Jennifer Lawrence and her husband, Cooke Maroney, welcomed their first child, Cy, in 2022
Jennifer Lawrence’s life changed when she had her son, Cy.
PEOPLE confirmed in September 2021 that Lawrence and Cooke Maroney — who got married in October 2019 — were expecting their first child. Cy was born in February 2022 and the couple were spotted out on a walk with their newborn in April.
That same month, Amy Schumer told Vanity Fair during a lie detector test that she hadn’t yet met the baby and didn’t know his name, adding that Lawrence was “smart enough” not to tell her. In September 2022, Lawrence confirmed to Vogue that she had given birth to a son and revealed that she named him Cy.
Since his birth, Lawrence has approached her career differently.
“There’s no squeezing when you have a baby,” she told Cameron Diaz in a 2023 conversation for Interview magazine. “There’s just home, and it’s the best. It definitely helps weed out projects: ‘Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Is this worth being away from my child for half the day?’ ”
Here’s everything Jennifer Lawrence has said about motherhood and her son Cy.
He’s named after a famous artist
Lawrence confirmed to Vogue in September 2022 that she had a boy in February and named him Cy Maroney. She also revealed that he was named after the American painter Cy Twombly, who is one of her husband’s favorite artists.
Twombly, who died in 2011, was known for his large-scale abstract works. The artistic name choice makes sense considering that Cooke currently serves as the director of the Gladstone Gallery.
Lawrence joked about loving him as much as her cat
The Hunger Games actress has brought her signature candidness to the topic of motherhood — particularly her initial fears and doubts about being a mom. Speaking to Vogue, Lawrence said that before welcoming Cy, she was worried about whether she would be able to love him as much as her cat.
“It’s so scary to talk about motherhood,” she said. “Because it’s so different for everybody. If I say, ‘It was amazing from the start,’ some people will think, ‘It wasn’t amazing for me at first,’ and feel bad.”
Lawrence continued, “Fortunately I have so many girlfriends who were honest … So I felt so prepared to be forgiving. I remember walking with one of my best friends at, like, nine months, and being like, ‘Everyone keeps saying that I will love my baby more than my cat. But that’s not true. Maybe I’ll love him as much as my cat?’ ”
Lawrence said having Cy changed her career
Prior to becoming a mom, Lawrence had an intense work schedule. But since giving birth, she’s been more selective about her projects.
Beyond being choosy about what she works on, Lawrence is also preparing herself for the unique challenges children of high-profile parents can face.
“Kids have advantages and disadvantages when they’re born, all of them,” the actress told Diaz. “The best thing I can do is just make sure he knows he’s loved, and that he’s our number one priority, and try to be a good example of kindness.”
She continued, “I’m sure there will be challenges specifically from my choices and my lifestyle, and we’ll both have to confront that and deal with it when that day comes.”
She’s accepted the paparazzi as part of her son’s life
Lawrence told Diaz that when she was pregnant, she was “so nervous” about her baby being photographed. But after Cy was born, she realized that her energy is more important to him than the paparazzi — and she doesn’t want him to inherit the anger she can have when she sees photographers.
“If he feels that I’m anxious before I leave the house, or I’m angry when we’re outside, that’s going to impact him,” Lawrence said. “So it’s actually done the opposite, where I’ve gotten a little bit more zen and a little bit more relaxed with getting photographed because I don’t have a choice. You just have to accept it, and take a deep breath and walk.”
Lawrence said she has mom guilt
During a 2022 episode of Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Lawrence spoke with Viola Davis — who has one daughter, Genesis, and two stepchildren with her husband, Julius Tennon — about the guilt that comes with being a mother.
“Every day of being a mom, I feel awful,” Lawrence said. “I feel guilty. I’m playing with him, and I’m like, Is this what he wants to be doing? Should we be outside? What if he’s cold? What if he’s going to get sick? Should we be inside? Is this enough? Is this developing your brain enough?”
She loves Cy “so much it’s impossible”
The Silver Linings Playbook actress told Vogue that having Cy changed her life overnight.
“The morning after I gave birth, I felt like my whole life had started over,” Lawrence said. “Like, now is day one of my life. I was just so in love … My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didn’t know about. I include my husband in that.”
She continued, “I mean the euphoria of Cy is just — Jesus, it’s impossible. I always tell him, ‘I love you so much it’s impossible.’ ”