Dragons' Den star Emma Grede has clarified recent comments she made about being a 'max-three-hour mum.' The 43-year-old mother of four, who has an estimated net worth of £280,000,000, faced backlash after an interview with the Wall Street Journal in which she described her parenting style.
What Emma Grede Said
In the interview, Grede explained that after spending time with her children from 9 am to noon on weekends, she feels 'done with these four.' Instead, she prefers to build 'high-impact, core memories' such as taking the family to New York. The comments sparked criticism from those who felt she was dismissing quality time with her kids.
Defending Her Comments on This Morning
Appearing on This Morning, Grede addressed the backlash directly. Host Ben Shephard asked if she understood why people were upset. 'Of course, I completely understand,' she replied. 'I wrote this book not for people to read, but for people to use. It was purposeful in provoking conversation, and I think that there are such unrealistic expectations out there for women.'
She elaborated on the trade-offs in her life: 'When I talk about being a three-hour mum, what I mean is I max get an hour in the morning, a couple of hours at night.' She emphasized that working parents should not feel guilty about their realities. 'You shouldn't be made to feel bad about that, as a working person, that is the reality of your life, you can't spread yourself so thin.'
How Emma Grede Built Her Fortune
Grede started as a fashion show and events producer before founding Independent Talent Brand (ITB) Worldwide in 2008, which she later sold. In 2015, she met Kris Jenner at Paris Fashion Week and pitched a partnership with Khloé Kardashian, leading to the launch of Good American, a size-inclusive clothing brand. She also co-founded shapewear brand Skims with her husband and Kim Kardashian, and Safely, a plant-based cleaning product company, with Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen. Grede reportedly holds an 8% stake in Skims, 23% in Good American, and 22% in Safely, contributing to her estimated net worth of nearly $400 million.
Previous Defense on Today
Earlier, Grede defended herself on the Today show with Jenna and Sheinelle, stating she wasn't surprised by the backlash because 'that's what happens to women.' She added, 'I just think that headline would never be written about a man. Women are held to such an impossible standard both as parents and as business women, and what I'm trying to do is be really honest about what it takes and be really honest about the things that I don't do.'
Grede concluded that her honesty aims to relieve the guilt and burden many parents feel. 'Everybody says, “How do you do it all? How do you wake up at 5am and run the companies?” And, I'm like, let's give a list of all the things that I don't do because you know what's helpful? That's what's helpful to women.'
