Last summer, we suddenly had a flurry of random gossip about Cameron Diaz. It was kind of suspicious, even though the gossip was mostly along the lines of “she’s very happy” and “she likes being semi-retired.” Cameron hasn’t been in a movie since 2014, and for a few years, she was hustling side projects, then she just disappeared. We would still hear about her every six months or so, or she would pop up in a friend’s Instagram, but yeah… she really went underground. I always hoped that she was okay, and I hoped her marriage to Benji Madden was strong. Turns out, one of the projects she’s been working on was… becoming a mom.
There’s something about Cameron Diaz — a new-mommy glow! The actress, 47, welcomed her first child with husband Benji Madden, a daughter named Raddix Madden. The couple shared the happy news on social media Friday.
“Happy New Year from the Maddens!” Diaz and Madden began their announcement on Instagram. “We are so happy, blessed and grateful to begin this new decade by announcing the birth of our daughter, Raddix Madden. She has instantly captured our hearts and completed our family.”
The new mom went on to share that while she and Madden, 40, “are overjoyed to share this news” they “also feel a strong instinct to protect our little one’s privacy.”
“So we won’t be posting pictures or sharing any more details, other than the fact that she is really really cute! Some would even say RAD,” Diaz continued, adding a smiley-face emoji. “From our family to all of yours, we’re sending our love and best wishes for a Happy New Year and Happy New Decade,” she wrote, signing off the post (which was also shared by Madden), “Sincerely, Cameron&Benj” with a red heart emoji.
People Magazine also reports that “Cameron really wanted to be a mom,” and they note that she was last photographed in November. Meaning, she was photographed without a baby bump and she probably didn’t carry Raddix. Whether through adoption, surrogacy or gestational carrier, I’m sure Cameron and Benji had a lot of options and they chose the right one for their family. I’m happy for her and lord help me, I really hope she doesn’t turn into a mommy-blogger. As for the child’s name… it’s not my baby, so I’ll bite my tongue. This feels like a name chosen with a specific nickname in mind, and I assume they’re already calling her Radd. Raddy? Congrats to Radd, Cam and Benji.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I mean she wrote a book on menopause and discussed going through it, it’s pretty safe to say she was born of a different woman (surrogacy or adoption).
Happy for them getting the family they wanted.
Also I have a feeling her middle name starts with an A, so RAD are also her initials.
But they gave her the last name of madden…. so initials would be RAM? Lol
You are right. Too early, I’m still thinking Diaz. I need coffee!!
She could have also used donor eggs.
It’s possible she had her eggs frozen and they had a gestational carrier or even a surrogate. Whatever the case may be, congratulations to them on their precious bundle
Yeah, but you know that kid is going to get called “radish” all the way through school. What were they thinking?
Hi , I’m Rad and this is my sister Groovy and my brother Bogus.
I too thought Radish. Rad is better than Dix.
I hope Raddix marriesMaddox.
I can usually tell by looking at a certain person what level of nuts they’re going for in a name.
Some of are the Cody, Tobin, Hunter group.
Michaela and Carter etc…
Some go entirely old fashioned to a degree that feels rebellious…Esther, Jane, Henry etc…
And then there’s the people who need an X in the name like a boss at a night club
This doesn’t cover the lunacy of people who name their kids an entire occupation. Pilot Inspector anyone?
Happy for them!
Congratulations to them!
So happy for them – congratulations
The name is terrible but not my baby.
Congrats to them.
I would also like to retire from work.
I misread it as Reddit Madden.
I misread it as Raddish!!!
I am really happy for them though. They seem very solid.
Same. Congrats, terrible name, but not my baby lol.
I said it out load and it sounds an awful lot like radish to me.
Im really happy for her, but I actually always thought she didn’t want to be a mum. I remember watching an interview with her on Graham Norton during the Annie remake promo and she was talking about the young actress and the swear jar and she just came off as very much like she didn’t like kids. Wonder if she changed her mind or if I just took that the wrong way. I’m very happy for them both. He seems to have been a really good guy for her. And you can tell he simply adores her. She’s never had the best picker (Justin Timberlake or Arod 🥴) so it’s nice to see her so content. I’m sad she’s retired. While I don’t think she was the best dramatic actress by any means she had knack for comedy and she just has that X factor.
I agree I never thought much of her dramatic chops but she’s got a lot of charisma. She’s fun to watch.
Good summation – she isn’t Streep but she is very, very watchable and seems to have a good vibe.
I also thought I remembered her as being clear that she didn’t want kids. But I could be wrong, and she could have changed her mind. I was never one to obsess over babies, and kind of had one because it was “the thing to do”/next step- and then I fell obsessively in love with my baby and had 2 more! People change 🙂
I thought so too, but maybe she changed her mind, especially if they’ve been very happy in their relationship for a while now. Whatever the situation, congrats to them!
Yup, people change. She’s lucky she has the money to still have a baby. I like Cam so I’m really happy for her! That name though…
My aunt was very adamant that kids were not in the cards and after 4 years of marriage, she had 3 babies in 3 years.
My cousin just turned 30 and has said since she was a teenager that she would never marry, she is now in a serious relationship and strongly considering marriage.
People change with time.
I also think as women age, our views change and we evolve and change as human beings as we gain wisdom through life experience through the years and that obviously comes with age. I feel like it is to each their own and I also feel like just because you had a child at 30 doesn’t guarantee you will live to see that child well into adulthood sadly and there are parents that have children in their later years and live til 90. People are living longer and longer these days and I don’t think that age should stop someone from having a child if your health is good especially when everything is circumstantial and I know many people such as my aunt who died at 61 of an overdose as she was tormented and never felt complete without a child. She tried for over 11 years, did fertility treatments, tried adoption but was deemed too old at that point so there are a lot of factors to consider on this very sensitive topic for many. As a matter of fact, my uncle says his kids keep him young (he had his last at 44 and at 58 looks like he is in his early 40’s and leads a very healthy lifestyle by working out, eating clean, having a low mmand is probably in better health and physical shape.
People change. I’ve honestly only started thinking about kids seriously post 40, yes that ship has probably sailed but I do think at mid life we start thinking about things differently. I’m always happy when I see women my age or older having kids, they face so much sh*t for it when men 20-30 years older get celebrated for it.
Very true about people changing. My husband & I had no intention of having kids and stuck to that for years, until we found ourselves wanting to go for it. I was 38, him 43 when we had our son (and then 41/46 when we had our daughter). Some couples change their minds, some don’t.
Congratulations to Cameron & Benji!
She may have changed her mind or she may have said she didn’t want them to compensate for the fear of not having them. I have Friends who have done both.
Honestly, she always came across to me as the chick who said she doesn’t want marriage/children because she DOES want them and she thinks guys will be more attracted/willing to marry a girl with that attitude.
I know that sounds crazy and out there but..my sister was the same person until she turned 33. Actual conversation “(My boyfriend) says he’s not ready to get married now, and may never be. What do you think that means?”
“Well, I think you need to think about how you feel when you’re with him, and whether that’s enough to last you the rest of your life. Assume you’ll never marry and ask yourself if you’re ok with that.”
“Hmmmm…No! You’re wrong. It’s a test! If I act like I’m ok with never getting married, he’ll realize I’m cool and propose!”
(She has since calmed down, gotten shit straight, married a fantastic guy and had a wonderful daughter).
@Caitlin
Honestly, I don’t think she ever received roles/parts that got to demonstrate how good of an actress she is. Even her TINY bit in the car w/Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky or her (much bigger) role in Being John Malkovich, I could tell she has a lot of talent but never been given a role where she truly can show it off. I always liked them, they really do seem to love each other a lot & there is no fakery/thirstiness. Congrats to them! ❤️❤️
Maybe after watching Benji with his niece and nephew, she had a change of heart.
I’ve long had a soft spot for her because I appreciate funny/comedic people. It seems like this is something she and her husband (privately amazed they are still together, but there you have it) have wanted and worked toward. I’m sure they are elated and I hope they enjoy a lot of happiness as a family.
I’m indifferent to her as an actress but she was marvelous in “The Counselor”.
I’ll say it, that name is awful. I’ve already read Radish, Reddit, Ratchet, Rid-x (personal favorite) etc. The up side is by the time she goes to school all of her classmates will be named Brixton, Toaster or Cutlass by Buick.
Something nice; babies are such a gift and they do seem very happy and solid.
@yag
Honestly, offspring of celebrity & their names live in a different realm. IRL, a random kid w/this name would get teased & probably hate it, yes. But these two are famous, Cameron Diaz practically archived as an iconic actress in the 90s. They’re both rich. There will be nothing to worry about bc it’s not like it is for regular ppl & kids 😂😂
PS – how is there no radish emoji???? They have so many random useless emoji available and there’s no radish ??
Every time I see the name, I think, Raddix Maddox. Then I remember it’s Madden. It’s a bit of a mind-twister. Plus, do people still say things are RAD?
My daughter just had a baby, and when the lady came in to get his name (for the birth certificate?), my daughter gave the full name and said they were calling him “Ben.” The lady said, “Oh thank god. A regular name that everybody can spell and pronounce!”
Ben’s such a cute name. Congratulations on your grandson!
—–
I understand it can sometimes be hard to grasp all the creative new names and atypical spellings of pre-existing names.
At the same time, people can recoil from or mock names that deviate from the small body of “known” names embedded in a narrow slice of world culture. What might be a common name in one country can be called “weird” or “difficult” in another. To embrace and respect the full range of names, I guess we’re going to have to embrace the occasional Raddix, Apple, and Moon Unit of the privileged. Because when someone says, “Aha! A name I understand,” it can imply that is a “good” name as opposed to all the “funny” names they cannot understand. It says they have a small internal dictionary of names.
A “regular” name? That was insensitive for the nurse to say. What if it was an “ethnic” name? We’re not all gonna be Ben’s and Jane’s.
I live in a place where people make a point of wincing, taking a deep breath, and sometimes saying, “I’ll try to get this right,” before launching into pronouncing any kind of “ethnic” name. They could have taken a few minutes in advance to ask someone how it’s said; instead we get treated to a big show of the pains that they’re being forced to take, and how ‘polite’ they’re being with this “difficult’ name.
Just try your best with the phonetics, please; if you stumble, people will understand. But the phony struggle can be patronizing and ‘other-izing.’
I mean, you wouldn’t usually have people not of that ethnicity using an ethnic name so it’d be fairly easy for the nurse to figure it out, no?
@ Ange
You’d be surprised !
That’s not appropriate for a medical professional to say, wow.
So I was with my friend and her aunt one day. The aunt has an Thai name. My friend is a hapa with an English first name, French middle name, and Thai last name. Anyway, we run into a friend of the aunt – they’ve worked together at the hospital for thirty odd years. Anyway, the friend hears my friend’s name, she was all like “how refreshing a nice normal English name that I can pronounce.” That was like a slap in the aunt’s face. Rude.
@moptop
Well I certainly hope nobody’s foolish enough to procreate with that nurse who said that….She sounds like a bit of a Karen & we want to be rid of those women in the gene pool 😂🙌
And she could actually get professionally disciplined for saying such a thing, very unprofessional. saying basically Anglo-Saxon ‘common’ names are the ‘good’ ones
Lol like I said, I hope ppl like that die w/no offspring 👏👏👏 it’s a better world w/o them
Usually “Karen’s” have the most kids lol they are breeders.
It was rude and politically incorrect for the nurse to say that; was she older? Generations ago it used to be Bob, Tom and Sally; now it’s Raddix, Kandiee, LaaQuantah, etc. A lot of people want their child’s name to be unique, so it takes a little more effort to pay attention.
Well I don’t know her as a person obviously, But I’ve enjoyed her in movies since the 90s. She has energy, charisma, and humor. I bet she will be a fun and engaging mom!
Too bad she gave her baby a name that sounds like a brand of roach killing spray or something. Come on now, Cameron! That name is awful and I usually bite my tongue too but come ON. That’s just bad.
Congrats to them ! One thing I will say, I hate it when people say “Our family is now complete” after having a child. Nope. Please don’t say that. Many people are child-free by choice or by circumstance. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a family. Children don’t complete a family, they just make it bigger. Thank you.
And thank you! If people could simply adjust their wording that could make a difference. My life felt complete when I was single, it felt complete when I was dating, it felt complete when I was married without children, and it felt complete when we were raising a child. Different sizes and satisfactions. There is no quota to fulfill. Celebrities are as wont to fall back on cliched language as the rest of us, I guess.
I understand that certain people are sensitive about this but I really believe they were only talking about themselves, their feelings, and their desires specifically. “Our family is now complete” does not sound like a generalization to me at all.
It seriously offends you if someone expresses the sentiment that their own family is complete? That is absurd. They didn’t say “your family is incomplete without children”. Now people shouldn’t express their own views and desires for their own family without offending or being deemed insensitive.
@ Em
You seem the MOST offended just by reading my opinion lol. Ok then. It’s not just this couple, its pretty much all of society acting as if you aren’t a family until you have kids. I’m not making this sh*t up. Take a breather, it’s gonna be ok ! We don’t have to agree !
I am so happy about this!! Honestly. Congrats to Benji and her.
I am thrilled for them. I have really no idea about their separate histories but i have a soft spot for people who find love a little after the traditional arc and adding a baby to that (if wanted) is really the cherry on the cake. I am so thankful to live in a time where some women have reproductive choices that were once not available to them.
Congrats to them! The name is ridiculous sounding, celebrities truly live in another world of “I’m so special”.
good for them
awful name
Awful name, but I’m happy for Cameron & Benji. Hope Raddix grows up healthy and happy.
It seems very clear to me from that Instagram post that they are explicitly stating they are using the nickname “Rad,” and get a kick out of the late ’80s slang.
As for those people saying they didn’t think Cameron wanted to be a mom. People change. Maybe she didn’t at 20 or 30, but now she has the time, and wealth, to make it happen. Sheesh. Be happy people don’t hold you to every declaration/suggestion in conversation you ever made. (If quotes from all of our deep dorm conversations were documented and put online to compare to our 30 and 40-something selves, we’d all look pretty terrible, I imagine.)
When I was 20-ish I told anyone who would listen I never wanted to have kids. Then I (very intentionally) had three and feel incredibly lucky to be a stay-at-home mom. What would have been a nightmare at 21, was the best thing that ever happened to me at 34. I was different, and so were my circumstances.
40 and 47, huh? Okay. I mean they’re wealthy and she stays super fit so that’s good. But I will never love it when old people become parents. Yeah, I said it. For new parents, they are old. I like her a lot so I’m happy she’s happy. But my parents were 35 and 44 when I was born and while my friends are having babies, I’m dealing with hospitals, illnesses, surgeries, and difficult behavior from my old parents. I’m 35 and if nothing presents itself in the next 2 years, I’m not having kids.
I’m sorry you’re going through that but it’s not the same for all children with older parents. Mom was 38 when she had me and 40 when she had my sister. Mom will turn 78 this year and she’s been fortunate to have great health. This is my experience, but mom hasn’t been “difficult” either. I was a month shy of turning 35 when I had my one and only child and we’re definitely “older” parents in my region.
Okay 40 and 47 are not old. Personally, I think people shouldn’t have children until they are emotionally and financially prepared to have children and that’s not defined by age. I live in a big city and I dont know anybody who children before 30 so I don’t think its that uncommon.
That happens at any age, regardless of when your parents decided to have you. Your parents can be in their 50’s & you in your 20’s and they could still be having major health issues.
And 40 and 47 are not old.
Emmy I’m so sorry, it’s really hard to handle the declining health of parents.
But this can happen to anyone at any age. I am 36 now, and from the ages of 32-35 I was dealing with my father’s horrendous decline and death to ALS. He was only 29 when I was born, so a young parent. That didn’t stop the circumstances.
I also have dealt with caring for an ill and dying parent while my other peers in their 30s did not have that happening yet. You just never know what life will throw at you, you never know if young parents will leave their kids too soon while older parents will be here for a long long time.
Your comment was kind, and also very thought provoking. I’m sorry for your loss.
Mine had me at 43 and 53 (mom and dad respectively), healthy as they could be, until he fell at 91. Mom passed away 15 days after finding she had cancer. I became a mom through adoption at 46, my husband was 36 at the time. Sorry to hear I have to expect the worst.
Of course, you don’t have to expect the worst. An original poster, unfortunately, has a bad experience but that’s not the universal rule. My friend’s parents had her in their 40s, she is 35 now, they are doing great and they always joke that she keeps them super young. 🙂
I think that it is awesome that you adopted a child and I wish you all the best.
At least they got you here.
I knew people would get upset, it happens every time the age issue comes up around the baby topic. And of course 40 and 47 is old to have a baby.
I love my parents and because they looked and still look a lot younger than they are, I never cared about this or even really noticed it. To be fair to them, they tried for 5 years before I arrived. But at some point, it became undeniable that they aren’t exactly spring chickens. And yes, you can be a great parent at 45. You can be a terrible one at 30. You can live to 100 and be healthy and self-sufficient, you can become ill at 40.
But there are a few certainties that come with being an older parent and it drives me nuts that people don’t want to acknowledge them. Suddenly, because it’s something people want, it’s all la di da, life is so unpredictable, let’s just live, we should all get what we want. No. Like I said, Cameron keeps fit (as far as I can tell) so that’s good. Other than that, I said what I said.
I understand your point, I truly do, and I hope your parents feel much better soon, but don’t forget that it is not the same today as it was 35 years ago. With all the available tests I think that getting pregnant in later years is much safer than it was before.
You know the best what you want but don’t limit yourself, you never know what the future holds. You can be healthy and active at 90.
I see you.
I admit, my first thought was to be happy for them, but my 2nd was: when the kid is a challenging 15 year old, Cameron will be 62 years old. That’s tough! I’m 62 and my grandkids exhaust me. Just to blow your mind (but it’s true): my cousin was a GRANDFATHER at age 32 (He and his daughter each became parents at age 16.)
@Emmy
I’m sorry your experience has caused you pain & resentment but…35 and 44…having kids at that age is not unheard of or ancient. My mom was 39 when she had me. My friends mom and dad were both 50. All healthy, active, & almost always say having kids a little later have kept them ‘younger’ happier & healthier/more active. Also statistically, the older you have kids, the less likely a couple divorces.
I hope you realize that some ppls parents have them in their 20s or early 30s, and then die of cancer, early onset dementia, really anything can make mortality shake.. But I think you projecting your experience is harmful. You should know that your experience isn’t everywhere & tbh, thinking 35 is over the hill for having kids, or really even near 40…that’s kinda crazy my dear. Maybe your parents were unhealthy to begin with? With complete love I say this: you should visit a therapist & honestly, if you *truly* think 35+ is too old to have kids, it sounds best if you don’t. Bitterness can hold you hostage…you deserve to break free.
Awww, thank you for being so condescending and bitchy “my dear”. I love how people twist my words. I never said don’t have kids after 35. You may want to look into reading glasses. I said I personally don’t want it anywhere near 40. That’s just for me.
People are really into defending this older parents thing, I know this and there’s always pushback. My guess is people just feel entitled to kids and don’t like their choices questioned. I completely understand that although nobody is entitled to children. But everyone draws a line somewhere. Whether that’s 45 or 55 is really only a matter of opinion.
I could be wrong, but my impression is that they’ve been trying to have a baby for years. I suspect that years of heartbreak preceded this moment of joy.
So sorry that you’re dealing with aging parents at a young age. FWIW, I’m your age, and my father, who is mid-60’s, has Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He’s a non-smoking, non-drinking, vegan doctor. You just never know.
agree. Definitely trying for years those two. I suspect IVF, probably loads of rounds of it too, as they’re wealthy. Lots of rumors they were pregnant, lots of loose fitting clothing worn by her, her retirement, ect. I’m so happy for them, for anyone, who finally got their bundle of joy at the end of a long hard road. That kind of stress can end relationships, they seem to be thriving and it’s really cool to see.
Congrats to them, nothing better then two people who really want to be parents finally having their dreams come true.
Awful, awful name.
[*Like, really awful.*]
If you are going to use a nickname from birth, why not just make that the legal name? I don’t understand why you’d name a child something poly-syllabic or unusual, but then never use it. I suppose it’s one thing if somewhere on their family tree there is a beloved great-grandparent Raddix, but I’m willing to wager there probably isn’t.
Happy for them and their little family. They always seemed like a solid couple. The spelling is odd for the name – “Radix” (pronounced “ray-dix) Is latin for “root” so perhaps that is what they were going for?
I’m wondering if they were thinking of the word radix (which means the root or source of something) but then added another d because there are 2 d’s in Madden? I just figure there’s some kind of significance there.
I’m just throwing it out but maybe she’s baby Dixi- Dixie?
Love the baby! Hate the name. Call your child what you will but why handicap them with forever unpronounceable names? Why not name her Radish and just get it over with? Poor child.
For a normal kid w/non famous parents, sure. But let’s not pretend their realm isn’t different. Famous parents, rich, will go to schools w/the same kind. It won’t be a handicap.
All the best from me, usually from what I can see, when grown-up mature people decide to have a baby they end up being amazing parents because they have a lot of life experience and know exactly what they want. I am really happy for them.
@anne
THIS. It’s curious & interesting how th offspring of older parents often become really great well rounded ppl I’ve noticed. I think it has a LOT to do with tha
Soooo happy for them both. Cameron seems so relaxed and happy in her private life. Not a huge fan of the name but I’m sure it’ll grow on me. I didn’t like Archie when I first heard it and now I couldn’t picture anything else 🥰
Isn’t it amazing how that works? We’ve had a few little ones in our family whose names were initially unpopular, but before you know it everyone agrees that no other name could ever suit 🥰
Good for them! This story made me happy.
I kept thinking their last name was Maddox! I’m like in what universe would you name your kid Raddix Maddox!😩
Ha, ha: I read every single comment, and yours made me laugh out loud!
My daughter doesn’t have my husband’s last name, she has mine.
I knew a couple who agreed (before they wed) to give their first son the mom’s last name, and their 2nd son their dad’s last name, and that’s exactly what they did. The wife’s family had lost a lot of relatives in the Holocaust, and the continuation of her name was very important to her. When I grew up, my parents were constantly mentioning that only their son would carry on the family name. He was treated as the golden child, whereas we girls were just going to get married, and would not carry on our family name. (So crazy, because it’s not like we were the only ones with that last name in the world.) My brother’s only son (and only child) did not want to have kids; he passed away young from cancer and our family’s last name died out. But my sister and I have children and grandchildren, and it’s our DNA that’s passed on our family line. The patriarchy drives me bonkers.