NEWS: 16-Year-Old Star of \'Whale Rider\' Is Pregnant

CELEB: 16-Year-Old Star of 'Whale Rider' Is Pregnant

The child star of the acclaimed 2002 film Whale Rider is all grown up. Sort of. Not really.

However, 16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes is going to be a mother soon. She and her boyfriend Bradley Hull, 19, are expecting their first child in the spring. The couple have been dating for three years. Apparently it’s all legal in New Zealand, where the age of consent is, conveniently, 16. Doesn’t make it any less unnerving.

At 13, Castle-Hughes became the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee for her portrayal of the plucky Paikea, a New Zealand girl who fights to be made chief of her Maori tribe.

Fortunately, Castle-Hughes wasn’t a one-shot wonder. After appearing as the Queen of Naboo in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, she has a starring role in the upcoming film The Nativity Story playing... you guessed it, Mary.

Congratulations to the happy couple on their impending bundle of joy.


Then... and now.

That's just downright unsettlin'...

why?

Because US law should be the basis of all morality or something.

Half the US has a 16 year age of consent anyways.

She can probably afford the child, probably has plenty of supportive people around her, and a 3-year relationship with the father (and they're together.) Why not?

There's a healthy family-to-be. At least they were dating for three years first because that's what is important. She was an amazing actress in Whalerider, very oscar-worthy for sure. Now comes the biggest role of all, acting like a mother.

That's funny, he was 16 when they started dating and now she is 16, they have SO MUCH in common!
Ahh, what the hell, why not. At least he isnt some 35 year old school teacher.

I find it more unsettleing that I didn't know she was in Star Wars.

it does break the "half the legal age + half your own age = the youngest you should date "rule"
16/2=8
19/2=9.5
8+9.5=17.5
but if they stay together a couple more years it'll all be good even on that arbitrary basis.

oh and I'm a supporter of her genes. they're awsome.

At 16 isn't she a late starter for getting pregnant? Or an early starter? Surely the usual ages for getting pregnant are 13 and 47?

eh, at least the kid'll be pretty.

It doesn't matter to me personally what the age of consent is. Including it in the article was just another fact of the story - no laws were broken. From a moral angle, the age of consent is irrelevant. Being "of age" to have sex and having a baby aren't the same thing.

But it is a little unnerving that the sweet-faced child actress of just a couple years ago is about to actually be a mom. I'm not judging; it's not evil or repugnant... just odd. Like when I realized that Keanu Reeves is over 40. Or first watched that one-time liberal Dennis Miller carry the banner for Fox News. (Dennis, you broke my heart!)

It's unnerving? Yeah, cause we all know no teenager ever has sex and gets knocked up. Go to any public high school in the country and walk down the halls.

Yeah like this is uncommon in the world today...
The main difference here is - she'll probably have a nanny and we know she'll be able to afford the kid...

Yeah, that Whale Rider money is just huge. Literally dozens of people saw it.

Congratulations to the happy couple.

Well she can join a great many of my own female students are have gotten pregnant around the same age *shrugs* Its a little depressing, but i'm not to much a cynic as to say that it can't possibly work. Traditionally most women got married and had kids by that point in their life anyway, the emphisis to wait until much later is a phenomenom of modern culture after all.

Last year I had a principle naled Gloria. Anyway one of her step daughters had gotten married at the age of 16; Gloria had been very much against it at the time and thought it was horrible. However, as she said, she had to admit that she was wrong; the couple have been together for 20 some years and are still happy. So it can work out; the odds may be against it these days, but it can happen.

Blah blah blah women can't handle having babies, 16 year olds are always immature, she will definitely be depressed the rest of her life, her career is over, he life is over, etc etc.

I guarantee you she will bounce back, look more beautiful than ever, will be probably the most down-to-earth actress in Hollywood by 19, and be a very responsible sweet mom.

Remember, mother nature thinks we can start having babies at 14. Try to show people some support and be happy for them.

I feel bad for her that this even got out. I wish the very best for her life and career.

Not one "Free Willy" joke?

I'm proud of you, SG. You're growing up!

You can be married in New Hampshire at 13 (if you're a girl, 14 for boys). That's the lowest I've been able to find, in the "civilized" world. Although there is the interesting quirk that in France you can marry a dead person.

And the funny thing is this isn't even a newsworthy story here in New Zealand.
Meh, just another 16 year old pregnancy story.
Must be a slow week in world news.

Nothing weird or "unnatural" here. 16 is when a woman is the most fertile and has the least complications from pregnancy. If she's ready for the commitment a kid brings, more power to her.

eh. I don't know...

I think it's wonderful. Just because the western world has infantileized women and pushed back the natural cycle of life several years doesnt' mean the rest of the world should necessarily follow suit. I'm sure in south america and africa where there are still people living in a tribal enviroment it's not uncommon, or even taboo, for a girl to get pregnate as early as 16. And this girl is a hell of alot more capable of taking care of a child than most of the 20 and 30 year olds in the US that have kids.

The Virgin Mary was 14 when she gave birth to Christ.

All this just really amazes me... that most of you are so optimistic about this...

It's a young people relationship meaning they WILL break up...

She's a celebrity and we all know celebritries never stay married or betrothed or together with the other parent of their children...

But why is this girl "a hell of alot more capable" of rearing a child?! Because she's been in a film or two? Or do you really mean "in the US" only? If that's the case, then yes, she'll probably be better than most 30 to 40 yo moms. Americans are just stupid. I'm just thinking that this was not a planned pregnancy which means this couple isn't too smart to begin with. Why would a budding actress choose to start a family before she truly begins her career? Then again, Michelle Branch shacked up with a 40 yo and had his baby and thinks she still has a career.... hahahahahahahaa!


And the Virgin Mary had help... you think you can give birth to the Son of God and not be followed around by a few angel nannies?

Whenever people say this, I feel the need to throw out that my mom and dad got married two weeks after her 17th birthday (and after over two years of dating beforehand, which is about right for these here New Zealander kids, too). Twenty-seven years later, they still dig each other so much it almost brings tears to my eyes.

So, you know... Will is kind of a strong word.