Maria Menounos Teases Daughter's Challenge in Staying Grounded Amidst Lavish Presents from Celebrity Pals
Maria Menounos and husband Keven Undergaro receive extravagant gifts for their daughter Athena from celebrity friends, raising concerns about her ability to stay grounded The couple welcomed Athena in June through a surrogate
Maria Menounos. Corine Solberg/Getty Images
Maria Menounos knows that her daughter, Athena, is living a luxurious life thanks to the generous gifts she received from celebrity friends after her birth.
"It's amusing because she has her fancy wardrobe filled with gifts from celebrity friends," Menounos, 45, shared exclusively in the latest issue of We, while talking about her partnership with Bounty. "I even took her to church wearing Kelly Ripa's Ralph Lauren onesie."
The host of the "Heal Squad" podcast disclosed that Athena received an abundance of gifts from Beth and Howard Stern, including a "beautiful" Burberry hot pink zip up hoodie that she wore with a Ralph Lauren onesie. Menounos joked about her friends sending extravagant gifts, expressing concern about keeping her child grounded.
In July, it was revealed that Menounos and husband Keven Undergaro had welcomed their baby girl via surrogate a month earlier. The couple's journey to become parents spanned over 10 years due to infertility issues and Menounos' 2017 diagnosis with a brain tumor that halted IVF treatments. After receiving a clean bill of health, her doctors advised against carrying a child, prompting the couple to pursue surrogacy.
Courtesy of Maria Menounos/Instagram
Menounos now has a healthy baby girl, who is in the 99th percentile on the growth chart, according to the journalist. "She's quite big. She's so large," Menounos told Us about her 5-month-old daughter, revealing that her little one's shoes "finally fit" and she can wear her pink ballerina slippers.
Ever since Athena entered her life, Menounos has made it a priority to be as present as possible, especially since she works from home. "I'm so thankful that I don't have to look back and wonder where the time went," she expressed. "I've been here for all of the milestones."
Menounos also shared that her daughter is "beginning to talk," and she has been capturing those moments on video. "The other day she said 'hola,' and I have a video of her mumbling 'I love you,'" she excitedly recounted. "Because when I say 'I love you,' she responds with 'hi.'"
Amidst the responsibilities of new motherhood and witnessing Athena's growth, Menounos has partnered with Bounty to showcase the company's support for pet adoption from Best Friend Animal Society shelters.
Bounty/Maria Menounos
"Bounty is crucial in our household, especially as a dog mom," Menounos said of the partnership, sharing that her husband, 56, has a habit of setting up "Bounty stations" in their home to swiftly clean up after their dogs.
She added: "With Bounty, not only are they helping with the usual pet messes, but they also come in handy for Athena's messes too. When she spits on me, I use the quicker picker upper for her too. Additionally, they are covering adoption fees for the month of November."
Menounos observed that with inflation increasing, it has become more difficult for some people to adopt animals. However, Bounty's decision to cover adoption fees during November aims to address this issue. While attending the Best Friend Animal Society's Super Adoption Event in L.A. last month, she witnessed firsthand the efforts made by Bounty and the animal shelters to help find permanent homes for all the pets.
"Perhaps the only love greater than a pet is the love for a child. But as a dog mom first, my babies have always meant everything to me," shared Menounos. "And when things are tough in the world, an animal makes everything feel so much better."
Deal of the Day
1 Day Only! Save 50% on This Next-Level Cold-Sculpting Body Treatment Duo
View Deal
To learn more about Bounty and the Best Friends Animal Society check out their respective websites — and pick up the latest issue of We, on newsstands now.
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
