Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer Adopted Girl & Paused Career for Years At 65, Mom Looks Young i

May 2024 · 8 minute read

Michelle Pfeiffer was an actress better known as Catwoman from the movie "Batman Returns." In her personal life, she was first married to fellow actor Peter Horton before their marriage ended in divorce in 1988.

Her earlier relationships didn't seem to be her strong points as she then got into a tumultuous relationship with her "Dangerous Liaisons" co-star, John Malkovich. The pair starred in the movie, released the same year Pfeiffer and Horton divorced.

Michelle Pfeiffer posing for a photo in New York City, circa 1982 | Source: Getty Images

After that romance ended, the star dated actor/producer Fisher Stevens and then Michael Keaton, who played Batman in 1992's "Batman Returns," where she appeared as Catwoman. The hope to become a mother haunted the actress.

The "Love Field" star's wish to have children kept "coloring my relationships," and she realized that she might've been holding on to relationships she should've let go of. However, by age 33, she decided this about becoming a parent:

"'You know, I don't want to wait anymore.'"

Michelle Pfeiffer in a promotional photo for "B.A.D. Cats" in 1979 | Source: Getty Images

It was a brave move on her part to adopt a child as a single woman, and she confirmed that courage wasn't something she lacked. Her only daughter, Claudia Rose, was adopted in 1993, with her noting how other people probably didn't feel like something was missing in their lives as she did.

At 40, Pfeiffer confessed to having wanted to be a parent for a long time. Becoming a mother changed how much time and where she had to work, but not the roles she took. For instance, that May 1999, she was featured in the movie "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Michelle Pfeiffer as The Bombshell on "Delta House" on January 18, 1979 | Source: Getty Images

What Pfeiffer didn't expect was that she wasn't going to be a single mother forever. The actress fell for someone special who would play a significant role in her life as well as her daughter's.

How Did Michelle Find Love with Her Current Spouse?

In January 1993, two months before Pfeffier's daughter came home, she met David E. Kelley on a bowling blind date and knew from that moment that he wasn't going away. The actress, who had already processed Claudia's adoption by then, recalled thinking:

"He’s still going to be here when the baby arrives. Well, this will separate the men from the boys quickly!"

David E. Kelley and Michelle Pfeiffer during "Children at Play" for LA Battered Women's Shelters on November 17, 1996, in Pacific Palisades, California | Source: Getty Images

With Claudia already in the picture at the start of their relationship, the actress saw Kelly in a different light. He stunned her by rising to the occasion and showing her the difference between a boy and a man, exhibiting the latter.

Moreover, they were both at an age where they were ready to start having a family. Claudia's presence made them see one another as parents first, taking away the pressure from them as a couple.

David E. Kelley and Michelle Pfeiffer at the premiere of "What Lies Beneath" in Los Angeles, California, on July 18, 2000 | Source: Getty Images

Seeing how Kelly jumped in and stayed above water in that situation was a testament to his identity. For Pfeiffer, what happened to them, while untraditional, was perfect.

By November 1993, when Claudia was eight months old, Pfeiffer and the producer were married. Nine months later, their son John Henry was born.

"I think the secret is choosing well," Pfeiffer said of her now close to three-decade marriage. She admitted failing in some of her choices in the past, but she was "mature and ready" when she chose Kelley, and that made all the difference.

Michelle Pfeiffer with her daughter Claudia, her son John, and her husband David E. Kelley after the actress's star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 6, 2007, in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images

Since welcoming her children, the "The Fabulous Baker Boys" star made them her main focus. In 2007, over a decade into their marriage, Pfeiffer and her husband relocated to northern California with their family so their children could grow up away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, exposed to many animals, including a cat, three dogs, two miniature donkeys, and horses.

At one point, the actress struggled to accept acting roles because she felt they weren't worth leaving her family for.

Michelle Pfeiffer and her daughter Claudia at the premiere of "Stardust" on July 29, 2007, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images

The celebrity also didn't want to disrupt her routine too often, so she limited her choices by becoming picky with her work, and where and how long she was away. However, she also thought maybe on a "subliminal level," that she didn't want to work.

Five years later, she started yearning for her craft, and her children asked her whether she would return to acting. Pfeiffer said the question hurt her feelings, but when they started looking at colleges, she realized how becoming an empty nester would affect her badly.

Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley's vacation home on the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, on May 3, 2000 | Source: Getty Images

Kelley's wife decided she had to get something going so she could have meaning in her life because she refused to start playing bridge! Now closer to 70, Pfeiffer is still working and a businesswoman.

How Does Catwoman Live and Look At 65?

On June 15, 2023, Pfeiffer, 65, was seen at New York City's Lincoln Center for the Fragrance Foundation Awards. The actress, who launched the unisex fragrance line Henry Rose in 2019, looked stunning and elegant in a black blazer with a matching long, shimmering skirt, which showed off her slender body.

Michelle Pfeiffer at the Fragrance Foundation Awards on June 15, 2023, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The "Scarface" actress carried a small leather clutch bag and wore open-toe heels. She didn't seem to be wearing lots of makeup while posing for red carpet pictures.

Pfeiffer laughed as she said admitted she had transformed from someone who looked "young for her age" to "great for her age."

The same day she was seen at the award show, Pfeiffer shared two Instagram images of herself wearing light makeup in a black blazer with pinstripes. In the first image, she appeared to be in the backseat of a car, and in the second, she was at 5th Avenue's Sephora store for the debut of Henry Rose there.

A fan's comment on Michelle Pfeiffer's Instagram post on June 15, 2023 | Source: Instagram/michellepfeifferofficial

In her caption, the star revealed that she received concealer recommendations and makeup tips from the image consultant and makeup artist Lazaro Esteban Arias. Fans rushed to the comment section to share their opinions, with one person noting that the actress was "still gorgeous as always."

Someone else thought the celebrity looked "amazing" and that she got "more beautiful" as she aged. A third person described Kelley's wife as "so young and beautiful" with a successful business, which made her seem she was "touched by stars." Another said:

"Her beauty is infinite."

A fan's comment on Michelle Pfeiffer's Instagram post on June 15, 2023 | Source: Instagram/michellepfeifferofficial

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Another person recalled reading an interview where Pfeiffer described herself as looking "like an old lady" and assured her she wasn't.

One confessed to not having seen the star in a long time and how "great" she looked, hoping to see more of her in movies and television. Someone else thought Claudia's mother was still "absolutely beautiful and amazing."

A fan's comment on Michelle Pfeiffer's Instagram post on June 15, 2023 | Source: Instagram/michellepfeifferofficial

Another follower agreed about Pfeiffer being beautiful and was pleased she hadn't "ruined" her face like other Hollywood women. The person noted the intense pressure and encouraged the star to "stay a natural beauty."

During a 2013 interview, Kelley's wife admitted that losing one's youth and beauty wreaks havoc on the psyche.

Pfeiffer laughed as she said admitted she had transformed from someone who looked "young for her age" to "great for her age," noting there was a big difference. "There is certainly a mourning process to that," she admitted.

However, the actress also said it was liberating, and she didn't need to look younger than her age because it wouldn't change anything. Pfeiffer also revealed that she never had any fillers, Botox, or other enhancements to her appearance.

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