Instagram | @selenagomez

9+ Celebs Who Were Raised By Single Mothers

There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding single parenting, such as how the kids will have a harder time amounting to something big.

Well, thanks to the single mothers of these 9+ celebrities, they're showing the world that going it solo can pay off, big time.

Hats off to them!

Angelina Jolie

Getty Images | Ron Galella, Ltd

Angelina's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, sacrificed her career as an actress to raise her children alone after her divorce with actor, Jon Voight.

The late mother's devotion for her kids has helped transform Jolie into the strong woman she is today.

On top of being a philanthropist, she's an amazing mother with six kids!

Demi Lovato

Instagram | @ddlovato

Demi Lovato's mom, Dianna, has always been a pillar of strength for the singer.

She was there for Lovato and her sisters when she raised them alone in Texas and she was there for the singer again when she struggled with mental health issues.

Justin Bieber

Instagram | @pattiemallette

The "Baby" singer accredits a huge portion of his success to his mother, Pattie Mallette, who had Justin when she was just a teenager.

She's the one who helped him get discovered for his talent at a young age.

She did so by posting his videos on YouTube and always entering him into talent competitions.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Getty Images | Hubert Boesl

The famous actor was only a year old when his parents got divorced.

Leo ended up staying with his mother, Irmelin, who worked several jobs to provide for them.

Her hard work ethic has paid off!

We're guessing Irmelin doesn't struggle much anymore since Leo is one of the highest-paying (and highly-respected) actors in the world!

He also cares deeply about the environment, as shown through his foundation and donations.

Christina Aguilera

Getty Images | Steve Granitz

Being raised by her single mother, Shelly Loraine, may have been a "struggle" at first, but it soon turned out to be a blessing.

That's because the singer later revealed that her father had been physically and emotionally abusive to her mother.

While on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2014, Aguilera sent kudos to single moms everywhere.

Instagram | @xtina

"More power to single moms and those out there doing it. I was raised by a single mom — I'm a smart girl and I make choices for specific reasons."

Adele

Instagram | @adele

The singer's mother, Penny Adkins, was a single mother, but sadly not by choice.

Unfortunately, Adele's father abandoned them when Adele was only two.

Selena Gomez

Instagram | @selenagomez

No wonder Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were drawn together for a while ⁠— they were both raised by single mothers!

For Selena, her mother, Amanda Teefey, split from Ricardo Joel Gomez, when she was just five.

At first, it was hard for Selena to see the positives of being raised by a single mother.

Instagram | @selenagomez

“I was frustrated that my parents weren’t together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me," she told Glamour.

Eventually, though, she adopted gratitude: “I’m terrified of what I would have become if I’d stayed there.”

Kayne West

Getty Images | Ferdaus Shamim

The rapper has always been open about how much he loves his mother, Donda West.

When he made it big in music, she even quit her job as an English teacher to become his manager.

Sadly, Donda passed away in 2007 due to a heart attack.

Instagram | @kaynewest

It's something that the rapper has struggled to come to terms with, since she passed away suddenly and from complications, due to the surgeries she had days prior.

Barack Obama

Unsplash | History in HD

Believe it or not, the 44th President of the United States was raised by a single mother!

Ann Dunham gave birth to Obama when she was just 18.

Sadly, after discovering that Obama's father had a secret wife in Kenya, she was raised him on his own.