Ellen Pompeo Shares the Ups & Downs of Her Attempt to Be a 'Cool' Mom to Her Teen Daughter Stella

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Ellen Pompeo is trying to prove to her daughter that she’s not just any mom — she’s a cool mom. At least she thought she was until her 14-year-old humbled her, as teenagers so ruthlessly do.

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The Grey’s Anatomy icon broke her hiatus from Instagram to share the ups and downs of her attempt to earn cool points with her daughter Stella, and the video is so relatable for any fellow parents of teens. Pompeo explained, “So I was trying to be like, Mom of the Year, or Mom of the Week or something, to the 14-year-old who’s so embarrassed right now,” she said, looking off camera at Stella with a big grin on her face.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 15: Ellen Pompeo attends the Michael Kors Collection Fall/Winter 2023 Runway Show during New York Fashion Week on February 15, 2023 in New York City. <em>Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images.</em>
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 15: Ellen Pompeo attends the Michael Kors Collection Fall/Winter 2023 Runway Show during New York Fashion Week on February 15, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images.


The actress continued, “And so I was like, ‘Oh, let me get her something super cool and then she’ll think I’m cool,’ and, you know, I’m just trying to stay cool, right? So look what I did.” Pompeo held up a Rhode Beauty package, signifying she got Stella some goodies from Hailey Bieber’s popular cosmetics brand. The 14-year-old, however, was only momentarily impressed.

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“She thought I was on the PR list and I just got it sent to me,” Pompeo revealed, adding, “That would make me a cool mom.” The entertainment multi-hyphenate continued, “But when she found out that I just went online and ordered it like everybody else, my stock dropped, yo. It dropped.”


As Stella was opening the package, Pompeo joked, “So we’re gonna wait for the review, but so far the update is I’m not cool ’cause I’m not on the Rhode PR list — Hailey, are you listening?”


The mom of three proudly told her eldest child that she bought every shade of one of the products, and she asked Stella, “What do you think?” The teen sweetly answered, “I love it. I’m excited to try it.” Sour Patch Kids was really onto something with the whole, “First they’re sour, then they’re sweet” saying. The marketing team must have included some parents of teens!


Pompeo explained that she wanted to come on to share the ordeal because Stella made her feel bad for being “uncool.” Stella used up the rest of her sweetness, telling her mom, “You’re not uncool.” Then she turned on the sour again, adding, “You just, like, went up points and then you’re back where you were.” Ah, raising teens. Never a dull moment!


Defending herself, Pompeo said, “Listen, who even knows if there is a PR list. Do you know how popular she is? She may not need to give anybody anything for free.”


The iconic actress is most definitely cool in Bieber’s book, who almost instantly commented, “*adds Ellen to PR list immediately.” In a separate comment, the model added, “LOVE U SO MUCH!!!!!!”


Pompeo’s fans reminded her to put Stella in her place by mentioning a certain project she was involved in with a very cool star. One user wrote, “If she ever questions your coolness again, remind her you’re in a Taylor Swift music video.”


Another fan mentioned the fact that Swift’s love for Pompeo runs deep, pointing out, “The fact that T swift has a cat named Meredith should automatically make you cool.” These are all valid points! We definitely think Pompeo is extremely cool — but then again, we aren’t 14 and extraordinarily difficult to impress.


In addition to Stella, Pompeo is also mom to daughter Sienna May, 9, and son Eli Christopher, 6, whom she shares with her husband Chris Ivery.

These celebrity parents are sharing the struggle — and sweetness — of raising teenagers.

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