7 Celebrities Who Can Easily Win “The Best Single Father of the Century” Award

Solo parents are typically single mothers, but there are also 2,251,000 households run by single dads. Society, however, still doesn’t give single fathers the credit they deserve and considers mothers as better caregivers and nurturers. But despite the challenges single dads face, according to a study, they tend to be better than solo moms in terms of education, overcoming poverty, and income.

We at Bright Side believe that single parents are real-life superheroes, and these 7 amazing men deserve to be appreciated for their hard work.

1. Tom Cruise

Before having his biological daughter, Suri, with Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise was already a father to 2 children — Isabella and Connor — who he adopted with his then-wife, Nicole Kidman. When they divorced in 2001, Tom was granted full custody of their children. Today, they are all grown up and live their lives away from the public eye.

2. Usher

Usher married his stylist, Tameka Foster, in 2007, and they had 2 sons together, Cinco and Naviyd. The couple divorced not long after they welcomed their second son, and Usher was granted full custody of both of them.

Usher believes that he was born to play the role of a father and takes the responsibility of being a parent seriously because one day he hopes his children will look up to him. “Now I represent what he is to become,” Usher said about his son. “He’s gonna admire me, he’s gonna look up to me. He’s gonna say, ’I wanna be like my father. I wanna be a man of valor. I wanna possess what my father has as a man.’”

3. James Marsden

When the Sonic the Hedgehog star divorced his wife, Lisa Linde, in 2011, he became a single dad to his son, Jack, and daughter, Mary. He’s also a father to William, a son he shares with ex-girlfriend Rose Costa.

Even though James has starred in many successful movies, being a parent is what brings him the most joy. “Of all my achievements in life, being a father is the one thing I’m most proud of. It is the most fulfilling. I’m always self-deprecating, but I don’t have a problem saying that I am a great dad,” he revealed.

4. Sean “Diddy” Combs

Sean Combs took the challenge of becoming a single parent to 6 kids when his ex-girlfriend passed away. He had to change his thinking and get really focused on the kids’ future because the world can be really rough. “We’re thinking about what are the goals we’re going to set to come out of this better and stronger and have more of an impact and change the narrative of the family,” he revealed.

5. Dean Cain

Dean Cain isn’t only Superman on-screen, but in real life too. He is a single father to his son, Christopher, and he revealed that raising him alone has been the greatest and toughest role for him so far. Dean learned to always put his son first, and he even sacrificed his career to raise him.

And, as it turns out, everything paid off because now he’s very proud of his son. “I think he’s pretty proud of Dad, but to be honest, I’m pretty proud of him. I think he’s my favorite human being on the planet. My best day would be just to wake up and me and my son to have a great day at home... Having no plans and hanging out with my son is my favorite day.”

6. Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis’s wife, Ann Belsky, passed away not long after they welcomed their 2 children, Mitchell and Rachel. This made the actor a single father, and he had to give up his career because it was too difficult for him to raise his kids and travel to make movies at the same time. But he believes he has made the right decision. “I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful,” Rick claimed.

7. Josh Duhamel

Josh Duhamel is a father to Axl, a son he shares with his ex-wife, Fergie. They agreed to share legal and physical custody, and Josh does his best to be a good father. He gives his son the freedom to choose who he wants to be in life, as long as he is happy.

As for his parenting style, Josh says that he can be a cool dad as long as the boundaries he sets don’t get crossed: “I can be a softie sometimes, but he knows not to push me too far because he knows that I’ll put my foot down when it’s time.”

What do you think is the most challenging part of being a single parent?

Tom Cruise’s illustrious career spanning over four decades has cemented his status as a Hollywood icon. Born in 1962, Cruise’s passion for acting emerged during his teenage years. His breakthrough came with films like “The Outsiders” and “Risky Business” in the early ’80s. The release of “Top Gun” in 1986 skyrocketed him to superstardom. Throughout the ’90s and 2000s, Cruise delivered blockbuster hits, notably the “Mission Impossible” series. As he steps into the 2020s, Cruise continues to push boundaries, with plans to film the first movie in space in collaboration with SpaceX.