Caterina Scorsone is best known for portraying Dr. Amelia Shepherd, the neurosurgeon who is initially hesitant about motherhood, but in real life, she’s a devoted mom to her three kids: Eliza, Pippa and Lucky.
The Grey’s Anatomy star and her ex-husband, musician Rob Giles, welcomed their first child, Eliza Giles, in 2012. Four years later, in 2016, they announced the birth of Paloma Michaela Giles, whom they call Pippa. In 2019, their family grew once again with the arrival of Lucinda "Lucky" Giles. The pair split in 2020 after a decade of marriage but continue to prioritize co-parenting their three girls.
In 2019, Scorsone opened up to PEOPLE about the joy and chaos of motherhood and being able to handle everything that comes with it.“You kind of have to develop your sense of humorand just laugh at all of the placeswhere you thought that you were protecting your ego because it’s done,” she explained.
Scorsone’s daughter, Pippa, was born with Down syndrome and the actress has since become a passionate and outspoken advocate for children with cognitive disabilities. Speaking to PEOPLE in October 2020, she shared that her daughter’s “difference lit a match in my life and in the life of my family.”
Here’s everything to know about Caterina Scorsone’s kids: Eliza, Pippa and Lucky.
Scorsone and Giles welcomed their first child, daughter Eliza Giles, on July 6, 2012.
Scorsone delivered her daughter at home in Los Angeles with the assistance of midwives. “We couldn’t be more in love with her and are overflowing with gratitude for this beautiful miracle,” she and Giles told PEOPLE.
While Eliza has appeared on magazine covers with her mom and sisters, the preteen seems more interested in entrepreneurial pursuits than a career in the entertainment industry.
“It's important for women to be financially independent, so for Eliza's last birthday, we got her a bank account,” Scorsone told Parents magazine in 2022. “She saves her allowance, she knows how to use a banking app, and now she's interested in starting a business."
The Private Practice star continued, "The other day she harvested vegetables from our garden to sell. She says for Christmas, she wants a card reader because nobody carries cash.”
In the same interview, Scorsone shared that Eliza had “taken up horseback riding.” The actress explained that Kevin McKidd, her friend and Grey’s Anatomy costar, has a farm with rescue animals, where they often stop by.
“On Sundays, I’ll often drive Eliza to the farm for a riding lesson,” she shared.
With three kids, Scorsone treasures the quality time she spends with her oldest daughter during their trips to McKidd's spot. “It’s an hour-and-a-half drive, so we have time to talk,” she said. “Some of our best conversations have been in the car.”
Scorsone and Giles welcomed their daughter Paloma "Pippa" Michaela Giles on Nov. 4, 2016.
The 1-800-Missing alum announced the news on Instagram a few days later with a fitting Election Day-themed post featuring an "I Voted" sticker. “I’m with her. Introducing Paloma Michaela Giles,” she wrote in the caption. "The future is female. ❤️.”
Pippa, who was born with Down syndrome, shifted Scorsone’s view of motherhood, something she has been open about. Although she admitted that she was "scared" of the unknown, the actress' worries instantly subsided when she held her newborn for the first time.
“I looked at the tiny baby who would grow into my funny, stubborn, beautiful little Pippa, and I saw how limited my life had been until that moment. How small and contracted,” she told PEOPLE in October 2020.
Scorsone explained that although her daughter’s diagnosis can be anxiety-inducing, she’s learned that raising any child comes with a certain amount of uncertainty and fear.
“I don't know what kinds of challenges will come up for her down the road. I don't know if she'll find a job -
that is the right fit for her interests and talents,” she said. “But I don’t know that about my other daughters either. Pippa is perfect exactly as she is.”
During a March 2019 interview on the Motherly podcast, Scorsone spoke about the process of explaining Pippa’s diagnosis to her older daughter.
“She’s developing slower but she’s still developing — she’s still hitting all of the milestones. It’s just happening at a different rate,” she said. “That was an easy way to help Eliza understand what was happening — that she was going to be a baby for a little bit longer.”
The actress went on to share that having Pippa helped her reexamine her parenting approach. “I saw how I was loving my first daughter, Eliza, for her qualities,” she said, describing her eldest child as “clever," “beautiful” and “so funny.” However, Scorsone came to realize that “all of those things were external qualities.”
After having Pippa, she experienced an internal shift, learning to love people for "their essence,” which she called “the most healing and nourishing gift that I could have possibly been given by the universe.”
In October 2020, Scorsone penned a powerful, heartfelt essay for Good Morning America on the importance of advocacy in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
“My daughter Pippa has rainbow-colored eyes,” she wrote, explaining that her eyes stand out due to a common trait among people with Down Syndrome called Brushfield spots. “But Pippa isn’t Down syndrome. Pippa is Pippa.”
“Pippa is different. She has a visual learning profile that makes it easier for her to learn from pictures and printed words than from hearing a teacher lecture,” she continued. “For Pippa to accomplish what she chooses to accomplish, to thrive and fulfill the desires she has for herself, she needs to be supported in specific ways.”
Scorsone and Giles welcomed their daughter Lucinda "Lucky" Giles on Dec. 13, 2019.
The actress shared the birth announcement on Instagram, introducing her and Giles' third child as Arwen Giles. However, four months later, the actress revealed that they’d decided to change her name.
“By the way we went with what was her middle name. Lucinda. ‘Lucky’ for short,” she wrote on social media.
Less than a month after sharing her youngest daughter’s new name, Scorsone and Giles filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage. Reps for the couple confirmed the news, telling PEOPLE, “Caterina and Rob have separated. They remain friends and are committed to co-parenting their children in a spirit of love.”
Following the separation, Scorsone focused on the positive, demonstrated by her first Mother’s Day celebration after the split. “This Mother’s Day I was gobsmacked and awestruck by the love that filled up our house,” she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post alongside sweet snapshots of her with her daughters. “In the midst of quarantine love is stronger than ever.”
The Grey’s Anatomy star has described her youngest child as both laid-back and strong. “Lucky might be my most chill baby. When it's just us, we go into the garden where she'll sit and play with pebbles or on the deck where she'll play with leaves and flowers,” she told Parents magazine.
“With two older siblings, Lucky has to be tough,” Scorsone added. “She has a little scowl to let you know when you've crossed her boundaries. I think she's going to have a wicked sense of humor.”
The mom of three also shared the importance of spending time one-on-one with each of her children. “I make sure to check in with each individually,” she shared. “Besides, it's more peaceful. If we spend an entire weekend as one pack, there's a lot of fighting and crying!”
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