Brigitte Nielsen is married to Mattia Dessi, whom she met in Switzerland in 2004. The couple first crossed paths when Brigette was 41 and Mattia was 25. In the beginning, their relationship played out on VH1’s reality show “Strange Love.”
The pair’s relationship flourished, and they tied the knot in a glamorous ceremony in Malta in 2006. Nielsen revealed that she experienced plenty of backlash when she married a younger man, but this didn’t stop her from following her heart.
The actress’ life changed when she met the Italian model. Even when people said it was ridiculous for her to marry a younger man, the two didn’t pay attention to their big age gap. “It just fits perfectly. We’re a good team,” Nielsen explained.
The two have now been married for almost 20 years, and Nielsen noted that the people who were pointing fingers at them and laughing had since divorced. Nielsen says her marriage has lasted because the two make it exciting and accept and respect each other:
“You shouldn’t ever try to change the person you fell in love with to ‘make them better.’ Allow them to be them.”
The “Creed II” star also doesn’t sense the need to uphold a youthful appearance to match her husband’s. Now in her 60s, she feels good but doesn’t know what the 70s will bring. “That’s when gravity really starts pulling everything down,” she added.
Nielsen hit back at these comments when she said that there was no such thing as being too old to be a mom.
Despite her concerns, she will take everything one day at a time, and if she feels awful about how she looks at some point in the future, then she will do something about it. For now, the actress is content with spending time with her happy little family. She and her husband share one kid, Frida, now 5.
Brigitte on Parenting as an Older Mother
Nielsen spent 13 years trying to get pregnant via IVF. Her struggle ended when she and Dessi welcomed Frida on June 22, 2018. The actress said she had a long time to prepare for her daughter, seeing that it took years for IVF to work.
Her doctor had cautioned her to be realistic about her slim chances of conceiving, citing only a two-and-a-half percent probability. When she eventually became pregnant, the experience was incredibly gratifying. Yet, Nielsen was worried because being pregnant at 54 was high risk.
The “Mercenaries” actress soon discovered that she didn’t have to worry as her pregnancy turned out to be the easiest out of all her other pregnancies. The fact that her priorities had shifted and she had a deep desire and choice to be a mom again made all the difference. Nielsen felt so good that she would have remained pregnant for another year. When Frida finally arrived, everything was so easy and brilliant.
The actress, who has been married five times, was already a mom to four adult sons when she welcomed Frida. According to her, her sons, Raoul Meyer Jr., 28, Douglas Meyer, 30, Killian Gastineau, 33, and Julian Winding, 39, said she was far too old to be a mom to Frida. Many others also criticized her for having a child in her mid-50s.
The 60-year-old now argues that her wisdom and age have made her a great parent. She explained that people say grandmothers are the best at parenting, and she feels like she has this mindset and emotion:
“I have the patience and that extra bit of love to give now, and I think it’s because I’m a grandmother’s age.”
As a young mother, Nielsen had to juggle parenting with being single, traveling by plane, and being on movie sets. But now, her daughter comes first. As much as she is older now, she is surprised that she feels less tired raising Frida than she was with her boys.
Nielsen understands that people are a bit too skeptical about women having kids in their older years. She also advises women to be realistic and preserve their eggs at a reasonable age if they also want to have kids late. The actress froze her own eggs at age 40 and noted that she wouldn’t even bother trying at age 42.
Her important message to all women was that if motherhood is something they really want, they should never give up. However, they must be ready to encounter the disappointment of IVF if they choose that path, embrace the waiting, and know that this journey is very expensive.
The mom of five also totally respects that her journey isn’t for everyone, so not all will like it or agree with it. However, she emphasized that it is her life and one that she is happy with. She and Dessi are in love and very joyful. They have a solid relationship, which they appreciate and celebrate.
Nielsen, who lives with her husband in Marbella, Spain and doesn’t drink nor smoke, is happy with the way her life turned out in every way. The actress often shares pictures on her Instagram, spending time with Dessi and their daughter. Nielsen is glad she has the freedom to devote her world to Frida.
