Garcelle Beauvais Says Being a Mom Is the “Best Role” of Her Life

1 year ago

Garcelle Beauvais is a boy mom through and through. The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star first earned the title of mom three decades ago when she welcomed her first child, son Oliver Saunders, with ex-husband Daniel Saunders. Beauvais was married to the producer from 1991 to 2000. Sixteen years after welcoming Oliver, Beauvais added two more boys to her family, this time with ex-husband Michael Nilon, whom she was married to from 2001 to 2011.

Beauvais’s love of being a mom is something the actor is vocal about. She also hasn’t shied away from sharing her experience with pregnancy loss and a failed IVF treatment before welcoming her twin sons. In 2012, Beauvais penned a post for People, in which she wrote about what motherhood means to her. “As much as I love what I have accomplished so far as an actress, I have to say that being a mom – with all of its challenges and rewards – has been the best role of my life,” she wrote. “I always wanted to have kids, and when I dreamed about my future, I pictured having a boy first and then a girl – the perfect nuclear family. Well, we can’t always have it our way. But I have to say, I got really lucky!”

To find out more about Beauvais’s sons, scroll through this gallery.

Getty / John M. Heller

Oliver Saunders

Oliver was born in 1991 to Beauvais and Saunders. From the looks of Beauvais’s Instagram, she and Oliver are super close, and the actor is a doting grandma to her grandson, Oliver Jr., whom her son shares with ex Samantha Saunders.

Oliver works at Lisa Vanderpump’s Las Vegas restaurant, Vanderpump à Paris, and is a hands-on dad, often documenting outings with his mini-me on Instagram. Oliver was front and center during an episode of “Vanderpump Rules” season 10 when he was caught kissing Raquel Leviss, despite still wearing his wedding ring.

Speaking about the episode, Beauvais told People in May 2023: “Obviously, he’s my son. And we don’t always make great decisions. And he was definitely separated at the time.”

Even though Oliver is all grown up, Beauvais still takes time to share sweet birthday wishes to him on Instagram. In February 2023, she wrote, “No matter how much I say I love you I always love you more than that! HAPPY BIRTHDAY @iamoliversaunders ??? #happybirthday #motherslove.”

Getty / Emma McIntyre

Jax Joseph and Jaid Thomas Nilon

Jax and Jaid were born in October 2007. During an interview with Tinseltown Mom in 2014, Beauvais spoke about how it took her five years to conceive the twins with their father. “It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions… Every month you’re like ‘Am I (pregnant), no I’m not'” she said, adding that she never thought she’d have to go through fertility issues seeing as how she already had given birth to Oliver.

“Try not to be all-consumed by it, because it can be all-consuming,” she added as advice to others. “Do what you need to do, but have outlets where you can go and spend time with friends and maybe not talk about it all the time. …it’s giving yourself a break in terms of, whatever’s meant to be will be. And, there’s all kinds of ways to have families now…”

Jax and Jaid are often at the center of Beauvais’s Instagram page. For their 15th birthday in 2022, she shared a sweet video montage, writing, “I am soooo proud to be your mom.”