Jessica Biel knows her kids didn’t sign up for being famous.
The actress, 43, spoke with InStyle for a new interview and shared that she’s had conversations with her kids about being in the public eye, especially when they make public appearances.
Biel, who attended the U.S. Open last summer with 10-year-old son Silas, tells the outlet that ahead of going to the game, she spoke with her son about whether he was comfortable going and being photographed.
“It’s a tricky one, a tricky balance. We do really try hard not to expose them in a way that they’re not comfortable with,” Biel says of Silas and son Phineas, 4, whom she shares with husband Justin Timberlake. “My son was 9 at the time, and he’s a huge tennis fan — that’s his sport, that’s what he plays.”
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Celeste Solman/InStyle
Jessica Biel
“We had this opportunity, and we talked about it. We talked about photographers. You know, ‘Are you comfortable with that?’ He can’t make these decisions on his own, but at this point, we can at least discuss what’s his opinion around it,” explains the mom of two.
At the end of the day, Biel and her son decided to just enjoy the outing together.
“You really want to give your kids every experience. I don’t know if it was the right decision, to be honest with you, but he and I had a good time,” Biel says. “It’s scary every time. But it’s also their life. And so it’s this really tricky, tricky thing to figure out, what’s appropriate.”
Celeste Solman/InStyle
Jessica Biel
The proud mom adds that she wants to keep her kids out of the public eye and off things like social media for as long as possible so they can form their own opinions — a sentiment similar to how she and Timberlake feel about letting their kids act.
“If he was a kid actor, he’d probably work all the time,” Biel says of her older son Silas’ creative genes, noting that she’d prefer him to spend his childhood learning before entering the workforce.
“And when you’re 18 years old, you want to be a professional? Have at it,” she explains. “That’s your choice. That’s what I would like to hold on to, if possible, for him, you know?”
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