Mills adopted Chloe when she was just four days old, and the two are now inseparable. They even have matching tattoos together.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on August 3, 2022. It has since been updated.
Donna Mills found fame early on in life. She never got married and only had two relationships. This was back at a time when society didn't understand how women could remain independent.
But Mills did not seem bothered about it, and she firmly established her reason for not getting hitched. "I don't see any more security in being married than in not being married," she said, according to PEOPLE.
While Mills focused on her life and her career, she realized that she missed out on one of the biggest aspects of her life—motherhood. She was 54 when she realized she wanted to fill that missing piece of her life, but she didn't think it was too late to become a mother, even though there would have been a lot of people who didn't agree with her.
The Knots Landing star was extremely happy with her life, but she realized a child would make her happier. "I was very concentrated on my career, but at a certain point, I realized there was something missing—it was a child," admitted Mills, according to PEOPLE.
Mills had made up her mind, although people claimed that she was too old to take care of a child. But, despite the discouragement, she was determined to become a mom, which resonated with her mind. "I never felt older than the other mothers who were probably in their 20s," she recalled.
Eventually, Mills' wish came true and she became a mother to a beautiful little girl whom she adopted. For the first few years, Mills juggled work and motherhood, but as her daughter grew older, she realized she needed more time with her little one.
When her daughter started school, she took time off work to focus on her, mainly because she wanted to be involved in her daughter's life, and not hand over the responsibilities to a nanny. "I took off 18 years. I didn't work. And I didn't become a mother to give her to a nanny," she shared.
Though she parted with her first love, acting, she was not bothered by it. Even though she was a bit older than first-time moms, she embraced it naturally. Additionally, she advised women who would rather focus on advancing their jobs to delay having children until "later in life," since this is "better than having a child early."
But even with all the criticism she faced, being a mom to Chloe was certainly fulfilling to her.
"I became a mom because I wanted to be with her. I wanted to experience all the things you do with a child, having her was the joy of my life. I feel like it's the best thing I ever did," Mills said. In the same interview, Chloe said that while growing up, she never missed her mom's presence and acknowledged that she had always been around.
Mills adopted Chloe when she was just four days old, and the two are now inseparable. They even have matching tattoos together.
This just shows that you don't need a man to build the life that you want. All it takes is a little willpower.
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Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Jason Kirk
