Rob McElhenney says growing up with two mothers was a ‘gift’

If you need another reason to love Rob McElhenney even more, just listen to the way he speaks about his two mothers.

It may be news to some people, but the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star was raised by more than two parents.

And the Wrexham co-owner absolutely adores the socks off the lot of them - but he has an extra special place in his heart for his two mums, Helena McElhenney and Mary Taylor, who he describes as a 'great gift'. Take a look at the happy couple here:

The actor's biological mum, Helena, got divorced from his dad when he was around 8 or 9 years old after she came out as a lesbian - a situation which she described as 'really, really tough'.

Rob's parents remained close despite their split and he doesn't look back with any malice on the breakup of his family.

Instead, he only has pure happiness that Helena had the bravery to live as her true self, especially in a time where gay relationships were still frowned upon.

In the FX documentary Welcome to Wrexham, the 46-year-old said he could proudly 'look back at his parents and recognise the amount of courage that it took for them to do exactly what they did'.

Speaking of his beloved mum Helena, he said: "I have so much empathy for her in that situation because it was a different time. And anybody who is over the age of 35 who's watching this can understand.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

He added: "I think one of the most beautiful things about our culture right now is anybody under the age of 35 might not even know what the f**k I'm talking about."

Helena admitted she was 'afraid - not only for my children, but for myself' when she finally plucked up the courage to come out, but said she knew she was destined to be with Mary from 'the minute she met her'.

Rob continued: "I get asked a lot about what it was like to have two moms and the truth is I don't know anything different. "It was pretty great. It definitely shaped my view of the world, my perspective. We had to recognise that not every family looked exactly the same."

He was over the moon when his two mums featured in a GLAAD video for Mother’s Day back in 2021, where they discussed the things they have overcome throughout their now-39-year relationship.

In the video, Helena said: "Who you love and how you love is your business, but sometimes you need a little help."

GLAAD

Her beloved wife then added: "And don’t worry about other people. Rely on the community for support."

Rob shared the video on X, formerly Twitter, alongside the tear-jerking caption: "No family looks exactly the same. So proud to call both of these ladies ‘Mom’." Honestly. How adorable can you get?

The Mythic Quest star praised his parents for how they raised him and his siblings, while adding that the addition of a second mum in their lives was a 'pretty great gift'.

He added: "By the standards of 1984 South Philadelphia, our upbringing was unconventional, but my brother, sister, and I were able to recognise early on that not every family looked exactly the same or like what we saw on television.

"Yet we had nothing but love and support and compassion and empathy. And I think that allowed us to flourish."

Rob also has two brothers who are gay, so he says he has 'always been part of the gay community'.

Kudos to Helena, Mary and his father for bringing up such a sweet boy.

Topics: Rob McElhenney, Celebrity, LGBTQ, Sex and Relationships, Parenting

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_