Kaley Cuoco is about to celebrate her second Mother’s Day, and amid the chaos of motherhood, she took a step back to reflect on what she’s learned so far.
Cuoco, 38, and boyfriend Tom Pelphrey welcomed daughter Matilda in March 2023, and Cuoco told Us Weekly in an exclusive interview that her daughter is “the best thing ever,” even if Matilda doesn’t always show the love right back.
Asked what she has learned most about herself as a mother, Cuoco laughed.
“That you’re not important,” she joked on Thursday, May 9. “Whatever a 1-year-old wants, they want. Don’t take it personally when they want Dada over Mama all day long. Doesn’t mean anything. Don’t take things personally. I learned that very quickly.”
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Cuoco spoke to Us at The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health’s annual gala at Sunset Room Hollywood. Cuoco starred alongside Ritter on 8 Simple Rules, the ABC sitcom that ran for three seasons. Ritter died unexpectedly from an undetected aortic dissection in 2003 shortly before the second season of the show premiered.
Though Pelphrey, 41, was absent from the event, Cuoco indicated he’s thinking of her while filming in Philadelphia.
“He was so sad he couldn’t be here tonight,” Cuoco said. “But we are so happy to be working. We’re happy to be in love. Our baby is, like, the best thing ever. Life is really good. We feel very blessed.”
In March, Cuoco gave fans a glimpse into year one with Matilda on her daughter’s first birthday, sharing an Instagram reel of video clips and stills from the past year set to Gabby Barrett’s “Growin’ Up Raising You.” In the post, Matilda is seen eating, playing and sleeping alongside her parents.
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“🩷Matilda🩷 you are 1! Best year of our lives .. you are a gift from above and have brought the deepest perfect joy to our entire family!” Cuoco captioned the post.
“Dada and I love you more than we could possibly ever explain,” she continued. “I cannot wait to see who you become, but for now, please stay my precious 1 year old forever. 🩷🩷 @tommypelphrey thank you for being the best daddy (besides my own) the world has ever seen. She’s perfect.🩷
Happy birthday, angel girl! 
.”
Before Matilda arrived, a source told Us exclusively that Cuoco knew right away that she wanted to be with Pelphrey.
“He’s said from the get-go that it’s the real deal and he’s head over heels in love with Kaley and happy to give it everything he’s got,” the source added.
Cuoco and Pelphrey were first linked in 2022, shortly after Cuoco filed for divorce from ex-husband Karl Cook.
With reporting by Mike Vulpo
