This article was originally published on ParentMood
These stars have had it all, fame, money, and success. So many might wonder what's the next step for them. Naturally, most would crave starting a family of their own, settling down, and having kids. But these A-listers go against the grain. For whatever reason, having kids isn't in the cards for them, and they dish out why they feel so confident about their decisions. Keep reading, and maybe you'll gain a new perspective.
Winona Ryder Is Just Interested in Her Acting Career
Winona Ryder had a vast acting career throughout the 90s but disappeared from the world of fame for a while. She made a comeback in the hit series Stranger Things as a loving and worried mother. Though she plays that role perfectly, in her real life, she's not interested in motherhood. She once shared, "This is a little personal, but I'm 42 and… Well, I was talking to my dad last year and saying, 'What if I can't have a kid?'...But I've got to stop listening to other people. It's crazy the stuff women will tell you."
She's happy with keeping a low profile while dabbling in her acting projects; motherhood is just not on the horizon.
Miley Cyrus' Reasoning Is on Brand
Miley Cyrus is known for being an outspoken and progressive person and performer. She is famous for speaking her mind, dressing as she wants, and quite frankly, doing exactly as she pleases. So when it comes to settling down and having kids, she has some strong opinions. She's said, "We're getting handed a piece-of-shit planet, and I refuse to hand that down to my child. Until I feel like my kid would live on an earth with fish in the water, I'm not bringing in another person to deal with that."
Mainly due to global warming and the political state of the world, she is uncomfortable with the thought of raising kids. Although she has been married before, a life of domestication and motherhood is not for her.
Leonardo DiCaprio Is Too Busy for Kids
Leonardo DiCaprio has played some of the most complex and intriguing roles in the acting world. He is highly dedicated to his craft and transforms on screen, but when it comes to children, he doesn't have the same passion. He is so concerned with environmental activism and doesn't believe the future of this earth is in good hands; therefore, his relationship with the thought of raising kids is confusing. When asked about starting a family in an interview, he responded, "Do you mean do I want to bring children into a world like this?"
Leonardo is flustered at the thought of having children; he shares, "I don't know. To articulate how I feel about it is just gonna be misunderstood." For now, he's set on prioritizing acting and activism.
Dolly Parton Has a Telling Nickname
Dolly Parton is the most known female country singer around the world. Over her extensive career, she has accomplished many things, except for one. She and her partner wanted to have babies but couldn't get pregnant due to health issues. Fortunately, she's shared that she has many siblings who have kids, and she gets joy from being in their lives, "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."
Dolly feels lucky to be a part of a big family and loves all of her sibling's children like they are her own.
Jared Leto Is Preoccupied
Jared Leto has rocked the stage as a musician and the movie screens as an actor, but holding the name 'dad' isn't entirely his vibe. He likes to stay busy with different roles, and children require much-undivided attention. When asked about his thoughts on kids, he responded, "I think it's really important to be present if you have children. I have a lot of... things to take care of."
Since Jared isn't capable of devoting the time necessary to have a child, it's probably best to leave fatherhood to another time.
Oprah Winfrey's Past Affects Her
Oprah Winfrey has come a long way, not dwelling on her past but using it to motivate her on her path to building her empire. She has access to everything one could imagine but missed out on one thing. Oprah and her husband, Stedman, never started a family of their own. Unfortunately, her past experiences of poverty and abuse have impacted her desire to be a mother. Instead, she chose to dedicate her time to her career fully.
Though she knows she made the right decision, "If I had kids, my kids would hate me. They would have ended up on the equivalent of the Oprah show talking about me; because something [in my life] would have had to suffer and it would've probably been them."
Sarah Paulson Has Few Regrets
Sarah Paulson has climbed the social ladder and found success starring in TV series like American Horror Story and Ratched. But she has shared that she couldn't have done so if she had to raise children. She thinks it sounds selfish, but children require a lot of time, and that was something she wasn't willing to give up."I love kids, but I’m very impulsive, and I was afraid that I would have children and then regret it."
Ultimately Sarah made the right decision for her and didn't regret it at all.
Jennifer Aniston Made a Name for Herself
Since her time on Friends, Jennifer Aniston has been seen as the 'it' girl. Though people constantly wonder why she has never started a family of her own. She is no stranger to tabloid pregnancy speculations and feels pressure to be a mother because of societal norms. "You may not have a child come out of your vagina, but that doesn't mean you aren't mothering—dogs, friends, friends' children. This continually is said about me: that I was so career-driven and focused on myself; that I don't want to be a mother, and how selfish that is."
However, Jen has shared that she feels complete even without having children of her own and doesn't need to share any specific reason why.
Betty White Was Compulsive
Betty White was known for being an outstanding comedian and actress. She played dozens of roles as a mother throughout her acting career. However, despite being married three times, she never had her own kids. "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."
It paid off since her career was highly successful, with her being inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Keanu Reeves Feels Defeated
Keanu Reeves has a certain mysterious quality to him because he chooses to remain relatively as private as he can while remaining a movie star. He was expecting a child with a girlfriend, but the baby was stillborn, they broke up soon after, and the girlfriend died a year later in a car crash. These traumatic incidents may have something to do with his disinterest in starting a family, but for now, he shares, “It’s too late. It’s over…I’m 52. I’m not going to have any kids.”
Although he doesn't sound entirely opposed to having kids, it seems he is set on the idea that he missed his chance.
Lily Tomlin Was Too Focused on Her Career
Lily Tomlin has had an extensive acting history, most recently playing the hilarious Frankie in Grace and Frankie. Over the past few decades that she's shined in Hollywood, she never settled and started a family of her own. Although she plays a cool hippie mom in her latest show, she shares she wouldn't have wanted to be one anyway. "...and I'm glad I don't—have any children. God only knows what I would have done with them, poor things... I was so involved with my career and I would have had to give up the career in large part because I could not possibly have shortchanged the child."
Lily is married, but the couple has no kids, and it's not in their cards. For now, she'll remain a pretend mom on TV.
Patrick Swayze Missed His Opportunity
Patrick Swayze was married from 1975 until he died in 2009, but he and his wife never had children. The Dirty Dancing star wanted to experience fatherhood and was deeply saddened that he couldn't. His wife, Lisa, shared in a documentary, "Both of us loved kids and always intended to have kids. I did become pregnant, but I had a miscarriage...Who knew that miscarriages were as painful as they are, emotionally painful. It was very heartbreaking."
Nevertheless, the couple found a way to fill that void and find meaning with the animals they cared for and loved dearly. They had several Arabian horses, cattle, and dogs!
Ellen DeGeneres Is Too Scared
Ellen DeGeneres is most commonly known for hosting her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She's been with her wife Portia de Rossi for over 17 years, but the couple never seriously considered becoming parents. "We'd probably be great parents. But it's a human being, and unless you think you have excellent skills and have a drive or yearning in you to do that, the amount of work that that is and responsibility—I wouldn't want to screw them up."
Parenthood is a difficult feat, and although Ellen took huge career risks, parenthood wasn't something she was willing to take on.
Jon Hamm and His Self-Doubt
Jon Hamm is credited in many movies but most famously made had his breakthrough role starring in the tv show, Mad Men. He has been in several long-term relationships, one even lasting 18 years. However, he shared he doesn't believe in marriage and will never have children. Jon stated once that he doesn't think people should get married unless they are ready to have children; apparently, the two go hand in hand for him.
"I'd be a terrible father! I see my friends who have children and I'm like, 'Dude, how are you even upright, much less here at work at 6 a.m.?'" He may be capable of intricate acting roles, but fatherhood is one thing he doesn't think he can take on.
Kim Cattrall Is Stuck in Her Sex and the City Days
Kim Cattrall famously played the iconic role of Samantha in Sex and the City. Although she has been married three times, she never had any children. "When I answered those questions regarding having children, 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." Much like her character in the tv show, she has never been one who craved motherhood; she prefers and enjoys her freedom and individuality.
Kim felt peer pressure and was constantly judged for not wanting to be a mother, but she ultimately listened to her own instincts.
Queen Latifah Has Interesting Views on Motherhood
Queen Latifah is a talk show host, actress, and rapper. Among her many experiences in life, marriage and children have not been one of them. However, she has expressed her desire to adopt a child several times and have a big family. "I've wanted to adopt since I was 18 because I grew up with friends who could've used good parents. It doesn't matter if it is a baby, or a little toddler, or a teenager, for that matter, as long as they get to feel that they have a mother, a home, a family."
Queen Latifah still has no children, so it's only been talk, but only time will tell.
Rashida Jones Is Sick of Being Embarrassed
Rashida Jones, the daughter of musician Quincy Jones and the Parks and Recreation star, has opened up about her difficulty with societal norms for what a woman's life should look like at a certain age. "I'm happy, but the fact that I'm not married and don't have kids – it's taken me a long time to get to a place where I actually am OK with that, where I actually don't feel like I'm some sort of loser."
Although she doesn't see herself with kids in the future, she can feel the pressure. But she is paving her own path by doing what's best for her.
Chelsea Handler Is a Realist
Comedian and TV host Chelsea Handler has never been interested in motherly things. She's been in a few long-term relationships but never felt motherhood was the right thing for her to do. "I would be a nightmare mother, if my niece has a bad day at school, I worry about it for three days. I'd be such a helicopter parent. I'd drive my child crazy!" At least Chelsea knows exactly what she wants!
"I don't think I'd be a great mother... 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." Her primary focus has been her career, and that's not changing anytime soon.
Jay Leno Trapped in a Mindset
Jay Leno famously hosted his late-night talk show and married his wife, Mavis, over 40 years ago. Yet they never had any children; instead, they've had a very particular viewpoint on it. His wife shared once, "It's perfectly obvious the women are the ones trapped. I remember telling my mother when I was 7 or 8 that I was never going to get married or have children. To me, this is the way women get caught."
Although she did marry Jay Leno against her initial beliefs, she takes full responsibility for their lack of children and still wholeheartedly believes they're not for her.
Alison Brie Can't Be Bothered
Alison Brie is an actress with time to pick up new hobbies, not new babies. She is married to a famous actor, Dave Franco. They are both so busy with their acting careers that children are not a priority. "I don't really want to have kids. It's great because I don't worry about when I should get pregnant... It would be nice, but I think of all the things that would be so stressful."
Alison is more concerned with learning how to ice skate for now rather than how to change a diaper.
Stevie Nicks Prefers Rock N Roll
Once the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks is the first woman to have been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She's experienced the highs and lows of rock stardom. But that's all she wants for her life, and she's not been a fan of settling down and changing her lifestyle. "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."
Though having kids was never of interest to her, she is somewhat like a mom to all women in the music world.
Tracee Ellis Ross Just Wants to Be Happy
Tracee Ellis Ross is an actress and daughter of the legendary musician Diana Ross. She's another woman in Hollywood who opens up about the constant pressure and criticism she faces from the public and press on becoming a mother. "The husband and the babies are the expectation of what's supposed to happen at a certain point, and people fall back on, 'Well, that's the point of the human species, procreation.' And I'm, like, 'I think there are a lot of babies, isn't that part of what's going wrong, there's too many?"
She doesn't believe people should procreate and have babies because they can. It should be intentional and purposeful, which is just not the case for her.
Renée Zellweger Takes Things as They Come
Renee Zellweger is a talented actress who has dated some pretty big names in Hollywood. But dated is as far as it got. The actress has no kids and isn't set on having any either. "Motherhood has never been an ambition. I don't think like that. I never have expectations like, 'When I'm 19 I'm going to do this, and by the time I've hit 25 I'm going to do that.' I just take things as they come, each day at a time, and if things happen, all well and good."
In actuality, it seems she may be more open than people initially thought, but it's more of an 'if it happens, it happens' situation.
Fran Drescher Focused Her Energy Elsewhere
Fran Drescher starred in the 1990s sitcom, The Nanny, in which she took on a maternal role for three children. But when it comes to her real life, that's a role she missed out on playing. She had uterine cancer very young and had her uterus removed, unfortunately leaving her unable to have kids. At 62, she confessed, "I think I would have been a good mom, and sometimes I think I kind of missed out on that."
Although she was disappointed she couldn't become a mother, she decided to dedicate all of her time to cancer awareness and started a nonprofit organization.
Christopher Walken Lived Paycheck to Paycheck
Christopher Walken has had a successful career in the entertainment industry for decades with dozens of significant leading roles. He met his wife in the late 1960s, and they've been together ever since, yet they never expanded their family. However, there is a big reason why the couple did so. At the beginning of his career, he wasn't making much money, nonetheless enough to support a child or two.
"I'm sure many of the kids I knew as a child would have continued in show business, but they had kids of their own, had to do something dependable. I didn't, so I could get by even in periods of unemployment." If they did have kids, he wouldn't have been able to devote his time as he did to entertainment.
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally Accepted Their Fate
Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation star, and Megan Mullally, iconically known for her role on Will & Grace, have been a couple since 2003. Throughout their time together, they never welcomed a little one into their lives. Meghan shared, "I never had a burning desire to have children. But then I met Nick, and I thought, This is the only person I'd do this with. So we tried, but I was a little long in the tooth for that sort of thing. But we didn't turn it into a soap opera. We tried for about a year or so, and it didn't happen, and took that to mean it wasn't meant to be."
After trying for a while they were, unfortunately, unable to get pregnant successfully so the couple accepted their fate; at least they have each other.
Aisha Tyler Is Saddened by Her Experience
Former host on The Talk, Aisha Tyler, has had a turbulent history with the topic of children; she struggles with infertility and opened up about how hard it was to accept she couldn't have children. "When we found out that [getting pregnant] was going to be difficult to impossible, it really was a choice to stop, I wanted families [and] couples to know that it was a valid choice not to get on this crazy merry-go-round of IVF and tens and tens of thousands of dollars."
She decided to embrace her life and empower women in their choice to not go through the painful and emotionally tolling process of assisted pregnancy.
Margaret Cho Could Not Be More Uninterested
Margaret Cho is a stand-up comedian who has expressed her lack of experience with children and mothers multiple times. She's been in a long-term relationship with a partner who has grown children already but has never had any of her own. "I have no maternal instincts whatsoever. I am barren. I am bone-dry. When I see children, I feel nothing. I ovulate sand." She seems uninterested in pursuing motherhood and is okay with focusing on her comedy.
Although Margaret once shared that she was uncertain if she would want children in the future, she remains childfree.
Bill Maher Is Certain About What He Wants
Bill Maher is credited for his comedy and long-lasting talk show. He also is known for saying,"There's nothing you can do that's better for the environment than to not produce another resource-sucking, waste-making human being." While simultaneously suggesting the creation of a new holiday called 'I Didn't Reproduce Day.' Despite never being married, he has had numerous girlfriends, though it is safe to say that Bill remains childless to this day.
Bill Maher explained his choice not to have children by saying, "I don't want to have kids for the same reason you do — because that's what each of us wants." He'll stick to a life of comedy and controversy.
Sarah Silverman's Reasons Are Surprisng
Sarah Silverman, the stand-up comedian, initially thought there wasn't a scenario in which she would want to have kids. But as she gets older, her views on procreation change. She isn't quite ready but has considered it and said, "I want to have kids when there's nothing else I want more, and I can make them my world." However, she continues to spend her time focusing on her comedy material and watching TV.
There's still a chance for Sarah, as she recently said, "I figure, I'll be a super-young-grandma age when I have kids...like Diane Keaton."
Fiona Apple Has Some Unique Interests
Singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, known for her music popular in the 1990s, hasn't outwardly been in many serious relationships and doesn't seem like the type to settle down into a life of stay-at-home mothering. She mentioned, "I've never wanted kids. But I do read about parenting a lot. For some reason it's very interesting to me, I think because I'm just big on self-parenting." Hey, being a mother to yourself still counts, right?
Fiona isn't keen on having children of her own, but she did get a puppy recently, and it's safe to say puppies require parenting, so she'll get a little taste of motherhood.
Marisa Tomei Feels Complete
Marisa Tomei is an actress who has starred in many movies, such as My Cousin Vinny. Though the actress has been in many relationships, she is not particularly interested in the path that usual couples take. "I'm not that big a fan of marriage as an institution, and I don't know why women need to have children to be seen as complete human beings." She feels just fine dating without the need to officiate anything through a family or big ceremony.
Marisa continues to act in various roles as a mother on-screen; as for off-screen, children still seem off the table.
Gloria Steinem Paved the Way for Different Lifestyles
Gloria Steinem is an American journalist and social and political activist who became known for her powerful feminist work in the 1960s and 1970s. She always felt she had to follow traditional gender norms and eventually become a mother. "I accepted it for a long time and I thought that 'OK, I'm getting married. I'm having children. I'm definitely doing that, just not right now.' I'd put it in the future and then, fortunately, the women's movement came along and made me realize I was actually happy and that there were more ways to live than one."
She showed other women that it was okay not to get married and have kids; they didn't have only one path to follow or one way to live their lives
Rachael Ray Made a Wise Decision
Not many chefs have become household names like Rachael Ray, but she has had her own show for over 14 seasons. She spends so much time dedicated to her life as a chef and TV personality that she can't make time for much else. When asked if she and her husband would like children, she responded, "I work too much to be an appropriate parent. I feel like a bad mom to my dog some days because I'm just not here enough. I just feel like I would do a bad job if I took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I'm doing."
Rachel might cook for you but don't expect her to babysit.
Mickey Rourke Needed Saving
Mickey Rourke was a boxer turned actor known for his role in The Wrestler. He has publicly opened up about his extremely low points in life and his struggle with past relationships and mental health. He recalled a incident where he felt isolated and like he had no one but thought, "I don't have kids, the dogs became everything to me. The dog was looking at me going, 'Who's going to take care of me.'"
Mickey may not want kids, especially at the age of 69, but he feels like a father to his dogs.