Celebrity

Celebrity parents are celebrating one of their kids' greatest milestones — graduation!
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Celebrity Parents Who Celebrated Their Kids’ Graduations In 2022

#GradSzn is in session for our favorite celebrity kids.

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Watch out world! These celebrity kids are growing up — and fast! From kindergarten, middle school, high school, and college, celebrity kids are accomplishing one of the greatest milestones of their lives: graduation.

Aside from their parents being incredibly famous, most of these 2022 graduates have had pretty normal lives and even managed to walk across the stage with honors, such as T.I. and Jamie Lynn Spears’ kids. Meanwhile, other grads already graduated officially on paper two years ago, but because of Covid, they had to postpone their long-overdue ceremony until this year.

Also in Hollywood, a bunch of other celebs have celebrated the exciting milestone. Like Yara Shahidi, who not only managed to star in the hit shows, black-ish, grown-ish and launch her own production company with her mother, but she also graduated from Harvard University and completed an intense thesis paper, which she aced with flying colors. And her TV dad, Anthony Anderson, recently fulfilled his lifelong goal and graduated from Howard University.

Graduation season is officially upon of us, folks. Below is a list of celeb kids who donned their caps and gowns on graduation day this spring and are officially off to a new chapter in their lives!

Reese Witherspoon & Ryan Phillippe

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, who divorced in 2008, came together to celebrate their 18-year-old son, Deacon Phillippe’s, graduation! Phillippe posted a picture of his son wearing an orange cap-and-gown and holding a high school diploma, with his mom and dad on either side of him. He also shared a casual home video of Ryan walking across the “stage” in his backyard and throwing his hat into the pool, where Witherspoon rescued it.

Phillippe, who also shares daughter Ava, 22, with Witherspoon, said this was a “homeschool graduation,” and shared that he “played principal.” He wore traditional graduation attire and handed Deacon his diploma. Another photo showed a close-up of the diploma, signed by his parents with “Mountain High School” written on it.

Deacon appreciated the ceremony, as he commented on the post, “Best dad ever.” What an awesome moment!

Keri Shahidi

A proud mama moment for actress Keri Shahidi, was when her daughter, Yara Shahidi, graduated from Harvard University. The grown-ish actress studied in the school's social studies and African American departments, according to Vogue.

“It’s surreal to have finally hit this major milestone,” she told Vogue. “I’ve known I wanted to go to college since I was four. By 17, I knew exactly what I wanted to study, so to see that come to fruition is a goal fulfilled.”

Keri is an executive producer and co-principal of 7th Sun Productions with her daughter, according to her Linkedin. “I'd say the advice that she has continuously reflected for me is to unabashedly remain myself. She's always reinforced that,” Keri shared with Forbes how her daughter is her role model in ways. Keri went on to share the advice she gives to her superstar daughter. “The advice that I give her and would continue to give her is ebb and flow,” she said. “You just have to be willing to just be in relationship with whatever's happening.”

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson’s oldest son, Ryder Robinson, is a high school graduate. The 18-year-old recently graduated from the Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica. “Today was a big day for our family,” Hudson posted on her Instagram. “A day you talk about when your kids are little and say things like ‘hey, one day it will be 2022 and you’ll graduate from high school.’”

Hudson called Ryder, whom she shares with her ex, Chris Robinson, “the most incredible young man.” She went on to gush, “Raising you has been one of the great gifts and pleasures of my life. You bring so much to everyone’s life. You are kind, loving, generous, patient, hilarious and one of a kind. I am so excited for this next chapter. Way to go baby! Ma loves you!”

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin recently got together to celebrate their daughter’s graduation. Apple Martin graduated from high school this year!

“Congratulations to all of the graduates especially @applemartin,” Paltrow wrote over the photo of her, Chris, and Apple shared on her Instagram Story. She added a sticker at the bottom that read, “Class of 2022.”

This past March, the actress also wrote a touching tribute in honor of Apple for International Women's Day. “I keep thinking about the women I have known since kindergarten or 7th grade, who are more strongly in my life than almost ever,” she captioned the post. “But today I want to pay tribute to one (technically almost) woman on the cusp of it. This woman gives me hope for the future of sisterhood, and for the future of our planet. And this woman has made me the woman I am today more than anyone else.”

T.I. & Tiny Harris

T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris have two graduates they are celebrating. Their youngest daughter, Heiress, graduated from kindergarten and will be starting first grade, as Tiny Harris posted about the milestone on her Instagram.

Their son, King Harris, graduated from high school with honors. “Say what you want about him... but can't say he ain't handle his business. #ProudPops,” T.I. captioned his post. “We might even 💨one together. Congratulations King. We love you,& We proud of you. Don't stop...Keep growing.”

DJ Khaled

A sweet father moment for DJ Khaled. His 5-year-old son, Asahd, graduated from kindergarten. “Im so proud of you @asahdkhaled !!!!,” the celebrity DJ captioned a cape and gown picture of his son on his Instagram. “Me and mommy and Aalam love you so much! Keep inspiring ! ASAHD YOU ARE MY SON AND YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION YOU SHOWED ME AND MOMMY WHAT THE PUREST FORM OF LOVE IS ! We love u !!!!!THANK YOU ALLAH!!!!!!!!! GOD DID !!!!!!!!!!!” Khaled and his wife, Nicole Tuck, also have a younger son, Aalam Khaled.

“God blessed me with two beautiful boys, an amazing queen and mother and blessed me to be a great father,” Khaled told People in an April 2021 interview. “This is the best feeling I ever felt in my life because it's pure. There's really no words you can describe the feeling unless you're a mother or father. It's just the truth. It's a feeling that they haven't even made a word for yet, and it's unbelievable.”

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart’s son, Hendrix is a middle school graduate and on his way to high school! The proud dad wrote on his Instagram, “The flyest/coolest kid that I know….I’m so proud of you son. Congrats on conquering this stage of life…so many stages left to go …at this rate and pace u are poised and positioned to conquer them all. Love you champ…u make ur father proud daily!!!!!.” He posted a picture of Hendrix standing in front of balloons wearing a navy blue suit with sneakers

Hart shares Hendrix and his daughter Heaven, 17, with his ex-wife, Torrei Hart. He also has a son named Kenzo, 4, and a daughter, Kaori, 1, with his current wife, Eniko Hart.

Allison Holker

So You Think You Can Dance’s Allison Holker recently celebrated her daughter Weslie's middle school graduation. “Such a special moment to be able to see our Babygirl shining so bright and stepping into new chapters of her life!! Weslie makes an impact on everyone and everything around her,” Holker captioned a photo of her daughter in her cap and gown on her Instagram. “She has this unique ability to see you, understand you and the world. She is wise, she is kind and one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. I am so proud of her and I know she is living her life in her full truth. She is making changes in the world by simply being exactly who she is! So excited to see you change the world Babygirl!!”

Holker shares Weslie with her husband Stephen "tWitch" Boss. They also have a younger daughter, Zaia, 2.

Jamie Lynn Spears

Jamie Lynn Spears is about to have a high schooler. Her daughter, Maddie, recently graduated from middle school. “High schooler,” Spears, 31, captioned a picture of Maddie and her youngest daughter, Ivey, 4, on her Instagram. According to Spears, her oldest daughter finished middle school as a 4.0 GPA student-athlete.

In 2017, Maddie got into an ATV accident that trapped the young girl underwater. She made a full recovery after a hospital stay. “When you have the worst thing you can think of in your life happen to you, it makes you look at everything else differently. You have a lot more gratitude,” Spears wrote about her daughter’s accident in her memoir, Things I Should Have Said. “That was a miracle. That should be heard. There's a lot of dark things in this world today, and I think that putting something out there like that, that is so wonderful, is something that should be shared, especially when it made so many changes in a lot of lives for the better.”

Spears shares Maddie with her ex, Casey Aldridge.

Ree Drummond

Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, has a college graduate. The blogger and television personality celebrated her daughter Paige, who graduated from the University of Arkansas. “We celebrated Paige this weekend,” she captioned a series of photos from the big day on her Instagram post. “She’s definitely ready for the next stage in life! (As for me, I’m ready for a nap.) On an unrelated note, Bryce is a goofball. Congratulations, Paigie.”

“Paige is graduating Friday, so we will head to Fayetteville, Arkansas as a family,” Drummond told People about her daughter’s graduation, which took place on May 13. “I'm so excited for her. She's had a great four years. Of course, it was interrupted by the pandemic for several months just like every college student. But she's done great.”

Kerry Kennedy

The granddaughter of Robert Kennedy recently walked across the stage at Brown University. Kerry Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo’s daughter, Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, actually graduated in 2020 but the ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic. “In tears of pride for my youngest, the sunshine embodied, boisterous angel Michaela,” Kennedy wrote on Instagram. “She is a daily inspiration, and I know she will be so for so many more following her graduation. The Brown alumni cohort and indeed the whole world is lucky to have you in it.”

Michaela posted a series of photos and videos from her delayed ceremony on Instagram. “Delayed Grad-ification,” Kennedy-Cuomo, 24, captioned the post.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

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