Happy Birthday, Lourdes Leon! See the Cutest Photos of Madonna and Her Eldest Daughter

Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon is celebrating her 27th birthday today, see their cutest mother-daughter photos together

Madonna and Lourdes Leon. PHOTO: CHRIS HARDING/GETTY IMAGES; DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES

Madonna’s daughter is all grown up!

Lourdes Leon — whom the Queen of Pop shares with ex-boyfriend Carlos Leon — has blossomed into a superstar in her own right.

Performing under the name Lolahol, the newly minted 27-year-old has spoken openly about the growing appreciation she feels for her mom’s artistry, telling Interview Magazine in 2021, “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.”

Through it all, Madge has remained as close as ever with her eldest child. From their earliest red carpet appearances to their support for each other’s careers today, see all of Lourdes Leon and Madonna’s sweetest moments over the years.

01of 09

Holding Tight

Madonna and Lourdes Leon.DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES

Though Leon has shaped her own identity as an artist, the young star has spoken about the inspiration she’s taken from her mom. Just a few days before her birthday, Leon released “Spelling,” her latest single and music video as Lolahol. In an Instagram announcement, she shared that the song pays homage to Madonna’s 1998  “Frozen” video.

“That piece has come up countless times in my life, connecting the two of us,” Leon wrote in her caption. “I would be nothing without the woman who brought me into the world. I revere her, and hope that this translates.”

02of 09

Hand-in-Hand

Madonna and Lourdes Leon.CHRIS HARDING/GETTY IMAGES

Before she was strutting down runways and performing at international music festivals on her own, Leon walked several red carpets by her mom’s side. In 2005, the mother-daughter duo showed that funky fashion is genetic at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in London.

03of 09

Big Dreams

STEPHEN LOVEKIN/GETTY

Leon knew from a young age that she wanted to follow in the Queen of Pop’s famous footsteps. At 12 years old, the star-to-be was hoping to become an actress.

“She also plays piano, and she’s really into clothes and fashion and style. She can go in any direction. She’s got a lot of diverse interests right now,” Madonna said at the time. “I’m not pushing anything. We’ll see what she wants to do.”

04of 09

Raised Wisely

STEPHEN LOVEKIN/GETTY IMAGES

In 2021, Leon told Interview Magazine that she didn’t get “any handouts” in her family, despite growing up “with extreme privilege.”

Leon explained, “I think my mom saw all these other kids of famous people, and she was like, ‘My kids are not going to be like this.'”

05of 09

Family Dynamics

Madonna and Lourdes Leon.CRAIG BARRITT/GETTY IMAGES

In fact, Leon even paid for her own college education at the University of Michigan (where her mom once attended). In her Interview Magazine Q&A, she explained that financial independence was fueled by Madonna’s parenting principles and Leon’s relatable desire for personal freedom as a young adult.

“I feel like if your parents pay for things, then it gives them leverage over you. My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life,” Leon said. “I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school.”

06of 09

Shared Interests

Madonna and Lourdes Leon.SWAN GALLET/WWD/PENSKE MEDIA/GETTY

Even before she became a model herself, Leon got to see all the latest looks from up close, often sitting next to the “Like A Prayer” singer at fashion week shows around the world.

07of 09

Dedicated Mom

MADONNA/INSTAGRAM

In January 2023, Madonna opened up to Vanity Fair about parenting Leon and her sisters Mercy, 17, and twins Estere and Stella, 11, and brothers Rocco, 23, and David, 18.

“Whoever you are, having children and raising them is a work of art. And no one gives you a manual. You have to learn from mistakes. It is a profession that requires a lot of time. And it is exhausting because there is never rest,” the pop icon said.

08of 09

In Loving Support

NINA WESTERVELT/WWD/GETTY

Madonna also told Vanity Fair how happy she is with who Leon and her brother Rocco have become.

“I have never encouraged my daughter Lola to make music or my son Rocco to paint. But I’ve always exposed them to art, to music,” she said, referring to her daughter by her nickname. “I’m happy with how they are today. And I’m proud of their work.”

09of 09

Showing Up for Mom

MADONNA/INSTAGRAM

The pop icon paid tribute to her kids after she was hospitalized with a “serious bacterial infection” in 2023. She thanked them for their support with an Instagram post featuring Leon and David Banda.

“As a mother, you can really get caught up in the needs of your children and the seemingly endless giving,” wrote Madge, “But when the chips were down, my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.”