News | Entertainment
18 Feb 2026 3:53
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Busy Philipps is teaching her mother about different pronouns after revealing her daughter is non-binary

    The 45-year-old actress revealed in December that her eldest child Birdie Leigh, 12, came out as gay when she was 10, and also said they use they/them pronouns


    And now, Busy – who has Birdie, as well as seven-year-old Cricket Pearl, with her husband Marc Silverstein – has said she’s doing her best to help her own mother “understand the pronoun conversation” so she can properly address her granddaughter.

    Busy said: “[My] mom is older and wants to understand the pronoun conversation more. I said to my mother, Here's the deal: You don't have to understand it.’

    “That's how I feel about all human rights - you don't have to understand it. You can choose to believe what you want, but you don't get to have jurisdiction over anyone else's body or belief system."

    When it comes to teaching her own children about taking care of themselves, the ‘Dawnson’s Creek’ alum believes "the secret with kids is leading by example”.

    She added to Health magazine: "I make a concerted effort to be aware of how I talk about diet and exercise around them - like, what my intention and goals are with those things. I'm also lucky that I have a partner in Marc, who does cycling and works out for his own mental health.

    "We talk about therapy in our house and never shy away from hard conversations. I've always been open - but not in that 'I'm not a regular mom; I'm a cool mom' way."

    In December, Busy revealed Birdie is “gay and out” whilst also admitting she was having a tough time adjusting to her daughter’s preferred pronouns.

    She said: "I said, 'You know, Bird, I've been doing a bad job with the pronouns.’ Because Birdie said that they would like their pronouns to be they/them, and I haven't been doing it, and I said because I have this public persona and I want Birdie to be in control of their own narrative and not have to answer to anybody outside of our friends and family if they don't want to.

    “Bird was like, 'I don't give a f***. You can talk about how I'm gay and out; you can talk about my pronouns. That would be cool with me. That's great.' So I said, 'Okay, I can talk about it on the podcast.' "

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     17 Feb: Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn are married
     17 Feb: Keke Palmer is "more intentional" with her work and time since becoming a mom
     17 Feb: Harry Styles learnt "how to slow down" on his career break
     17 Feb: Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo's sex life is better now that he is not "so big"
     17 Feb: Tyler Perry broke his collarbone in a "terrible" bike fall
     17 Feb: James Van Der Beek's brother "didn't know it would hurt so badly" when he died
     17 Feb: Jennifer Aniston's 57th birthday was "even more meaningful" because she spent it with boyfriend Jim Curtis
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Irish rugby to investigate racial abuse towards Test debutant Edwin Edogbo More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    New Zealand lamb is still a premium product in the UK, 144 years since the first shipment of 5000 carcasses sailed out of Port Chalmers in 1882 More...



     Today's News

    International:
    The Missing number in the hundreds of thousands in Syria, where mass graves of torture victims are found weekly 22:07

    Entertainment:
    Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn are married 21:57

    Politics:
    Labour's Jan Tinetti says today's employment law change is a backwards step 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Keke Palmer is "more intentional" with her work and time since becoming a mom 21:27

    Living & Travel:
    Second-placed Auckland FC look to close the gap on leaders Newcastle tonight in the A-League 21:17

    Entertainment:
    Harry Styles learnt "how to slow down" on his career break 20:57

    Entertainment:
    Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo's sex life is better now that he is not "so big" 20:27

    Entertainment:
    Tyler Perry broke his collarbone in a "terrible" bike fall 19:57

    Entertainment:
    James Van Der Beek's brother "didn't know it would hurt so badly" when he died 19:27

    Politics:
    The Greens say the Government's attacking workers with a major change to workplace law 18:57


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd