Madonna‘s oldest child, Lourdes Leon, is making her name for herself as a model right now, but she says she got some important advice from her mom that’s made her rethink what she wants out of that career path.
Speaking to Madonna’s good pal Debi Mazar for Interview magazine, Lourdes says that when she decided to start modeling, Madonna told her, “Proceed with caution and think about what you want to be known for.”
“My mom is very insistent on making me think about what I want to be known for beyond my looks,” she adds. “That’s not what I want people to remember me by. It’s not real…I want to create a world in which models have more agency over what they’re doing, and they’re not just silent clothing racks.”
Lourdes says Madonna also told her something recently that “really stuck with her,” which was, “It’s not about the money or your face or how hot you look. It’s about what you’re bringing into the world and what you’re going to leave behind.” Lourdes says, “That always shakes me awake when I get too caught up in everything.”
Lourdes, who turns 25 today, also says if she’s out somewhere and one of her mom’s songs comes on, “I don’t cringe.”
“I’m increasingly able to recognize how influential and amazing this woman is, and how empowering to other women and ahead of her time she has always been,” she says, adding, “She’s probably the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.”
And apparently, music runs in the family: “I can sing. I just don’t care about it,” Lourdes says. “Maybe it’s too close to home.”
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