Desk Report:
Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston (56) has opened up about her decision not to have children. After years of speculation, paparazzi scrutiny and the challenges of motherhood, she says she has now reached a place of “peace” and “comfort.”
The “Friends” star recently explained her reasons for being childless on the “Armchair Expert” podcast. She insists that it is now beyond her control.
“It (not having children) is very peaceful. But I will say, there comes a time when it is completely out of my control. Honestly, there is nothing I can do about it,” Aniston told the podcast hosts.
Aniston also opened up about the advice she received about adopting. She also explained why that path didn’t feel right to her.
“When people say, ‘You can adopt.’ I didn’t want to adopt. I wanted my own DNA to be in a little human. Whether it was selfishness or whatever, that’s how I wanted it.”
Aniston noted that while she has occasionally felt like they might have had a better child with a particular partner, that feeling usually goes away “within three seconds.” According to her, when things get out of hand, there’s a kind of “romanticism” that comes into play.
The actress said that after years of speculation about her personal life, she tried to get pregnant through IVF treatment. In a 2022 interview with Allure magazine, she revealed that she did not freeze her eggs.
On the podcast, Aniston firmly states, “I have no regrets. I feel a little relieved now, because now there’s no more of that ‘Can I? Maybe, maybe, maybe’ feeling. I don’t have to think about it anymore.” She simply says, “It probably wasn’t planned. Whatever the plan.’
Jennifer Aniston is not alone in speaking out about motherhood. Oprah Winfrey previously told The Hollywood Reporter that her ambitious career has prevented her from being a good mother. “If I had kids, they would hate me,” she said, implying that having children would have meant making some concessions.
Comedian Chelsea Handler also recently spoke out about the misconception that “disliking children” is a reason for not having children. “I don’t hate kids, I just don’t want kids,” Handler said. She likened her desire to not having a certain food. “It’s like I don’t want spaghetti bolognese—I don’t have any interest, you know?”
