Having children or not is a personal decision for each individual and family unit. Unfortunately, people often like to judge others for these choices, but it’s totally okay to have kids, wait to have them, or never have them at all.
While many of our favorite celebrities are parents , some don’t want to have kids at all or have expressed that they aren’t interested.
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Kim Cattrall
Similarly to Samantha Jones, Cattrall herself isn’t looking to settle down and have kids.
“I realized that so much of the pressure I was feeling was from outside sources, and I knew I wasn’t ready to take that step into motherhood. Being a biological mother just isn’t part of my experience this time around,” Cattrall told O, The Oprah Magazine.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has talked about how there are many ways to find a family without having biological children.
“Now I’m ‘GeeGee,’ which is great-granny. I often think, it just wasn’t meant for me to have kids so everybody’s kids can be mine,” she said to People when talking about her extended family.
Marisa Tomei
Unfortunately, it’s usually women who are asked why they don’t have kids, and there is a lot of pressure on women and not so much on men.
This is why we love that Tomei told Manhattan Magazine how she felt.
“I don’t know why women need to have children to be seen as complete human beings.”
Cameron Diaz
“It’s so much more work to have children. To have lives besides your own that you are responsible for—I didn’t take that on. That did make things easier for me,” Diaz told Esquire in 2014.
However, Diaz did end up changing her mind, since she now has a child!
Tracee Ellis Ross
When asked about having children, Ross had this to say in an interview with The Times.
“I’m constantly asking myself questions, reminding myself, Are you making that decision for you or someone else?”
This is a great way to look at things that we definitely support.
Christopher Walken
Walken explained in an interview with The Guardian that he didn’t have kids so that he could focus on his career and not worry about providing for them during hard times.
“I didn’t, so I could get by even in periods of unemployment.”
Renée Zellweger
While Bridget Jones might have had a baby, Zellweger herself isn’t interested. Despite being asked this many times, she’s always made it clear that she isn’t interested in parenting.
She told the London Times that, “Motherhood has never been an ambition. I don’t think like that.”
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren didn’t mince words when talking about how often she was asked why she didn’t have kids yet.
“It was only boring old men [who would ask me]. And whenever they went, ‘What? No children? Well, you’d better get on with it, old girl,’ I’d say ‘No! [expletive] off!'” Mirren told British Vouge.
Ellen DeGeneres
It’s not just straight couples that have to deal with these questions, and while it’s great that there are more options than ever for LGBTQ+ plus people to become parents, not everyone wants to.
“The amount of work that that is and responsibility—I wouldn’t want to screw them up! We love our animals,” DeGeneres explained to People.
Jon Hamm
It’s definitely a double standard that women are asked so much about being mothers while men aren’t even questioned that much.
However, some male celebrities who don’t have children are also asked this invasive question.
“I’d be a terrible father!” Hamm told US Weekly.
Betty White
For many women, especially those who were raised in older decades, having both a career and children was difficult.
“I know that if I had ever gotten pregnant, of course, that would’ve been my whole focus. But I didn’t choose to have children because I’m focused on my career and I don’t think as compulsive as I am that I could manage both,” White said on CBS Sunday Morning.
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally
This hilarious couple has talked about how, while they did think about having kids, it just wasn’t a priority. They don’t feel sad about not having kids either.
“I never had a burning desire to have children,” Mullally explained in an interview with GQ .
Stevie Nicks
Nicks isn’t the only creative person to decide to focus on her career and her passions as opposed to having children. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t do both, but it’s totally valid for a woman to not want to have kids.
“It’s like, Do you want to be an artist and a writer, or a wife and a lover? With kids, your focus changes. I don’t want to go to PTA meetings,” she told InStyle.
Miley Cyrus
Cyrus revealed in an interview that her feelings on having children have been impacted by climate change.
She talked about how she doesn’t want to pass down a dying planet to her children, and this is part of why she isn’t interested in being a parent.
Chelsea Handler
Handler said in a 2013 interview on The Conversation With Amanda De Cadenet that she doesn’t feel like it would be right for her to have kids.
“I don’t want to have a kid and have it raised by a nanny. I don’t have the time to raise a child myself.”
Rachael Ray
For Rachael, her career is her first priority. She simply doesn’t have the time or desire to press pause and start a family.
Rachael does have a rescue dog , but fur babies don’t count.
Dave Franco and Alison Brie.
Alison and Dave came to the decision together that they would forego having children .
Their two cats, Harry and Arturo, give them more than enough love. Plus, both have said that they find the idea of parenthood stressful.
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston is quite frankly fed up with the constant inquisition surrounding the topic of pregnancy.
She feels that it perpetuates the false notion that a woman is somehow less or incomplete without children in her life. I’m inclined to agree with her.
Winona Ryder
Winona doesn’t have any children of her own, nor does she plan to. She does have a niece who she loves dearly.
She thinks it’s odd that women feel the need to justify wanting a life outside of having children.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah may be the most powerful woman in the world and is perfectly happy to be child-free.
She respects mothers tremendously and knows how serious the job is — which is why she made the conscious choice to refrain.
Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin couldn’t be happier to be without children. She feels incredibly grateful to be without the burdens of raising a child, especially in today’s world.
It’s something she and her partner are thankful for each and every day.
Dita Von Teese
One of the main reasons that Dita has chosen not to have children is related to social media .
She believes that the internet makes people evolve and interact differently nowadays and she has a serious fear when it comes to online platforms.
Fiona Apple
There’s no grand mystery behind Fiona Apple’s motivation for not wanting to have children.
She’s just never had any maternal instincts — it’s as simple as that. Oddly enough, Fiona does enjoy reading parenting strategies and magazines.
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd doesn’t think it’s right to bring another life into this world when so many children are currently without the basic necessities of life.
She chooses to instead give back through her advocacy and philanthropy.
Sarah Silverman
I completely understand where Sarah is coming from. I mean, not exactly, but I can relate.
Choosing your own personal happiness isn’t selfishness and it’s high time we stopped acting like it. Keep on preaching, Sarah. We’re picking up what you’re putting down.
Ricky Gervais
According to Ricky, we shouldn’t be asking people without kids, “why don’t you have children?” What we really should be doing is asking people with kids, “why do you have children?”
He has a good point, as far as I’m concerned.
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn used to say that she would make a terrible mother, largely because she considered herself to be an extremely selfish person.
I personally don’t think that abstaining from children is selfish, but Katharine was a product of a different era.
Jay Leno
According to the former late night TV host, the secret to a long and happy marriage is coming to the realization that nothing is worth fighting about.
That’s why Jay didn’t question his wife, Mavis’, decision to not have kids.
Kylie Minogue
Kylie’s reasons for not having children are different than most. When she was 36, Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer and the disease prevented her from having children.
Kylie maintains that, in spite of everything, she doesn’t have a single regret.
Anjelica Huston
When she was a young woman, Anjelica dreamed of having a baby with Jack Nicholson.
The Oscar-winning actor was renowned for his infidelities, and after 17 years together, Anjelica made the decision to leave. After that, her opinions on family changed.
Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson is almost positive that she doesn’t want kids.
However, just to be on the safe side, she did go ahead and freeze some of her eggs. That way, she’ll always have the option open to her.
