Julia Fox Says Giving Birth To Her Son Valentino Was “Better Than Any Drug”

Julia Fox views the world through a unique lens. She is an artist in New York, a podcaster, a trendsetter, and of course, a mom of her 2-year-old son, Valentino. And during a recent interview with The New Yorker, she shared her view about giving birth to her baby boy. An experience she remembers as being “better than any drug.”

The Uncut Gems star told The New Yorker that she discovered she was pregnant when she and her ex, private pilot Peter Artemiev, were going through their divorce and chose to welcome her baby boy as his due date coincided with her late best friend’s birthday. And she remains glad that she did, especially after experiencing a truly life-altering moment when giving birth.

“Oh, my God, it was better than any drug,” Fox told The New Yorker when asked about giving birth. “Better than anything I’ve ever — if I could live in those ten seconds on a loop, of him coming out, me holding him, I would.”

Fox, who recently released her memoir Down The Drain, has been open about her own history with drugs in the past. She once nearly died from a heroin overdose after being introduced to the drug when she was 14. But she told The New Yorker that becoming a mother has changed her “reckless” behavior. “I used to be so reckless,” she shared. “Either I thought I was invincible, or had a death wish. But now I would never — I’d never do drugs, go on a bender, drive crazy. I’d never go skydiving. I’m even just so much more conscious that, like, I have to be in a good mood.”

Despite her wonderful experience of welcoming Valentino, single motherhood has not been without its struggles for Fox. Particularly during the pandemic when she was also struggling financially and doing it all without the help of a nanny. “I didn’t really have the means. I think I was also coming from a place where I don’t think I was properly cared for,” she said in the same interview. “I wanted my son to know that mommy’s there, and she’s there all the time.”

These days little Valentino goes to daycare, but Fox’s life continues to revolve around her son and his needs. Particularly in her small New York apartment that is basically Valentino’s apartment where she simply gets to exist amongst his toys. Fox shared a tour of her apartment in January that went viral for being so realistic and honest, with her son’s toys scattered around the place and her own bed set up in the living room. Why? “I put my bed here in the living room so I could turn my bedroom into a little playroom for Valentino,” she explained in the video at the time.

Julia Fox has a way of looking at the world that feels unique but also deeply honest at the same time. And she’s winning us over to her way of seeing things.