As she prepares to welcome her first child with boyfriend Matt Pokora (while continuing to raise 9-year-old daughter Violet with her ex, The-Dream) Christina Milian is opening up about blending families — which she tells SheKnows is “actually a blessing.”
We sat down with Milian at Tower Research Foundation’s Ante Up for a Cancer Free Generation poker fundraiser at the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills this week to get her true feelings on co-parenting. And while plenty of co-parenting exes find it a drag, the actress and singer says her situation has been nothing but positive.
“It’s like, there’s more of us! My ex-husband and his wife are fantastic people and we do great co-parenting — international, state to state, and all of it,” Milian tells SheKnows. “We’re able to make it work and put our daughter first. And, with my boyfriend now, we’re hard workers, ready for this and used to this life, which is great. It’s not new for us, so we’re ready to make it work however we have to.”
Milian announced that she and Pokora, a French musician, were expecting their first child together via an Instagram post in July. The two have since revealed they’re expecting a baby boy. Milian shared how Violet, who excitedly posted the gender reveal news on her Instagram account, couldn’t be more thrilled about having a little brother.
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“She’s ecstatic,” she said. “She’s super excited. Every day and every night she makes sure she says ‘Goodnight’ and talks to him in my belly, so it’s super cute.”
“I’m doing so well,” Milian added about her pregnancy. “I’m super active, so this baby has been nothing but a joy for me. He’s been an extra boost of energy to just get stuff done — mostly because I know he’s coming, so I’m like, ‘Let me get as much done as I can!’”
That’s no easy feat given how much Milian currently has on her plate in both her personal and professional life. While Violet getting older has no doubt eased the star’s ability to juggle more work ventures, she isn’t fazed by the prospect of having to step back into newborn parenting mode soon. Although, she’s wary of impending car chaos!
“The biggest thing I worry about is how dirty things will be and all the crumbs in the back of my car — crumbs, French fries, cheerios and little feet stomping on the back of my car seat,” she laughed. “It’s harder to juggle everything [with a newborn] but honestly it’s all worth it. When they’re here it’s one of the best things ever and you’re like, ‘What was life without you?’”
“So, I’m excited to experience a new baby and see what his personality will be like,” she continued. “Doing it again and having a 9-year-old daughter really helps. She’s no longer a baby. She’s very helpful already know, so I can just imagine how she’s going to kick in!”
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With Violet turning 10 next year, the gorgeous young girl will no doubt be a big help to her mom when it comes to welcoming a new baby. And, while the little boy may require more of Milian’s attention, she’s confident that Violet is growing into a strong and confident young girl as she starts to near her teenage years, while being raised in the image-conscious entertainment industry.
“We’re super close and I always just try to instill in her to be a good person and love herself the way she is,” Milian said. “And she does. She’s a really funny, happy person and she’s not worried about anything, so I’ve done my job in making sure she feels that way.”
Before they welcome the latest addition to their family, the mother-daughter duo was able to spend some fun quality time together in New Zealand, where Milian filmed the charming new Netflix rom-com, Falling Inn Love — the streaming platform’s first project set and shot in in New Zealand. Milian plays a San Francisco executive who wins an inn in the picturesque country, traveling there to find a rundown property which she sets out to flip, with the help of a handsome local, played by Adam Demos.
“She came out for a little while and had fun — she actually said she wants to go back because she loved it so much,” Milian said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, so to be there for two months and experience the country and the people who I worked with was such a joy.”
“I didn’t get to go to wine island [Waiheke Island,] though which I wish I did,” she added. “But I did experience plenty of wine every time I was out!”
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Milian now has another Netflix project in the works, the musical series Soundtrack, co-starring Jenna Dewan and Madeleine Stowe.
“I love this angle because it’s different to what I’ve done before — it’s more of a dramatic role,” Milian dished. “Musically, I’m not providing any of my own music — nothing original sorry — but it’s a very unique show with how they use popular music within these scenes to tell a story.”
If an expanding family and Netflix projects aren’t enough to keep her busy, Milian also recently launched her dream business venture with her bestie — Beignets Box. The project came about thanks to the pals’ time living together at a place they referred to as “the sugar shack,” where their love for sweet treats led to consuming plenty of the pastries.
“She had a foundation where we used to rebuild homes back in Louisiana and every time we’d go, we’d eat beignets and go, ‘Too bad there’s no beignets in LA.’ We were so upset about it!” Milian explained. “Then we were like, ‘Why don’t we just start a beignet company in LA?’ We’ve been working on it for the last two years from the recipes to the branding.”
“I’m 1000% involved,” added Milian, having launched the first food truck in LA in June and now preparing for a store location in Louisiana. “I help run everything from the business to our employees to making the beignets, so it’s a labor of love. And, I bring my daughter along and she helps out, so it’s a family affair.”
Milian proudly provided the desserts to celebrity like Dancing With the Stars’ Alan Bersten and Brandon Armstrong at Saturday’s Ante Up for a Cancer Free Generation poker tournament. The sixth annual event raised more than $250,000 to help fund young cancer researchers’ work and with the disease running in her family, Milian was happy to support the cause in any way that she could. “It would be amazing if there was a cancer free world!” she said.
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