Jessica Biel Shares How She Prepared Her Son for the Spotlight During Rare U.S. Open Appearance

In the game of privacy, Jessica Biel isn’t sure if she’s winning or losing.

Last summer, the actress, 43, faced a difficult decision of whether or not to bring her son Silas, 10, to the U.S. Open, where he would likely be photographed for the world to see.

“My son was 9 at the time, and he’s a huge tennis fan — that’s his sport, that’s what he plays,” Biel told InStyle in an interview published Monday, May 19. “We had this opportunity, and we talked about it. We talked about photographers. You know, ‘Are you comfortable with that?’”

Because Silas was still a kid, Biel — who also shares Phineas, 4, with husband Justin Timberlake — believed her oldest son couldn’t make the decision on his own. However, the mother-son duo could at least “discuss what’s his opinion around it.”

Ultimately, the pair headed to Queens, New York, in August 2024 for day four of the U.S. Open tennis championships.

Nearly a year later, Biel still hopes she made the right decision in letting Silas go despite the intense media presence.

“You really want to give your kids every experience,” she explained to the publication. “I don’t know if it was the right decision, to be honest with you, but he and I had a good time. … It’s scary every time. But it’s also their life. And so it’s this really tricky, tricky thing to figure out, what’s appropriate.”

Timberlake, 44, and Biel have tried their best to keep their kids out of the spotlight. While both parents share glimpses of their children on special occasions like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, stepping out for red carpets or major public events as a family are a rarity.

“It’s a tricky one, a tricky balance,” Biel said. “We do really try hard not to expose them in a way that they’re not comfortable with.”

On Mother’s Day, Timberlake paid tribute to his wife by sharing a photo of Biel playing with one of her sons. “Happy Mother’s Day to the superwoman who puts up with all the boys,” he wrote via his Instagram Story. “We love you so much mama.”

As both Silas and Phineas get older, Biel admits she’s not sure what they will end up pursuing in their professional lives.

At the same time, Biel said Silas has already shown natural abilities of being able to succeed in the entertainment industry.

“If he was a kid actor, he’d probably work all the time,” she confessed. “And when you’re 18 years old, you want to be professional? Have at it. That’s your choice. That’s what I would like to hold on to, if possible, for him, you know?”