45 Celebrities And The Reasons They Chose Not To Have Children

On-screen, some of our favorite celebs might seem like such great parents. Sometimes, we might even wish they were our parents. Off-screen though, plenty of these celebs want nothing to do with kids. While some celebs are just meant to be dads and moms, some are meant to just be aunts and uncles. There are also some who are meant to be moms and dads but choose to simply be aunts and uncles. They’re either contented at where they’re at or they decided to focus on their careers. Some just don’t like kids. Whatever reason it may be, the bottom line is they don’t seem to be missing out on anything. They’re simply enjoying the perks of having only just themselves and their loved ones to be responsible for. So as much as we want to see them take on the parental role in real life, we just have to continue adoring them as they are now. With that, here are 40 of our favorite celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have charmed their way into our hearts ever since the day they got together. They’ve become one of the most adored couples in Hollywood and are one of the longest-lasting pairs. Despite that, the closest they’ve ever been to having kids is their adorable little pups. 

At one point, during her appearance on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Ellen admitted she thought she would have kids. She and Portia even talked about it once but as Ellen jokingly told The Daily Telegraph, “We just decided we like our conversations not being interrupted and our furniture without sticky grape juice on it.” Ellen also thinks that they’d make great parents, but it seems that the couple is happier being moms to their fur babies and being cool aunts to their nieces. You got to admit, they’re doing a pretty good job. 

Sarah Paulson

From terrifying us as an evil headmistress in American Horror Story to amusing us as a suburban mom/thief in Ocean’s 8, Sarah Paulson never hesitates to bring her best and make us simply love her. One thing she’s very unsure about, though, is whether she wants kids or not. 

Sarah loves kids, but she’s afraid to regret having them. She doesn’t want to be torn between them and her professional life. At the same time, however, she admitted that she’s also afraid that she might regret not having them. Her solution? Freezing her eggs just in case. 

Jennifer Aniston

It was such a joy to watch Rachel go through the different stages of parenthood in Friends, but that’s something Jennifer Aniston doesn’t want to go through. Unlike her Friends character, Jen isn’t sure how naturally motherhood would come to her. She actually finds the concept kind of frightening. 

Jen has also been very vocal about not being willing to fit into society’s molds for women. She believes that she doesn’t need to have this checklist of things all ticked out to gauge her value and worth as a woman. And she feels it’s unfair for women to be pressured into having children simply because society expects it of them. 

Betty White

At some point, we all may have wished for Betty White to be our grandma. With her long career and the nature of the roles she plays, she’s often seen as a maternal figure. According to Betty, however, we might not have seen her career last this long if she did have children. 

Back in 2011, Betty made it clear that she never regretted her decision to live a childfree life. She admitted that she would’ve been a doting mother, but she couldn’t manage both her career and motherhood at the same time. So she chose her career and joined the long list of A-list celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life. Somehow, we even love her more for it. 

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm might be all confident in his role as Don Draper in Mad Men, but when it comes to fatherhood, this icon falls a little short on his confidence levels. And he has plainly said, “I’d be a terrible father!”

It seems, one of Jon’s reservations is the required number of hours from parents needed for the kids. Sleepless nights trying to get the kids to go to bed, after all, doesn’t exactly fit with an actor’s busy schedule. He has also noted that he doesn’t necessarily feel like he needs to have kids to be happy, but he’s not completely shutting himself off from the possibility either. 

Winona Ryder

We all know that Winona Ryder is one seriously cool woman. With some of the most iconic movies and television shows like Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, and Stranger Things under her belt, it’s hard to deny the impact she has made to the industry. 

Winona also had relationships with some high-profile men like Johnny Depp and Matt Damon, but she never had any kids. She’s also never been legally married. The actress never really had any burning desire to have children. She spends enough time with her nephews, and she believes she’s still a child herself. She’s not closed to the possibility, though, and she’s joined the group of celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life. As she grows older, though, she has become more aware that she may have to explore other options if she’d want kids in the future. 

Oprah Winfrey

When it comes to iconic female celebrities, Oprah is way up there at the top. Her name is almost synonymous with iconic. Her career has broken numerous barriers in its decades-long course. Oprah believes, however, that her career with its combination of hectic schedules and big dreams would’ve prevented her from being a good mom. 

Oprah never thought kids were on the cards for her. She told The Hollywood Reporter that if she did have kids, they would’ve hated her. She feels something in her life would’ve suffered, and it would probably have been them, then they’d end up talking about her on some show the equivalent of Oprah. Despite not having kids of her own, though, Oprah has become a mother to hundreds of girls through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. It’s pretty hard to beat that.

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman can never fail to make us double over with laughter. The thing is, he’s also married to another lovely person, Megan Mullaly. If they aren’t one of the most delightful couples out there, we don’t know who is. 

The couple has been married for over two decades. At one point, they did want kids, but after a year of trying with no luck, they simply took it as a sign that it’s not meant to be. Instead, they’ve become parents to a couple of fur babies, and they’ve chosen to focus on each other and to enjoy the childfree life. 

Kim Cattrall

When we hear the name Kim Cattrall, the first person that would probably pop into our heads would be Samantha of Sex and the City. Much like her character, Kim loves her freedom and isn’t very particular about motherhood. 

In an interview with O, The Oprah Magazine, Kim shared that she wanted to have a hundred dogs and a hundred kids when she was 5 years old. Since then, though, she has erased the children from her wishlist after realizing that she didn’t really want to have them. She believed that she only felt so much pressure because it’s what society expected of her. 

Renee Zellweger

Renee Zellweger will forever be our beloved Bridget Jones. One thing about her is that when it comes to motherhood, she knows what she wants. In an interview with The London Times, the actress put the issue to bed, saying, “Motherhood has never been an ambition.”

That being said, Renee didn’t entirely close off the possibility of being a mom. She takes things as they come day by day. In another interview, she admitted that she didn’t mind helping out as Aunt Renee with her brother’s kids. There, she joked that having kids was like a dictatorship. “I dare you to take a shower. You can’t do anything unless they let you. It’s a dictatorship. They’re little dictators in their crib.” Well, she’s not entirely wrong. 

Joan Jett

Badass. Queen of noise. Pioneer. This rockstar has earned herself many titles in her long and successful career. One title she’s not particularly interested in, however, is “mother.” People have always been curious about if she has ever wanted a child, but her answer has never wavered. 

Growing up, Joan did think about it, but she chose to focus on her own life and career. Critics called her reasoning selfish, but the singer doesn’t mind. She has her Laguna family and friends with her, and that’s enough for her to be happy.  

Alison Brie

With celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life, some of them are simply too busy to have a kid. Take Alison Brie. Since her first television role in 2006 in Hannah Montana, she’s been pretty nonstop. She has her hands full with her career, and it seems that she’s not willing to add kids to the list of things to worry about. 

Alison finds having kids to be a little too stressful. She admitted that she wouldn’t be able to balance that while caring for her two baby kitties, Arturo and Harry. Instead of children, she’d rather have her and her husband Dave Franco fussing over these little furry cuties. Who could blame them? Those sassy little cats definitely look worth fussing over. 

Helen Mirren

When you’re the only actress ever to play both Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II, you’re basically a queen among the commoners. That’s how fabulous Dame Helen Mirren is. What makes her even more fabulous is her openness about why she didn’t want to have kids. 

Like plenty of other celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life, Helen is devoted to her work. She found the life/career balance too daunting, so she committed to one, and she never regretted it. Well, at least not until she watched Parenthood. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Helen admitted that the movie made her feel a tinge of regret. But all that only lasted for a good 20 minutes of sobbing; then the actress was over it. 

Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler is one name we can’t forget, especially when it comes to the talk show realm. With her hit comedy series Chelsea Lately on E!, she skyrocketed to the top of the game, and she has been slaying ever since. 

Motherhood, however, is never going to be on the books for her. She believes she won’t be a great mom, plus she’s already got a packed schedule on her hands. Despite that, she does have plenty of children in her life. It’s just that the role she plays in their lives is the one everybody loves – the cool aunt. 

Aisha Tyler

We all remember the smart and gorgeous woman who captured both Joey and Ross’ hearts in the last two seasons of Friends. Since her stint there, Aisha Tyler has been on a roll, starring in CSI, then Ghost Whisperer, and many more. 

At one point in her life, Aisha and her husband wanted to have a child. Unfortunately, they struggled with fertility issues. When they decided to stop trying, Aisha snapped back into work mode and has been enjoying her career ever since. 

Bo Derek

With those ever-entrancing eyes, no one can forget Bo Derek. She’s been beguiling the world with that gaze since the 70s, and since then, she has established herself as an actress, model, and movie producer. She has been married twice now, but she has chosen to focus on her career and join the league of celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life. 

Bo admitted though that she did want children. Parenthood, however, wasn’t natural for her first husband, John Derek, and Bo realized she’d mostly be raising the child on her own. When John finally warmed up to the idea, it was Bo who said no. 

Fiona Apple

If Fiona Apple isn’t one of the most awesome artists out there, then we don’t know who is. She just does her own thing away from the clutches of convention and we love her for it. This Grammy-winning star also isn’t afraid to speak her mind. One of the things that she’s so upfront about is her choice to remain childless. 

Fiona isn’t interested in having kids. Despite that, she is fascinated with parenting. The singer admitted that she reads a lot about parenting, but not for the reason you’d think. Instead of applying this knowledge to a child, she’s using it to have a better relationship with herself. Think something along the lines of self-parenting. And truth be told, it seems that she’s on to something there. 

Stevie Nicks

With hits like Edge of Seventeen, Landslide, and Dreams, it’s hard to deny the fact that Stevie Nicks is a true pop and rock hero. Her poetic and symbolic lyrics, as well as her mystical stage persona and distinctive voice, has cemented her as one of the most iconic women in music history. 

When it comes to having kids, Stevie Nicks isn’t interested. She prefers to make moms and wives feel better with her songs. She also thinks that being the crazy auntie is a lot more fun than being the mommy anyway. And, come on, who doesn’t want Stevie Nicks to be their crazy aunt, right?

Jay Leno

When we talk about The Tonight Show, we can’t pass up mentioning Jay Leno. The man can make you roll over with laughter. Aside from that, he’s also known for his love of cars. His biggest commitment, however, is to his beloved wife, Mavis. 

Before Jay, Mavis was set on neither having a husband nor a child. The marriage thing changed when she met Jay in the 1970s. Other than that, though, nothing much has changed, and the couple is completely content with where they’re at. Why have kids when each other is all they need?

Carole Radziwill

We always love it when Carole Radziwill starts telling those fascinating little stories about her life on The Real Housewives of New York City. They are just so filled with adventure. Sometimes, we can’t even help but wish we had her life. From dating George Clooney to marrying a real-life prince and trotting around the globe as an ABC News journalist, there never seems to be a dull moment in her life. 

While she’s been shamed for not having kids, especially on RHONY, it just wasn’t a priority for her. Finding out that her late husband couldn’t have kids wasn’t the deal-breaker either. She simply wasn’t the kind of woman who dreamed of weddings and kids. 

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is nothing but a legend. You simply can’t hear her name without thinking so. Not only did this woman make headlines by breaking into mainstream pop culture as a country singer, but she’s also taken the world by storm as an actress, activist, and all-around wonderful person. Sometimes, she makes us jealous of Miley Cyrus, her goddaughter. 

Aside from her music, Dolly has also been committed to children, although not her own. Sadly, Dolly couldn’t have children of her own, but the choice to remain as one of the celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life was her personal decision. Kids still love her, though, and she’s been devoted to them most of her life through her philanthropy works. 

Sarah Silverman 

With her impressive career, comedian and actress Sarah Silverman seems pretty set in life. She also has an equally impressive dating history, which includes Jimmy Kimmel and Michael Sheen. That’s why plenty of people are quite curious about whether she’s ever going to be a mom or not.

Sarah has repeatedly admitted though that she’d love having kids. She even said she’d like to come home and be a fun mom. But she had to decide between motherhood and living her life to the fullest, and that set her course. 

Marisa Tomei

Like the other female celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life on this list, Marisa Tomei has also opted to live her life to the fullest while focusing on her career. Not only has she chosen to stay childless, but she has even opted to skip the married life. 

Marisa isn’t a big fan of marriage. She also isn’t a fan of the fact that people seem to believe that it’s a woman’s duty to have children and that they expect it of her. As she told Manhattan Magazine in 2009, “I don’t know why women need to have children to be seen as complete human beings.”

Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli’s place in history is forever secured by her iconic acting and powerful singing voice. She’s an EGOT title holder meaning she has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. In addition to those, though, we can’t also forget the splashes she’s made with her dating history. 

Liza has been married and divorced four times. Although she got pregnant once, she experienced complications. They couldn’t save the baby, and she was left with a hiatal hernia. Since then, she’s joined the legendary celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life.

Bill Maher

Have you ever heard of an “I Didn’t Reproduce Day” holiday? Bill Maher wants it. Since there’s already Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, the stand-up comedian/ TV host/ political commentator thinks that single people or non-parents should also have a holiday of their own to celebrate. And why not?

Although Bill doesn’t hate kids, he doesn’t like being around them either. He’s happy enough enjoying the childless life and fighting for the cool aunts and uncles out there. As he said, no matter how much people love telling you to have kids, it all comes down to a matter of choice. 

Dita Von Teese

Without this beauty, we won’t have the burlesque we know of today. Dita Von Teese is widely known and credited for repopularizing burlesque performance, which has rightly earned her the title “Queen of Burlesque.” For Dita, though, children may not be part of her legacy. 

While married to Marilyn Manson, she realized she was married to someone who wasn’t cut out to be a father, so she adapted. Now that they are no longer together, she says she’s just going to go with the flow and see what life brings her. Children or no children, she believes it’s all going to work out as it’s supposed to. 

Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke’s career is what you’d call a rollercoaster. Only a few actors can claim to have as many ups and downs as him. Regardless, Mickey made his name in the acting field. He also occasionally dabbled in boxing. And being a celebrity, people would undoubtedly wonder why he doesn’t have kids. 

The simple answer to that question is Mickey’s afraid of fatherhood. He would love to have kids. Unfortunately, he’s worried that the abuse he suffered as a child would resurface. He almost had a family with second wife Carrie Otis, but the couple broke up. Mickey said he’d only ever have kids in a special relationship like that. 

Margaret Cho

If you’re familiar with All-American Girl, you probably know Margaret Cho. Aside from that, she’s best known for her hilarious and relatable stand-up routines that often centers around race and sexuality. She’s also very vocal of her support for the LGBTQ community. And she’s a believer of polyamory. 

In her blog, Margaret admitted that she was never sure if she wanted kids or not. But a few years back, it seems the winds have changed for her. She wanted to become a mom. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage. That doesn’t mean she’s giving up hope, though. 

Lily Tomlin

For all you lovers of Grace and Frankie out there, there’s one more reason to love Lily Tomlin. She’s a role model for love and commitment both to her career and to her wife, Jane Wagner. The pair have been together for 50 wonderful years. Amazing!

When Lily sets goals, she pursues them with all she’s got. Motherhood was never one of these goals. According to her, it would’ve been nice to have a little replica of her running around, but then she doesn’t think she has the behavior of a “good mother.” That’s why she’s quite glad to be living a childless life. 

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais is one of those celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life who’s loving it the most. The comedian isn’t interested in adding another thing to worry about to his already long list. Aside from that, Ricky has a whole slew of plenty of other reasons. 

For one, he thinks children are scroungers always going “me, me, me” from day one and on. He also doesn’t believe the world will miss it if he doesn’t have kids. As he joked on Ellen, “The world is overpopulated, no one’s sitting around going, ‘Oh Rick’s not going to have kids, we’re going to run out, there are loads!'” He and his wife Jane Fallon seem happy enough, and it seems they’re staying that way far into the future.

Anjelica Huston

Who could ever forget Morticia Addams’ striking dark features and deep voice? Ever since Anjelica Huston took on the role, it was hard to imagine anyone else for the part. She’s also known for her role as the Grand High Witch in The Witches and Eileen Rand on Smash. 

Of all the roles she could imagine herself doing, being a real-life mom isn’t one of them. She believed she would’ve been miserable. That doesn’t mean she didn’t try with her husband, Robert Graham, though. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much success, and Anjelica has never regretted any of her choices about it since.

Kylie Minogue

Australian singer Kylie Minogue has sold millions of albums worldwide, becoming one of the highest-selling Australian musicians of all time. She also has quite a vast and loyal fanbase. While this had all made her professional career very successful, the singer hasn’t had the easiest journey in her personal life. 

In 2005, Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer. This changed everything for her in regards to motherhood. She thought she’d passed her chance to have a child so she just went on with it. She’s not closing her doors yet though and she’s very open to becoming a stepmom if chance puts it her way. 

Christopher Walken

Of all the celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life, Christopher Walken might’ve had the most practical reason.  Christopher started acting when he was a child. Growing up, he had to watch his colleagues give up their dreams and aspirations to raise their kids. He didn’t want that for himself. 

Christopher thinks he wouldn’t have made such success in his career, which, by the way, includes putting his name to some of the biggest Hollywood productions in history, if he had children. And he’s not wrong. According to the US Department of Agriculture, it takes almost $300 000 to raise a child. Expensive. 

Janeane Garofalo

When it comes to living an extraordinary life, Janeane’s already leading the pack. She has been living it up as one of the most recognizable comedians/ actress/ voice actors in Hollywood, and she’s also an outspoken progressive activist. In comparison to all that, though, her getting accidentally married and not knowing about it for two decades just takes the cake of her adventures. 

Outside the limelight, Janeane’s pretty happy living the childfree life. All that maternal instinct and mothering goes instead to her fur babies. As much as she enjoys other people’s children, her dogs have always been the only babies she needed in her life. 

Tracee Ellis Ross

We can all agree that Tracee Ellis Ross has been killing it and has continued to slay ever since she made her debut in the 70s. Not only has she put her name on hit TV series like Girlfriends and Black-ish, but she also has her own hair care line for curly hair. That’s why it still confuses Tracee why people still expect her to conform to tradition as if what she’s done and who she is doesn’t matter. 

The actress believes that there are so many other ways to create happiness and family in one’s life. It doesn’t necessarily mean getting married or having kids. She’s happy enough to live her life to the fullest at where she is right now and will have children if and when she’s ready to have them.

Condoleezza Rice

Aside from Hollywood celebrities, there are also plenty of other celebrities in different fields who are enjoying the childfree life. One of them is Condoleezza Rice who has been making waves in the world of politics. Aside from her future political plans, many are also curious about her plans for her personal life. 

Condoleezza has not yet married nor had a child, but it’s not because she doesn’t want to. She thinks her life would be “very fulfilled” if she’d have both. But for now, she’s going with the flow and is confident that everything will work out whether she has them or not. 

Gloria Steinem

Although she’s not an actress, singer, or a tv show host, Gloria Steinem is a celebrity in her own right. She started as a journalist and has since become one of the most iconic activists and feminists of all time. That’s why it’s easy to understand why she’s not easily swayed by societal expectations. 

To her, having children isn’t a responsibility. It’s a choice. She notes that she doesn’t have to have a child simply because she has a womb much as any woman who has vocal cords should be a singer. Besides, she’s completely happy not having children, and she couldn’t ask for anything more. 

Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd shines on screen as an amazing actress but behind the scenes, she also shines for her global humanitarian efforts and political activism. For more than a decade now, she has committed herself to humanitarian work focused on gender equality as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. And this has partly affected her decision on not having kids. 

For Ashley, there’s no need to have her own kids when there are so many children already who need care, love, and attention. She figured that it was selfish to pour resources into having her own children when these resources could be used to help and care for children who are already here. So instead of having her own kids, she considers the children who are already here as hers.

Rachael Ray

For some celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life, having a great partner and a cute little fur baby is enough. And Rachael Ray is one of those celebs. She and her husband have been married for almost 15 years but having kids just has never been on the calendar for them. 

As Rachael told People in 2007, she doesn’t have time. She feels guilty enough for her dog some days because she’s not home enough so she’d feel even worse with a child. So for now, her husband and her little pup are enough to keep her happy. 

Jennifer Westfeldt

Jon Hamm’s ex-partner Jennifer Westfeltd never thought she’d go beyond the age of 40 and not have children. But she’s not in a rush or anything like that. In an interview with The New York Times, Jennifer said that the chance that she’ll regret not having kids is not enough reason to do it so she’s just been riding life as it goes. 

Despite not having her own kids, children do have a place in Jennifer’s life. She was actually inspired to write Friends With Kids by her friends who’ve had kids. Hamm was also in the film. Unfortunately, the two split in 2015 and have been enjoying their childless lives separately since then. 

Candace Bushnell

Thank heavens for Candace Bushnell. Without her, we wouldn’t have the gem that is Sex and the City. As it seems, Candace has chosen to enjoy a childless life pretty early on. And rather than having her own flesh and blood, she has chosen to think of her career as her child. 

When she was young, Candace knew that if she had to decide between marriage and writing, she’d ultimately choose writing. At the age of 43 though, she married and it seems that that’s just as far as she’d get to change her mind. 

Anastacia

What we love most about Anastacia is that she proves that you can’t judge someone’s star power just by their height. Standing at just 5’2”, this pop star has won the world over and over again with her powerful voice. Sadly, while she was basking in success, she was also undergoing a slew of health problems. 

Anastacia has beaten cancer twice but her illness by no means had no effect on her decision not to have children. When she was younger, she absolutely wanted children. But at one point in her life, she just realized kids weren’t going to be part of her journey as she started to fall deeply in love with her career. 

Jacqueline Bisset

Jacqueline Bisset’s beauty was known far and wide. She was a mainstay in Hollywood’s list of most beautiful women in her day. She was also known as quite the heartbreaker. Even now at 75, the actress is as radiant as ever. 

Despite her many romances with some of the world’s richest and most famous men, nothing has convinced Jacqueline to have kids. And nothing has ever made her regret her decision. She admits the occasional twinge doesn’t escape her but she’s content to shower her love to cats and all the other animals she loves. 

Famke Janssen

After she appeared in X-men as the charismatic Jean Gray, it was hard to forget Dutch actress Famke Janssen. From then, she proceeded to capture our hearts by starring in plenty of other films and series like Taken, Hemlock Grove, and How To Get Away With Murder. She’s also a UN Goodwill Ambassador. 

As much as we’re curious to see what her child would look like if she ever had one, it’s just not in the books for Famke. She doesn’t think she needs children to be happy. After all, the deal was sealed when she got her pup. She admitted that her life revolves around her dog and she takes care of him just as mothers would take care of their child so why would she want another baby?

Diane Sawyer

Diane Sawyer has been a mainstay of news for almost three decades. No one can forget her tagline “I’ll see you right back here tomorrow night.” And, of course, there are the amazing Diane Sawyer interviews. It seems that the world just can’t get enough of her. 

Much like other female celebrities who are enjoying the childfree life though, Diane has opted to prioritize her career. Although she doesn’t have her own kids, she has two stepchildren who she simply adores and for her, that’s more than enough.