No matter how progressive of a nation we pretend to be, when it comes to females of a certain age the expectation always seems to turn to babies. When are you going to start a family? Don't you want kids of your own? Are you having problems becoming pregnant? These are the questions that almost all women over the age of thirty will get on a daily basis, especially if they are also in a committed relationship. Celebrities are no different when it comes to prying minds. In fact their lives become an open book and almost public property so questions about expanding their brood can be expected in just about every interview that they do. Imagine having to justify your personal reproductive choices every time you open your mouth!
The truth is some women are just not interested in motherhood! Not every human with a uterus desires a baby and that is something that society will just have to wrap their heads around. Parenthood simply isn't for everyone. I think that these ten famous ladies who confidently own their conscious decision not to reproduce should be complimented for their bravery in speaking on the taboo subject. You do you ladies. Babies or not you are talented and fabulous.
15 Ellen Degeneres - No Babies In Her Future
Ok. Here is my guilty, selfish wish...I kind of really want these two to raise humans. I think that they are beautiful people in their own right and that they would make great parents. My vote counts for nothing though because power couple Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi just aren't feeling it. Ellen has famously admitted that she agrees with me in thinking her and her wife would make great parents, but isn't convinced that they have a strong enough desire and drive to do something as epic as raise a human being. Portia shares her wife's feelings saying that there will be no babies in the couple's future because neither of the women have ever wanted children of their own. I genuinely applaud their acknowledgement in realizing what a massive undertaking molding a human is, but I still harbor my secret desires for a baby Portia-Ellen.
14 Oprah Winfrey - Being A Role Model Is More Than Enough
She is probably the most successful rags to riches story on the planet. A poor and abused girl from the wrong side of the tracks worked her way up to become one of the most wealthy humanitarians the world has ever known. With all of Oprah's accomplishments, motherhood and marriage are the two things that she has not and will not be mastering in her lifetime. Oprah had a brush with motherhood in her early years after she found herself pregnant due to sexual abuse, but that baby was not meant to be. This independent woman found that being a maternal figure for the young girls of the Oprah Leadership Academy was more than enough for her and having her own biological child wasn't needed to fill any void in her life.
13 Renee Zelleger - Living Comfortably Without Kids
When actress Renee Zellweger married country singer Kenny Chesney back in the early 2000's we all waited with baited breath for her to pop out a little bundle of joy donning a guitar and a cowboy hat. It didn't happen and the pair divorced in 2008 after only four short months of marriage. Three months post split Ms. Zellweger did an interview with the London Times and made it crystal clear that motherhood wasn't a particular ambition of hers. Marriage or not, Renee was perfectly comfortable living her life without the addition of children. With that said she plays a phenomenal mommy in her acting roles. I mean who can forget the iconic loving mother persona she played in Jerry Maguire? She might not have children of her own, but she publicly dotes on her brother's kids and loves being an auntie.
12 Chelsea Handler - No Babies On The Brain
She is known for her hilarious and lewd wisecracking, but when it comes to the topic of parenthood comedian Chelsea Handler is as serious as a heart attack. The funny lady doesn't believe that showbiz and parenthood are always a good mix and more often than not the children of the famous don't get the time and dedication that they deserve. In a recent interview Handler made it very clear that babies are not on her brain and she doesn't think she would even make a very good mother. The stand-up sensation doesn't think that having a child onto to hand him or her over to a nanny to primarily raise them is the way to go, and because of this belief that responsibility would befall her. With her smoking hot career she knows that raising a child sans help would not be possible, so she has chosen to forego that whole experience.
11 Christina Hendricks - Kids Aren't Part Of The Picture
This smoking hot actress and her husband have been pretty vocal and unapologetic about their conscious decision not to have children. The Mad Men actress spoke to Health magazine back in 2014 telling the publication that kids just weren't part of the picture for her. Because she is over thirty and happily married people are forever asking her when she will be popping out mini-sirens, and when she tells them that she doesn't see that happening they always have the same response... which is that in time she will change her mind. While Hendricks says that there is always the small chance that the tides will shift and she will catch the baby bug at some point, I'm not thinking that we should all be holding our breath on this one.
10 Rachel Ray - There's No Time For Motherhood
Celebrity chef and business mogul Rachel Ray is a busy lady and she is under no misconception that children take up massive amounts of time and heaps of dedication...and she truly doesn't feel like she has any of either to dole out. Rachel is perfectly content being a mommy to a fur baby and even there she feels like she is shorting her four legged baby on love and time. With only so many hours in the day there just aren't enough to do both career and motherhood, at least that is how it looks in Rachel's mind. The Queen of the EVOO has said that if she were to dedicate herself to motherhood, she would want to do it on full blast, and that she can not commit to. Ray truly feels that if she added a baby to her already busy lifestyle the kid would be missing out and the people she works with would get shorted on her devotion as well.
9 Kim Cattrall - A Step She Didn't Want To Take
In the case of Kim Cattrall, life most definitely imitated art. Her Sex and The City character, the ever fierce Samantha, is famous for craving freedom, not babies and Kim follows that exact mantra off of the screen as well. Although Cattrall said she grew up wanting oodles of kids and puppies she realized in her adult years that being a biological mother just wasn't a step that she was committed to making. The maternal feelings that she harbored as a child were coming from outside influences that society was placing upon her and it took her becoming a woman in her own right to determine what events would actually fall in line with her life's path. Apparently becoming a mother was not an event that fate had in store for Cattrall.
8 Ashley Judd - Unconventional Views On Parenthood
Actress, activist and famous daughter to country singer Naomi Judd perhaps went a bit too far with her views on parenthood claiming that it was downright selfish for humans to procreate. Huh?! In her 2011 memoir, All That is Bitter and Sweet, Judd stated that "she figured it was selfish for us to pour our resources into making our own babies when those very same resources and energies could not only help children already here, but through advocacy and services transform the world into a place where no child ever needs to be born into poverty and abuse again." Ok, nice little pipe dream there...but I can't agree with you Ashley. A whole lot of people were turned off by Judd's unconventional views on parenthood and while I wholly support a woman's decision to live her life however she wants, this is one stance on the subject that personally irks me.
7 Janeane Garafalo - Not In The Cards
Comedienne Janeane Garafalo thought at one point in her life that she maybe did want a little bun in the oven, but realized later on that maybe that wasn't so. Like many women in our society she felt as if she would be perceived as nasty or strange if she didn't have a child at a certain point in the timeline of life. This woman though is known for going against the grain, so she had no problem just owning her goals and aspirations both personally as well as publicly. Kudos to Janeane for realizing that others' perceptions of you don't define your worth or your character and baby or not women can live fulfilling, productive lives without regret. This lady is a prime example of how living authentically and honestly leads to happiness, not having a child just because society thinks that you should do so.
6 Lara Flynn Boyle - Can't Meet Her Own Standards
Lara Flynn Boyle has been in the acting spotlight for nearly three decades after beginning her acting career at age twenty when she debuted on the mega series Twin Peaks. The stunning actress has made it crystal clear that children are not in her future, and she is completely ok with that! In a 2002 interview Lara said that she loves children and she loves men, but just can't commit to either for the entirety of her life. At least she sees that both are lifelong commitments! She went on to say that she would be forever comparing herself to her own mother who was in Lara's opinion the best of the best. Apparently she doesn't even want to attempt to try and reach super-mom status. Honestly I hear her on that front. I'm about a quarter of the mother that my mom is.
5 George Clooney Got The Boot For Not Wanting Kids
He was the forever playboy and actress Stacy Keibler thought she would be the one to lock down the infamous bachelor. After two years of dating it dawned on the thirty-three year old beauty that this was not a match made in heaven. The two wanted very different things out of life apparently. Stacy couldn't wait to settle down and have children and George never felt he was cut from the parenthood cloth. Her desire to be a mommy and his desire to not make her one ultimately contributed to their separation. All is well that ends well though. George did in fact settle down and marry his wife Amal and they recently welcomed twins! Stacy made her dreams of motherhood come true recently as well when she married her hubby Jared and welcomed her daughter into the world.
4 The Real Reason Behind Brad Pitt's Infidelity
When everybody's Friend Jen Aniston wed the sexiest actor of our time Brad Pitt we all thought it was merely a matter of time before the pair popped out the most beautiful babies in the world buuuuuuuut Brad and Jen didn't exactly see eye to eye on the whole baby making timeline. Rumor has it Brad was ready to be a daddy long before Jen was even willing to broach the subject of parenthood and their inability to see eye to eye on the topic contributed to their split. Of course we all know Brad met siren Angelina Jolie on the movie set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and he most certainly got those kids that he was so craving. Him and Angelina wracked up six tykes both adopted and biological before calling it quits a few months ago.
3 Fergie Didn't Want More Kids
Songbird Fergie already has one adorable son with actor Josh Duhamal but I guess he just wasn't enough. Josh and Fergie had their fair share of issues in their marriage with rumors of his infidelity constantly swirling, but according to inside sources the pair's inability to agree on how big to grow their brood was a major factor in their decision to divorce. Josh wanted to add more kids to the mix and Fergie didn't feel the same way. She was good with little Axl and didn't see any reason to add anymore kids to the family. Sometimes couples can agree to have children at some point, but still fall apart when the specifics of family and kids aren't addressed. I don't get it. Do couples just not talk before getting married? All those years of dating and it never came up that she only wanted one child and a large family for him was a downright deal breaker?
2 FKA Twigs Didn't See Eye To Eye With Rob Pattinson
Everybody's favorite vampire apparently desired teeny tiny vampires with his future bride, FKA Twigs, but she wasn't feeling it. Again this whole thoughts on future families thing is something you talk about BEFORE you pop the question people. Rob Pattinson and his Brittish singing songwriter lady were engaged for nearly the entirety of their relationship, so one would assumed they were pretty serious. You just don't spend two years planning out your tandem futures without broaching the subject of children though right? Wrong. Towards the end of their union Rob and Twigs didn't quite see eye to eye on the whole family idea. He was looking forward to settling down and having children, but not so much her. This inability to agree on the direction of their relationship as well as timing and scheduling conflicts caused the pair to split a few months ago.
1 Joel Hamm Realized He Does Want To Be A Dad
Mad Men actor Joel Hamm and his girlfriend Jenifer Westfeld have been nothing if not vocal about their desire NOT to have children. The pair has publicly proclaimed that parenthood simply isn't for them and they are completely satisfied living their lives without adding kids into the mix. Truthfully the pair has always enjoyed somewhat of a party life and kids don't easily fit into that scene. After eighteen years together Hamm cleaned up his act and sobered up seeking treatment for his alcoholism. With this new found clarity he decided that maybe he did want to have a few tiny Hamms running around. Wesfeld didn't budge on the subject though, she remained in camp "no-baby" and this inability to agree on the topic of children was one of the factors that caused the pair to part ways.