Rachel Bilson is opening up about how she handles dating as a single mom.
On the latest episode of Bachelor alumnus Nick Viall‘s podcast published Wednesday, the 37-year-old actress — who shares daughter Briar Rose, 4½, with ex Hayden Christensen — got real about the topic, admitting that she hasn’t introduced anyone to her daughter since she and Christensen split back in 2017.
“She has not met anyone as of yet and it would have to be someone I know I’m going to be with,” Bilson said on The Viall Files podcast, noting Briar’s close relationship with Christensen. “It would have to be a very serious relationship.”
Just because Bilson’s mini-me hasn’t met any of Bilson’s beaus doesn’t mean The O.C. star doesn’t bring her little girl up with potential suitors.
“I always put it out there,” said Bilson, who describes herself currently as single. “She’s my world and I talk about her all the time anyways. How f—ed up would it be if I hid that? … If you’re going to pursue something with someone, they have to be interested in the kid or be willing to be around the kid or babysit the kid … all the things.”
In fact, those who aren’t interested in knowing about Bilson’s daughter quickly get the boot.
“I was talking to this guy a few months back,” Bilson told Viall. “Anytime I would bring my daughter up, [he] would never pursue the question or ask more about her. It was a red flag because anyone that you’re going to get involved with, if you have a kid, they have to be all about the kid.”
Bilson has opened up about motherhood to PEOPLE in the past, saying last June that, “Being a mom is No. 1 for me and it always will be.”
On Viall’s podcast, she boasted about how her priorities have allowed her to skip out on plans at the last minute.
“Kids are great for an excuse for anything,” she said. “If you don’t want to do something, you don’t ever have to lie because like you have kids. You can leave early, you can not go and you can go to bed at 9 and it’s awesome.”
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There’s one thing Bilson won’t be doing with Briar: posting photos together on social media.
Despite having “thousands” of selfies of Briar on her phone, Bilson says she’s chosen to keep Briar out of the spotlight.
“Everybody has a different idea of what they want to do with their kids and what not,” she said on Viall’s podcast. “They don’t choose to be in the limelight, you know, themselves. When they’re old enough and they want to pursue it and that’s what they do then that’s fine. But it’s not like I want to promote my kid or put her out there.”
Making sure her daughter’s life is private has meant that Bilson has to avoid the paparazzi all the time too, which brings its own challenges.
“They don’t care,” Bilson said of the photographers. “I saw a picture the other day of my daughter somewhere and she’s looking at the camera smiling because she has no idea. She thinks someone is just taking her picture … it’s so innocent but, it crushed me. Like, ‘No! You don’t know what they’re doing!’ “
New episodes of The Viall Files are available every Wednesday.
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