How Brooke Shields, Gwyneth Paltrow and More Stars Are Handling Dropping Their Kids Off at College

For teens, college can be some of the best years of their young lives between the football games, the getting-to-know-you mixers, the parties and, hopefully, the occasional lecture or two. 

For parents, though, who suddenly find themselves out of work after nearly two decades of 24/7 child-rearing, the transition can be a bit...jarring. 

"I sat here a year ago and I watched my big girl leave," Brooke Shields reflected in a tearful Aug. 26 Instagram video, referencing daughter Rowan's junior year at Wake Forest University. And now that 18-year-old Grier has joined her big sis, 21, at the North Carolina school, the actress continued, "I'm back on this porch and I am now officially an empty nester." 

With both of her and husband Chris Henchy's "baby birds" spreading their wings, "It's not easy for the moms," admitted Shields. "It was really hard and then she started crying, and then I really started crying. And then, I cried a good portion of the ride home."

Hard relate, said Gwyneth Paltrow, who admitted to feeling "a deep sense of impending grief," about her and Chris Martin's son Moses heading off to Rhode Island's Brown University two years after daughter Apple matriculated at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. 

However, the Goop founder noted in the March interview with The Sunday Times, "This is exactly what should be happening. Your kids are supposed to be, you know, young adults who can achieve and cope and make connections and be resilient. That's exactly what you want. And that means they leave the house."

Still, it doesn't mean you have to like it. 

"It's a lot," Matt Damon recently acknowledged in an exclusive interview with E! News' Will Marfuggi. With his and wife Luciana Damon's 18-year-old Isabella off to New York University, “It’s a surreal kind of time," he continued, "and the way it operates in your life, the older you get, because it just feels like I was holding her yesterday.” 

Which is why most celeb parents snuck in at least one final hug at drop-off, while doing their best to save their tears for the long drive home.

See how Teresa Giudice, Joanna Gaines and more stars handled the big goodbye. 

The View cohost couldn't help but to break down in tears when she dropped daughter Paloma Hostin off at Cornell University in August 2024. In fact, Sunny admittedly had to take a small hiatus from social media to "wrap my brain around being an empty nester and letting the birds fly."

In August 2024, the Real Housewives of Potomac star and her ex Jamal Bryant helped their oldest daughter Angel Bryant move into Spelman College in Atlanta.

As seen in a TikTok video posted by Gizelle, the former couple went on to drop off their middle daughter Adore Bryant at Hampton University in Hampton, Va., and youngest daughter Grace Bryant at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee—all in the span of five days!

The Today anchor and his wife Deborah Roberts admitted that their hearts were "sagging a bit" when they dropped son Nick Roker off for his junior year of college in August 2024.

"But his smile ensures that we will all be ok," Deborah noted, with Al noting in a post of his own that the house "is a little too quiet."

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star dropped off Milania Giudice at the University of Tampa on Aug. 26, 2024.

"And she’s off," Teresa wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of her daughter in her new dorm room, as well as a video of the teen crying. "Today is the start of a new, exciting chapter! I love you so much and can’t wait to watch everything you accomplish over these next four years."

Flavortown got a little lonelier in August 2024, when the celebrity chef and his wife Lori Fieri saw their son Ryder Fieri move into his dorm at San Diego State University.

"It hasn’t fully hit us yet," Guy captioned this family selfie on Instagram, "but not seeing him everyday is gonna be hard."

The Blue Lagoon alum joked about her "empty nester" status after sending her and husband Chris Henchy's youngest daughter, Grier Henchy, off to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. In an August 2024 TikTok, Brooke dropped Grier's luggage off at her dorm room before excitedly running off.

However, in a follow-up video, the mom of two tearfully shared that it was "not easy" for her to say goodbye.

"It was really hard," Brooke continued. "She started crying, and then I really started crying. And then, I cried a good portion of the ride home."

What's the deal with kids growing up? That was probably what the comedian was asking himself when he and wife Jessica Seinfeld helped son Shepherd Seinfeld move into his dorm in August 2024.

The HGTV host said "saying goodbye doesn't get easier" as she saw her and Chip Gaines' oldest son Drake head off to his second year at Baylor University.

She added in an August 2024 Instagram post, "Lots of love to all the parents sending their kids off to school this season."

The morning show host was having a good morning on Aug. 23, 2023, when he sent his youngest daughter Sophia Strahan to Duke University.

"Can’t believe how time has flown by and I’m so proud of her," he wrote on Instagram. "I know she’s going to crush college life!!"

The baseball legend dropped off daughter Natasha Rodriguez at University of Michigan in 2023, writing on Instagram that the experience was "one of the hardest, but most proud moments of being a father."

There was a bit of an empty space in the comedian's heart when daughter Heaven Hart went off to college in 2023. As he joked on Instagram, "I cried in the car."

"I can’t even say little girl anymore because you have blossomed into the most amazing young woman ever," Kevin wrote alongside a photo of Heaven and her siblings Hendrix, Kenzo and Kaori in her dorm room. "God knows I am beyond proud of you and that I love you with my all. Fly Heav Fly….The world is yours!!!!!"

The Good Morning America co-anchor drove daughter Katharine Haffenreffer to her college in 2023.

Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter Natalia Bryant entered college in 2021.

"Today was rough," his widow Vanessa captioned a photo of herself and their younger daughters, Bianka and Capri, dropping the freshman off at the University of Southern California. "This was before the tears came down." 

The Full House star sent her son Maksim Bure off to college in 2021.

"College bound!!!" she captioned a photo of herself dropping him off at the airport. "I'm so excited for him, although as his mama, and him being the baby, I'm so [crying emoji]." 

The Suddenly Susan alum joked that seeing her oldest daughter Rowan Henchy off to Wake Forest University in 2021 was "the saddest drive away from anywhere I've ever had to make."

"My unique and extraordinary baby girl spreading her wings," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "I love you so. We are so proud of you."

The Euphoria star took USC by storm in 2021. She wrote on Instagram as she kicked off her college career, "When we say hot girl summer we talking bout degrees."

In 2021, the Pioneer Woman star made a 500-plus mile round trip to help son Bryce Drummond move into his dorm at the University of North Texas.

"I guess it's that important to me for my child to be able to make an egg," she quipped on Instagram. "I love you, my son!" 

Fresh off the Tokyo Olympics, the gold medal gymnast started college at Auburn University in 2021.