent," Vergara said.

Although there are more health risks associated with a late pregnancy, there are benefits to being an older parent, such as being more financially stable.

A representative for Mendes did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.