Girls star says she is 'filled with rage' about toxic mumfluencers and says they are 'creating unreasonable expectations' of parenthood

Daily Mail​

8 hours ago

Allison Williams says she is 'filled with rage' over toxic mumfluencers and claims they are 'creating unreasonable expectations' for mothers.
The Girls actress, 37, who is currently in New York City, described the aspirational and unobtainable 'mum content' seen on the likes of Instagram and TikTok as 'poisonous'.
Allison recently launched her new podcast Landlines with her two friends Hope Kremer, an early childhood educator, and Jaymie Oppenheim, a therapist, where they discuss parenting.
One episode centres around 'mum guilt' which is the the guilt and shame that some mothers feel when they don't live up to their own or others' expectations in their role as a parent.
Speaking to the Guardian about the unrealistic standards of being a mother on social media, the M3GAN star said: 'I think it's poisonous [and] it really only exists to make people feel bad about themselves, maybe under the guise of wanting to motivate people, but the impact is so painful.'
Allison - who shares three-year-old son Arlo with her fiancé Alexander Dreymon - admitted that she would find it hard to cope without the help of her hands-on nanny.
She added: 'I would be in a puddle on the ground if we didn't have the nanny that we have, who is the reason my husband is shooting in London right now and I'm [in New York].'
'None of this is possible without her, and we're so grateful. I'm just like, 'show your work. Show me a clock. Like, what day was this filmed?' She is laughing, but she is on a roll. I cannot stand artifice about creating an expectation of what someone should be able to achieve that is totally unreasonable. Who is that helping?'
'Mum guilt' has affected other celebrities such as Kate Winslet, Helen Flanagan and Katherine Ryan, who have spoken about it openly.
In March last year, Helen Flanagan revealed she suffered a psychotic breakdown at the beginning of the year after splitting from her ex of 13 years, Scott Sinclair.
The former Coronation Street star, 33, took to Instagram on Sunday to share that she feels like a 'horrible mummy' when she is away from her kids - Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and son Charlie, four - when they spend time with their father Scott.
She on her Instagram: 'Not seen my babies for 11 days as they were in Dubai with their daddy. I feel such a horrible mummy for not seeing them and guilty but I think it's important for them to have a nice time with their daddy.
'I suppose mum guilt never goes no matter what you do. They went on holiday with their lovely nanna too which helps me as I get lots of pictures of them looking really happy.'
Kate Winslet said had to accept that she couldn't do it all in order to achieve happiness.
Speaking to Harper's Bazaar UK last year, she explained: 'As women, we try and keep up with the pace of our lives and we get frustrated if we haven't managed to fit in doing some exercise or walking the dog for two hours or being there for every single sports day matches, drop off and pick up at school.
'I'm going easy on myself knowing I simply can't achieve all of those things – that's becoming increasingly important to me.'
Comedian Katherine Ryan said she struggled with 'mum guilt' after leaving her children at home with her husband Bobby Kootstra while she was on tour.
She said: 'There is guilt I think about whatever type of working mother you decide to be. I'm not sure if dads have the same guilt. I haven't heard a lot about dad guilt, but maybe it's a thing.'
Elsewhere in Allison's chat with the Guardian, she also opened up about the criticism that nepo babies have been receiving recently.
The daughter of former NBC News and MSNBC anchor Brian Williams and TV producer Jane Gillan Stoddard admitted that her parents' connections meant that she could pursue a career in acting 'without being worried that I wasn't going to be able to feed myself'.
Growing up, Allison was often around big names such as Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, as they were family friends.
When she was still in high school, she managed to get a summer job as a production assistant on Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion which starry cast included Meryl Streep.
She described these experiences as giving her a 'leg up' in the industry as she found it easier to learn about how a set works.
But there has been much mixed reaction to nepo babies, with some actors wanting their children to make a name for themselves.
Ryan Thomas insisted that his 'nepo baby' daughter Scarlett is 'not getting a free ride' after she was tipped for a £2million payday.
The actor, 40, shares his daughter with Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien, 41, but her celebrity connections don't end there - she also counts Love Island's Scott Thomas and Emmerdale's Adam Thomas among her famous relatives.
Scarlett is starring on BBC's Waterloo Road and is slowly racking up thousands of followers on social media.
But speaking in an interview with The Sun, Adam said: 'Everyone thinks she gets a lift up from family, getting on Waterloo Road.
'But she worked damn hard to get that job, and people need to recognise that she's a talented girl – she's up against other people and she's not getting a free ride.'
Dakota Johnson - the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith - dubbed the scrutiny of nepo babies 'incredibly annoying and boring'.
The 35-year-old Madame Web action star also