Helen Hunt marked daughter Makena Carnahan’s Northwestern University graduation with a rare Instagram post, including a sweet photo of the 22-year-old alongside her Oscar-winning mom. The moment comes as Hunt looks ahead to Makena’s next chapter in music with
Helen Hunt didn’t just post another family photo—she opened a window we don’t always get.
On Tuesday, June 16, Hunt shared several pictures celebrating her daughter Makena Carnahan’s graduation from Northwestern University. In one of the sweetest snaps, Makena’s arm is wrapped around the Oscar winner as the two pose together, a warm moment framed by the pride Hunt rarely hides.
Makena is 22 years old, and Hunt made sure this milestone didn’t pass without attention. One photo shows Makena in her purple graduation gown, holding a bouquet of yellow roses. Another captures the moment Hunt and Makena—along with Makena’s friends—appeared on a Jumbotron. In the caption, Hunt wrote, “Look at this Wildcat and her wonderful friends!” and added, “Happy Graduation my Love. You. Are. Amazing.”.
Makena is Hunt’s daughter with ex-partner Matthew Carnahan. Hunt and Carnahan were together for 16 years—from 2001 to 2017—before they went their separate ways. Even with the change in their relationship, both parents have stayed firmly in Makena’s corner.
Hunt has shared photos of Makena sparingly over the years, but she did make an exception when Makena graduated from high school in June 2022. At the time, Hunt posted a smiling picture of herself alongside her only child in a green graduation gown, writing simply, “The Graduate.”
Years earlier, Hunt had already come to terms with Makena’s independence—and the distance that comes with it. During a June 2021 sit-down on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Hunt joked that nothing on Makena’s college list was within 2. 500 miles of their home. “My daughter is gone. She has let me know,” Hunt told hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. “I looked at the list of colleges, I was like, ‘There’s nothing 2,500 miles close to my house.’”.
Makena ended up choosing Northwestern University in Illinois. The school is about 2,000 miles from home and, as Hunt had already anticipated, roughly as far from the West Coast as you can get.
That willingness to step back from the spotlight has always been part of how Hunt shows up as a parent. After Makena was born in 2004. Hunt chose to step back from her career. even after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for As Good As It Gets. At the time. Hunt told People she had made the choice to “get a life.” She explained. “I fell in love. I had a daughter. it was hard to find a part that was as interesting as watching her grow up. ” adding. “Why go off and pretend to be someone’s mother. or pretend to be someone’s wife. when I finally had the chance to have that experience in my real life?”.
Now that Makena has graduated, her next steps appear to be rooted in music. She is a member of the Chicago-based band Widemouth, which released their debut EP, Well, in 2024. Hunt has been leaning into that chapter—regularly promoting the band’s gigs on Instagram—while Matthew has also shown support by attending shows in person and sharing photos from the group’s record release performance in 2024.
Even outside the family circle, the excitement is spreading. Kelly Clarkson told Hunt that her daughter has “incredible lyrics” and called Makena “a great storyteller.”
Helen Hunt Makena Carnahan Northwestern University graduation Widemouth Well EP Chicago-based band Kelly Clarkson Live with Kelly and Ryan