IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

John Legend on touring with a toddler: 'I've got a crib on the bus now'

The singer opened up to TODAY Parents about touring with a kid, and what he thinks about the mommy-shaming wife Chrissy Teigen faces online.
/ Source: TODAY

Singer John Legend recently embarked on a European tour — it's hardly the star's first jaunt around the world, but this time, he's got a wife and baby in tow.

Legend opened up to TODAY Parents about the joys of being a dad, and how aspects of his career have changed since he and supermodel Chrissy Teigen welcomed a daughter, Luna, last year.

"My first touring experience, I was a young bachelor, I was touring with Kanye and we were doing what young bachelors do at that time," he said. "And, you know, I've grown a lot in those 13, 14 years. A lot has changed for all of us. We're both dads now, we're both husbands now, and we tour quite a bit differently. I've got a crib on the bus now. It's fun."

"It's been pretty smooth," added Legend, who spoke to TODAY Parents on behalf of Capri Sun. (He's a paid spokesperson for the brand; see his hilarious video about their new all-natural products below.) "There are always going to be some challenges. We're trying to wrangle a 16-month-old. But she's adjusted well to traveling. She's been traveling since she was a little kid, only a few weeks old."

Like every celebrity raising a kid in the spotlight, the couple's parenting has come under scrutiny — Teigen is known to clap back at mommy-shamers online. Legend said he feels guilty that his wife has to deal with the undue criticism, adding that it's a reflection of society's antiquated views of family roles.

"I think the expectation from the general public is that the mom is more responsible for raising the child, and I think there's more of a culture around mommy-shaming than there is around dad-shaming," he said. "So Chrissy has to deal with it more."

He acknowledges that Luna’s childhood is much different from his own. Legend grew up singing in the church choir in Ohio — far from the lights of Hollywood.

"It's hard to even understand how different they are," Legend said. "Particularly with social media, I think every kid's life is different than our generation. None of us had cell phones when we were kids. None of us had Facebook or Instagram or Snapchat when we were kids.”

So like all parents, he’s going to have to face the tough conversations eventually.

“Every kid, whether you like it or not, is going to grow up with this ability to self-publish that we just didn't have,” Legend said. "It's going to be a challenge as parents to navigate that, to be strict when you need to. We don't have all the answers, but we're going to try to figure that out."