Things are changing at home for Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. The Cravings author revealed on Wednesday that her mother, Vilailuck "Pepper" Teigen, has moved to Thailand after spending several years helping to care for the couple's children.
Teigen dropped the news in an interview on SiriusXM Today Show Radio's The Happy Hour.
"She is meant to go live her best life," Teigen said. "She obviously loves taking care of her grandchildren, but seeing her every day at home, doing that and being there with us, was so special and so amazing. But she's young enough that she needs to go off and be happy."
Teigen's mom is now living in the same town where she grew up, where she has reunited with a group of her best friends.
"She has a group of girlfriends out there that she just, she changes, she lights up when she sees them," Teigen explained. "I wasn't seeing her light up as much, you know, without them. And she needs to go find love and find, you know, whatever she wants. She pretends that she doesn't care about that kinda stuff, and she just cares about her grandbabies and her friends, but I wanted that for her and also, truly, I haven't really been on my own. It's weird waking up and going, 'Oh my God, I got four kids and mom's not here.' Of course we have help, but there's nobody like your mother."
Teigen, 38, and Legend, 45, got married in a glamorous Italian wedding on Sept. 14, 2023. Today, they share daughter Luna, 7; son Miles, 5; daughter Esti, 1; and son Wren, 7 months. Teigen carried Esti while Wren arrived via surrogate. The family also tragically lost their son, Jack, in 2020 when he arrived early at 20 weeks and doctors weren't able to save the little boy's life.
Chrissy Teigen, Vilailuck Teigen and Miles Theodore Stephens attend Impossible Foods Grocery Los Angeles Launch With "Pepper Thai" Teigen on September 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
"We miss her so much," Teigen said of her mother's recent departure. "She's only been gone for a couple weeks, but you feel the void immediately."
The family is still staying in close contact, with Pepper dropping in via in-home cameras to say "Hi" to the kids. Teigen said that they also use FaceTime to chat "every day" and plan to travel to Thailand for visits "every spring break."
She says she's also angling to get her mom a gig working on the upcoming season of HBO's The White Lotus, which begins production in and around Bangkok next month.
"I'm like, 'Do you need a P.A. or something? My mom can help out!'" Teigen quipped.
"My mom is the best hostess," she added, sharing that Pepper had recently given Legend's mom a tour of the area. "She lives for those moments getting to show off a country that she's so proud of."
Still, Teigen admitted that she "lost it" just before her mom left for the airport.
"I believe that when it comes to mothers," she shared, "there is a spiritual and physical connection. And I felt it in my bones when she left, I really did."
Teigen is currently promoting her newest labor of love, Freeform's Chrissy & Dave Dine Out. In the show, Teigen and Momofuku restauranteur David Chang host star-studded dinner parties throughout the Los Angeles restaurant scene.
"I’ve never had a busier few weeks but when you’re working and promoting something you truly love WITH people you truly love - there is nothing like it. @davidchang @ihatejoelkim I am so proud of what we have created with Chrissy & Dave Dine Out. Thank you to our incredible guests and the chefs who have endless passion in creating such special memories for so many, every day and night," Teigen wrote on Instagram ahead of the show's Wednesday premiere.
Meanwhile, Legend recently told ET that he's set some goals for himself at the start of the new year.
"Personally, I'm just focused on trying to be the best dad and best husband I can be," he said last month. "Professionally, I'm always looking to create and continue to keep the bar for myself, the standard for myself, really high. Every song I write, every record I put out, I just want it to be my best work. Every performance I do, I want it to be my best work, so I'm gonna just keep that bar really high for myself and try to meet it."
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