Who Are Gloria Steinem's Stepchildren? Feminist Leader Dies at 92
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Gloria Steinem's death at 92 marks the loss of one of the most influential voices in the fight for women’s equality over the past century.
The news also renews attention on the family she married into late in life, including her four stepchildren, who were part of her life during her brief marriage to activist David Bale. Steinem became a stepmother in 2000 when she married Bale at age 66, a union that lasted until his death three years later.
Steinem’s death on September 2 closes an extraordinary chapter in American social history. Her career spanned more than six decades, beginning with her rise as a journalist and continuing through her leadership in second‑wave feminism .
Among other achievements, she helped launch the National Women’s Political Caucus and became one of the most recognizable advocates for reproductive freedom, workplace equality, and women’s political representation.
Her influence extended far beyond the movement’s early years. Steinem remained politically active well into her 80s and 90s, traveling internationally, speaking at global women’s conferences, and mentoring younger activists.
Even in her later interviews, she reflected on aging with characteristic clarity and humor, saying at age 90: “I looked up to find the oldest woman in the world…so I have a goal.”
Related Story Gloria Steinem Named the Revolution. Dolly Parton Lived It Gloria Steinem Has Four Stepchildren, Including Actor Christian Bale Steinem never had biological children, a decision she spoke about openly throughout her life. She often explained that caring for her mother during childhood—“the very small parent of a very big child,” as she once put it—shaped her feelings about parenthood.
When she married David Bale in 2000, she became stepmother to his four adult children, including Christian Bale, the Oscar‑winning actor known for Christopher Nolan's Batman films, Vice and American Psycho . Bale and his siblings were already grown when Steinem entered their lives, but she embraced the role of stepmother during her marriage, which lasted until David Bale’s death in 2003.
Steinem rarely discussed her stepchildren publicly, consistent with her lifelong preference to keep her private relationships out of the spotlight. But her marriage connected her to a family deeply involved in activism , arts, and global humanitarian work.
Steinem remained connected to them after her husband's death.
Bale was an environmental and animal welfare activist whose work spanned continents. Born in South Africa, he became an outspoken opponent of apartheid and was at one point banned from returning to his home country because of his political stance.
He worked with several humanitarian and wildlife organizations, including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, and spent years advocating for conservation and global justice. He was also a commercial pilot and lived in England, South Africa, and the United States before settling in New York and California with Steinem.
The couple met at a fundraising event for Voters for Choice and Democratic politician Bill Curry. Their marriage surprised some observers, given Steinem’s long‑standing critiques of marriage as an institution. She dismissed the idea that she had abandoned her principles, however, famously saying: “I didn’t change—marriage changed.”
Bale died of brain lymphoma in 2003 at age 62, after he and Steinem had been married for just three years.
She later joked about the public fascination with her marriage, once quipping: “It walks. It talks. It’s a feminist.”
Steinem’s body of work is vast, but several pieces stand out as defining contributions to American feminism.
Her 1969 article “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation” brought her national attention and helped cement her role as a leader in the movement.
She later co‑founded Ms. Magazine , whose first issue sold out 300,000 copies in eight days and became a cornerstone of feminist journalism.
Steinem also wrote influential essays such as “If Men Could Menstruate," a satirical piece imagining how society might treat menstruation if men experienced it, turning shame into status.
Her activism extended beyond writing. She co‑founded the Women’s Action Alliance, helped establish Take Our Daughters to Work Day, and testified before Congress in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. She also spent decades advocating for reproductive freedom, famously saying that abortion had been the first moment she took full control of her own life.
Steinem’s later work included global activism, from crossing the Korean DMZ with Nobel laureates to supporting anti‑trafficking efforts in India. Her memoir, My Life on the Road , published in 2015, chronicled her decades of organizing and travel.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenna deJong and Sam Wilson .
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