Eve: Having a Stepdad Made Me a Better Stepmom to My Husband’s Kids

Learning from experience! Eve puts her four stepkids’ feelings first while raising Jagger, Lotus, Mini and Cash with her husband, Maximillion Cooper.

“I have a stepdad and when he married my mom when I was younger, I kind of felt like, ‘Well, why did nobody asked me? Why did nobody talk to me about my feelings? Why do I just have to do what you say?’” the rapper, 41, explained to Us Weekly exclusively on Thursday, April 24, while promoting the Youth Emerging Stronger (YES) at Home Virtual Gala. “When you become an adult, you kind of forget that you used to be a kid and you have feelings, so it’s important for me sometimes to say, ‘Well, what’s happening here? What’s going on?’”

Since the Pennsylvania native is extra intentional about listening to her brood’s feelings, she considers herself a “super chill” stepparent. As for Cooper, 47, the entrepreneur “can blow when you get under his skin,” she told Us.

The “Satisfaction” rapper opened up in May 2013 about initially being on the fence about her then-boyfriend having children from his previous marriage to Julie Brangstrup. “It took a minute,” she admitted at the time. “I was like, ‘I’m not sure this is what I want to be my life.’ But honestly, it’s been three years now and we’ve gone on vacations together, and they’re the sweetest kids.”

Eve “fell in love” with Jagger, Lotus, Mini and Cash as she fell in love with Cooper, she told Us on Thursday.

“I was very nervous, but they all just embraced me and we kind of just went along with it,” the Grammy winner explained. “One thing that made me fall in love with my husband is that he’s such a good dad. I think I just kind of follow his lead. That was something I’ve admired about him and it just helps.”

She and the British designer tied the knot in June  2014 in Spain after four years of dating.

Eve is hosting the Youth Emerging Stronger (YES) at Home Virtual Gala on Sunday, April 26, from 3 to 5 p.m. ET. #YesAtHome will be available on the Looped mobile app and online at LoopedLive.com, and the money raised will go towards Youth Emerging Stronger, a California nonprofit aiming to  help end youth homelessness.

“I’m excited [to] see what comes about,” the American Music Award nominee told Us of the fundraiser. “I’m really looking forward to it ad am so happy they asked me to be a part of it.”

With reporting by Carly Sloane

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