Leonardo DiCaprio's Mother Is Gorgeous And A Single Mom

Dec 12, 2020 by apost team

There are many famous stars who grew up in single-parent households. They had difficult upbringings but rose from their circumstances. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of those well-known people whose moms raised them all on their own. Read on to learn of the inspiring story of DiCaprio’s mom and see just where he gets his devilishly good looks from!

Being a single mom is oftentimes tough and the strength it takes to be one is admirable. One such strong woman is Irmelin Indenbirken, the mother of the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio. You may recognize her as the arm candy that DiCaprio has been bringing with him for nearly 20 years to the Golden Globes but her story will surprise you.

You already know who he is, but on the off-chance that you are not familiar with Lenny D:

DiCaprio had his breakthrough in the 1997 film "Titanic," and has since gone on to receive critical acclaim for his parts in films such as "The Revenant," "The Wolf of Wall Street," “Inception,” and the 2019 Quentin Tarantino film, "Once upon a time in Hollywood.” He has been an on-screen staple for a large amount of his life, having snatched Hollywood roles since his teenage years and now well into adulthood.

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Irmelin Indenbirken and George DiCaprio

According to the New York Times, DiCaprio’s parents named him ‘Leonardo’ because they had been looking at a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci when Indenbirken felt her unborn son kicking for the first time while she was pregnant with him. Although it could also have to do with the fact that DiCaprio’s paternal grandfather’s middle name was ‘Leon’. After all, DiCaprio got his middle name ‘Wilhelm’ after his mom’s father: Wilhelm Indenbirken.

DiCaprio’s parents met when they were in college. Although they lived close by (in adjacent bungalows and sharing one backyard) to one another after getting divorced, DiCaprio stayed mostly with his mom. According to moms.com, DiCaprio was raised in a neighborhood surrounded by violence and crime.

DiCaprio did not grow up privileged, and neither did his mother

As Vogue reported, one of the many things that Indenbirken did to make sure that her son’s future was better than what their neighborhood had to offer was drive him for three hours every day for him to attend the prestigious University Elementary School, now called the UCLA Lab School. DiCaprio has mentioned his not-so-privileged upbringing before, probably most notably during his speech after winning Best Actor at the BAFTAs in 2016 for The Revenant. His mother, too, was not born into a life of luxury.

Indenbirken, who was born in a bomb shelter in Germany, broke her leg when she was a little girl and then contracted infections from it because of poor living conditions. The infections led to Indenbirken being severely malnourished.

“When you see a picture of my mother, it’s heart-breaking. It brings tears to my eyes, knowing what she’s been through in her life,” said DiCaprio, according to moms.com. Life for her improved when she emigrated to the U.S. but there was still hardship, especially after the divorce.

Indenbirken ensured that a young DiCaprio would have a healthy and enriching childhood. She regularly took him to museums, read to him, and did everything in her power to maximise his potential, all while juggling multiple jobs as a legal secretary.

When DiCaprio decided to pursue acting when he was 12 years old, Indenbirken fully supported him and encouraged him to follow his passion.

Speaking with the New York Times back in 1995 (when DiCaprio was just 20 years old), Indenbirken expressed her joy but also worries about her young son who, at that time, was already a highly successful actor.

"I'm overwhelmed," Indenbirken had told the magazine. "I can't see him as other people do. All I'm concerned about is his health -- sleep more, exercise more, eat better. That's the litany. The rest, I wouldn't care if he gave it up tomorrow."

At that time, Indenbirken and her ex-husband, DiCaprio senior, had already mostly given up their work to put their focus on DiCaprio’s career. The New York Times had described them as “full-time employees of their son's production company.” I couldn't imagine working for -- with -- anyone better," Indenbirken had expressed to the publication some 25 years ago. "I'm in heaven."

"Whatever I was doing before, it wasn't as interesting as what's happening to Leonardo."

Life is so much different for Indenbirken these days. She is in a different kind of “heaven,” and is now reaping all the rewards from her past hardships. Besides tagging along with her 46-year-old son on glamorous red carpet events, she also comes with him on his trips. Back in July, The Daily Mail reported that the 77-year-old was spotted emerging from a swanky private jet at Van Nuys Airport along with DiCaprio and his girlfriend, actress Camila Morrone.

If it is not already clear, DiCaprio and his mom share a very close bond, and like many mothers and their sons, their bond seems to be inseparable. According to Curbed, Indenbirken currently lives very comfortably in a four-bedroom home in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, a property valued at $1.7 million bought for her by DiCaprio himself. The Titanic actor lives just 9.1 miles away at his Palm Springs estate, a four-bedroom home valued at $5.2 million.

Besides the proximity of their houses, their closeness is also apparent in the mother and son’s uncanny resemblance to one another. The two could really pass off as clones: DiCaprio has very obviously taken after the majority of his beautiful mother’s face but the feature that stands out the most is the likeness of their undeniably blue eyes. 

“He’s a mother’s boy and no other woman can compete with that,” said relationship guru and author Dr Gilda Carle of DiCaprio and Indenbirken. “His mother clearly dotes on him and has been wonderful to him.”

Leonardo DiCaprio and his mom are so sweet together. What inspired you most about Irmelin? Did you know she was a single mother? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! If you found this story interesting or inspiring, be sure to pass it along to your loved ones so they get to learn about Irmelin’s journey as well.