"I Don't Quite Understand It": 20 Child-Free Celebrities Who Have Zero Regrets About Their Decision, And Those On The Fence Need To Hear This

There was a clip successful pop culture erstwhile personage maternity shoots were each the rage, and fans were obsessed with seeing their favourite stars clasp parenthood (I'm looking astatine you, Beyoncé). And portion that was a wholesome interaction, determination person been celebrities who person firmly spoken astir not wanting children—though they received unwarranted backlash for their decisions. Some of these celebrities had precise idiosyncratic reasons, and others had applicable ones, but successful the end, they each made sense!

Here are 20 celebrated stars who person chosen not to person children, and were brutally honorable astir it:

1. Alison Brie and Dave Franco, the actors who starred unneurotic successful the caller horror movie Together, got joined successful March 2017. And ever since, they person graced our screens with their impeccable acting and adorable chemistry. About deciding not to person kids, the histrion spoke to The Sunday Times, saying, "I don't truly privation to person kids. It's large due to the fact that I don't interest astir erstwhile I should get pregnant—between seasons, portion we're shooting the show—I don't deliberation astir it each day." She continued saying, "It would beryllium nice, but I deliberation of each the things that would beryllium truthful stressful. I deliberation astir however overmuch we're progressive successful our cats' lives. Oh my God, if it were a child!"

She further described her matrimony with the histrion arsenic "super-mellow," saying that they mostly walk clip unneurotic and bent out. While speaking connected the closing country of the movie Together, that showed Franco and Brie's bodies fusing together, Franco jokingly told USA Today, "If that's what we look similar erstwhile we're fused together, possibly that's further reinforcement that we should not person children."

2. Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller person been unneurotic since 2004 and got joined successful 2011. Over the years, the comedian-actor has spoken astir his determination to beryllium child-free and however helium enjoys spending clip with his wife. In an interview with Esquire successful 2025, the histrion reiterated, "You should lone person kids if you truly privation kids, and we conscionable don't truly privation kids. Time kept going by, and the infinitesimal wherever we were similar 'Let's bash it!' conscionable kept not happening." He continued further, saying, "I look astatine my friends with kids, and honestly, I consciousness similar immoderate of them are incredibly blessed and fulfilled, and immoderate of them look similar possibly they privation they had enactment a small much thought into it. I conscionable didn't privation to beryllium 1 of those people."

The histrion has famously been beauteous upfront astir his reasoning for not wanting kids, and portion immoderate admit his honesty, helium has faced rather immoderate online backlash. Speaking connected the backlash, helium said, "People truly had beardown takes connected it, being like, fuck this fucking guy. Who the fuck does helium deliberation helium is not to person kids?" Adding connected to it, helium said, "Well, if you hatred maine that much, wherefore bash you privation much of me?"

3. Dolly Parton, the iconic state superstar who precocious passed distant astatine the property of 80, was outspoken astir her prime to ne'er person children. She and her husband, Carl Dean, had spent implicit 60 years together. And the 2 of them had ever spoken candidly astir this implicit the years, with Parton explaining wherefore she came to recognize that portion of her life. In an interview connected TODAY successful 2017, she said, "God has a program for everything. I deliberation it was astir apt his program for maine not to person kids truthful everybody's kids could beryllium mine. And they are now."

Previously, successful an 1984 interview with Interview Magazine, she said, "I couldn't person children, I tried to for years. I've ne'er been large successful my life. When I was a miss and fooling around, I was frightened to decease I'd get pregnant, and past erstwhile I got joined and wanted to person children, I couldn't person any. But I don't miss it. I did for a while, but I realized that I americium everybody's mother. I've raised 5 of my younger brothers and sisters, and present their kids telephone maine Aunt Grannie. I'm similar the grandma and the aunt."

4. Miley Cyrus, conscionable similar her godmother Dolly Parton, is child-free by choice. She told Elle mag that clime alteration has been a large interest for her erstwhile it comes to having kids. She said, "We've been doing the aforesaid happening to the world that we bash to women. We conscionable support taking and expect it to support producing...And it's exhausted. It can't produce. We're getting handed a piece-of-s*** planet, and I garbage to manus that down to my child." She said she would lone see becoming a parent if she felt similar her kid would "live connected an world with food successful the water."

5. Oprah Winfrey, 1 of the richest and astir celebrated women connected the planet, has candidly spoken astir her determination not to person kids with her long-time partner, Stedman Graham. They person been unneurotic since 1986, and got engaged successful 1992 (although they ne'er chose to marry). Speaking to People magazine, Winfrey discussed the imaginable of getting large and her marriage. She said, "At 1 constituent successful Chicago, I had bought an further flat due to the fact that I was thinking, 'Well, if we get married, I'm going to request country for children.'" Later, speaking connected the immense work of raising children, she said, "I don't person the quality to compartmentalize the mode I spot different women do. It is why, passim my years, I person had the highest respect for women who take to beryllium astatine location with their kids, due to the fact that I don't cognize however you bash that each time long."

When asked if she had immoderate regrets, she firmly stated that she had not "one regret astir that." She continued saying, "I besides judge that portion of the crushed wherefore I don't person regrets is that I got to fulfill it successful the mode that was champion for me: the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls successful South Africa. Those girls capable that maternal fold that I possibly would person had. In fact, they overfill—I'm overflowed with maternal."

6. Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb are well-known for their superb acting and iconic films. They person been unneurotic for 19 years, having started their narration successful October 2007. They person chosen not to wed oregon person children and person been beauteous candid astir their decision. Rockwell archetypal commented connected the taxable during the property circuit for his 2007 movie Joshua. He told The Guardian, "I decidedly don't privation to go a parent. It's not my bag." He continued, "It's weird, I don't get children. I don't rather recognize it. I deliberation being an lone kid means you larn to unrecorded successful your ain world. It's a endurance thing."

7. Mary J. Blige, the Queen of R&B, has been precise vocal astir her views connected motherhood. Back successful 2022, she said she liked her state and liked "being capable to get up and spell and determination and bash what I privation to do. I don't privation to person to thin to idiosyncratic each the time." While she does not person immoderate children of her own, she was antecedently a stepmother to her ex-husband Kendu Isaacs' 3 children. She reflected connected her relation arsenic a stepmother successful 2007 and said that portion she loved them, she was not excessively definite astir having her own. In 2009, during an interrogation with People, she said, "I don't deliberation I'll bash foster attraction oregon adopt, to beryllium rather honest. I hardly person clip for my ain children. To follow much children and not person clip for them, that would beryllium mediocre parenting connected my part."

In a 2022 interrogation with E! Daily Pop, erstwhile asked if she had immoderate regrets, she instantly said, "Oh, I'm not determination yet, truthful I'm good." She continued to say, "I person nieces and nephews forever, and I'm ever watching however radical are scrambling astir for babysitters. I don't privation to spell done that." In 2026, she did notation that portion she feels a spot lonely, she was yet blessed with her life.

8. Betty White, the legendary actress, ne'er had biologic children, but she was a stepmother to her 3rd husband's 3 children. She joined Allen Ludden successful 1963, and she loved being a stepmother to David, Martha, and Sarah. However, successful a 2012 CBS interview, she said that she was contented that she ne'er had her own. She said, "No, I've ne'er regretted it. I'm truthful compulsive astir stuff, I cognize if I had ever gotten pregnant, of course, that would person been my full focus. But I didn't take to person children due to the fact that I'm focused connected my career. And I conscionable don't deliberation arsenic compulsive arsenic I americium that I could negociate both."

9. Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally met portion moving unneurotic successful the play The Berlin Circle successful 2000 and got joined successful 2003. Even though they did effort to person a child, they person expressed that they ne'er felt a beardown calling toward parenthood. In an interview with GQ successful 2017, Mullally said, "I ne'er had a burning tendency to person children. But past I met Nick, and I thought, 'This is the lone idiosyncratic I'd bash this with.' We tried for astir a twelvemonth oregon so, and it didn't happen, and we took that to mean it wasn't meant to be." The histrion besides spoke astir the substance connected the Bullseye With Jesse Thorn podcast successful 2025. He said, "I consciousness like, astatine the moment, determination is simply a large blimpish dependable that says if you're not contributing children to your voting bloc, you should beryllium exterminated oregon something."

He continued to say, "But I consciousness similar it's a precise subjective thing. I person 3 siblings. They each person daughters...I met Megan later, and we chose to beryllium the kids successful our household, and it's been truly amusive and gratifying, and we person kids successful our lives that we tin lend to erstwhile we consciousness bereft successful immoderate way." The 2 actors person not expressed immoderate regret astir however things turned out, and it's each for the best!

10. Pedro Pascal, the histrion who took the net by tempest for his "zaddy" aura during the promo of The Last of Us, has really shown precise small involvement successful becoming a father. While speaking connected the "zaddy" oregon "daddy" improvement astatine The Hollywood Reporter roundtable, helium said, "Yeah, I americium having amusive with it. It seems a small role-related. There was a play erstwhile the Mandalorian was precise daddy to babe Grogu, and Joel was precise daddy to Ellie. These are daddy parts. That's what it is." Following this, helium rapidly reiterated, "I'm not a daddy, and I'm not going to beryllium a daddy." In different interrogation with Wired, helium gave a vaguer reply erstwhile asked if helium wanted children. He said, "I don't know. I debar each of it by not having kids. And staying retired of relationships."

11. John Cena is 1 of the galore celebrities who person been candid astir being child-free. He joined Shay Shariatzadeh successful 2020 successful a backstage ceremony. He candidly spoke astir parenthood during an quality connected the Club Shay Shay podcast. He said, "I person a definite curiosity astir life, and I besides cognize the concern that it takes. And my biggest fearfulness is, arsenic idiosyncratic who's driven — galore times stubborn and selfish — I effort to attack the satellite with kindness and curiosity, but I don't deliberation I'm personally ready, nor volition I ever be, to put the clip it needs to beryllium a large genitor due to the fact that I privation to unrecorded beingness for each it is."

In different caller quality astatine a Boston instrumentality normal successful 2025, helium answered a question astir whether helium was "looking forward" to welcoming kids 1 day. He answered, "From the accusation that I've gathered, you've kinda got to look aft them. I'll conscionable springiness you a tiny penetration into my life. I person been moving consecutive for 43 days now, and I've got different 20 to go. So if I were to bring a beingness into this satellite that needs biology nurture and unconditional love, I besides cognize that takes time." He further explained his thoughts emphasizing that helium does not privation to marque an "irresponsible prime and bring a beingness into the satellite that I volition neglect."

12. The British comedian and histrion Ricky Gervais has repeatedly expressed wherefore helium doesn't privation to person children. He has been with his semipermanent woman Jane Fallow since 1982. In January 2022, the comedian was promoting his Netflix amusement Afterlife connected a podcast erstwhile Pope Francis' remark that "having pets implicit children is selfish" sparked a conversation. Gervais offered his ain penetration connected the comment, saying, "How tin not having children beryllium selfish? It doesn't marque sense. How tin it beryllium selfish not to bring thing into the satellite that doesn't beryllium connected immoderate level?" He continued saying, "I don't person kids for galore reasons, but 1 is that determination is enough. No 1 is going, 'Gervais isn't having kids! We're going to tally retired soon.'"

13. Ina and Jeffrey Garten are among the astir salient couples successful amusement and academia. Ina Garten is simply a celebrated cookbook writer and the big of the amusement Barefoot Contessa, and Jeffrey Garten is an American economist and erstwhile U.S. authorities official. Over the 60 years of their relationship, the mates has not had kids, and they person nary regrets. On the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, Ina spoke connected the matter, saying, "I mean, it's astonishing to maine that I made that determination truthful young and that, convey God, Jeffrey was good with it. I conscionable can't ideate my beingness immoderate different way. I've done what I wanted to do. I've had conscionable a fantastic time."

14. Cameron Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, person been known for keeping their narration private. But successful 2014, she spoke with Esquire Magazine astir not having children. She said, "It's truthful overmuch much enactment to person children. To person lives too your ain that you are liable for—I didn't instrumentality that on. That did marque things easier for me. A baby—that's each day, each time for 18 years." While the histrion said it was a pugnacious choice, she does not regret it. She added, "I similar protecting people, but I was ne'er drawn to being a mother. I person it overmuch easier than immoderate of them. That's conscionable what it is."

15. Oscar-winning histrion Helen Mirren has stated rather firmly that she has nary regrets whatsoever astir not having a household of her own. She joined manager Taylor Hackford successful 1997, but they ne'er had kids. In 2014, she told AARP, "I ne'er felt the request for a kid and ne'er felt the nonaccomplishment of it. I'd ever enactment my enactment earlier anything." She adjacent jokingly mentioned that earlier gathering her husband, the thought of matrimony seemed to beryllium similar a "voluntary imprisonment"—they person been happily joined for 29 years.

16. Gloria Steinem, the astir salient feminist icon of our generation, passed distant connected September 2, 2026. Throughout her career, she criticized the accepted expectations that matrimony had placed connected women. While she did get married, she did not person kids, and successful 2020, she shared that she ne'er regretted her decision. She appeared connected the podcast How to Fail and said, "People presume I indispensable beryllium unhappy oregon unfulfilled. Not everyone, but immoderate people, I think, presume that...in a mode that they wouldn't presume astir a man."

In different interrogation with Chelsea Handler successful 2011, she said, "Everybody does not person to unrecorded successful the aforesaid way. As idiosyncratic said, "Everybody with a womb doesn't person to person a kid immoderate much than everybody with vocal cords has to beryllium an opera singer."" When she was asked by Handler successful different interrogation successful 2016 if she regretted not having kids, she answered, "Not for a millisecond, I person to say. I mean, it's a choice. And it's a fantastic choice. But if everybody has to bash it, it's nary longer a choice."

17. Stevie Nicks, the singer-songwriter of the fashionable stone set Fleetwood Mac, has spoken astir her analyzable narration with motherhood. In 1979, erstwhile the set was astatine its highest of success, she became large and chose to person an abortion. In 2020, erstwhile speaking to The Guardian, she said, "If I had not had that abortion, I'm beauteous definite determination would person been nary Fleetwood Mac. There's conscionable nary mode that I could person had a kid then, moving arsenic hard arsenic we worked constantly."

She aboriginal said that she and her chap set singer-songwriter, Christine McVie, decided not to go mothers. She said, "I knew that the euphony we were going to bring to the satellite was going to heal truthful galore people's hearts and marque radical truthful happy. And I thought: you cognize what? That's truly important. There's not different set successful the satellite that has 2 pb women singers, 2 pb women writers. That was my world's mission."

18. Chelsea Handler is child-free by prime and has been vocal astir her decision. She presently does not person a partner. Even though she does not person children, she signed up for parenting classes to beryllium a amended aunt to her 8 nieces and nephews. On the Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky podcast, she explained, "I conscionable wanted to recognize the science of children to bash a amended occupation astatine immoderate my relation is." The histrion said that she is adjacent to her friend's children, and the classes helped her assistance them erstwhile they were struggling. She added that not being a genitor opened her bosom adjacent much to children.

She said, "I person truthful overmuch bandwidth, due to the fact that I don't person children, to dispersed the emotion and the joyousness and the happiness." Continuing, she said, "There's an unsung communicative astir radical who don't person children, whether it's by prime oregon by circumstance, that determination are truthful galore opportunities to person children successful your beingness and you person to find those." She stated that it was 1 of the champion decisions of her beingness and she is precise happy.

19. Tracee Ellis Ross, present 53, has ne'er been joined oregon had children. And she has spoken candidly astir it implicit the years. While giving a code astatine a Glamour lawsuit successful 2017, she said, "I person built an unthinkable life. I person go a pistillate that I americium arrogant to be. And past idiosyncratic tells maine astir their person who adopted a kid astatine 52 and however 'it's ne'er excessively precocious for your beingness to person meaning,' and my worthy gets diminished arsenic I americium reminded that I person 'failed' connected the matrimony and carriage counts." In 2024, arsenic she joined Kamala Harris's Unite for America Rally, she gave an empowering code connected however Kamala and Oprah Winfrey represented childfree women.

She said, "Because, arsenic a childless woman, I wanna accidental to the radical who deliberation a woman's worthy is measured successful her babe number — I mean, shoutout to each the astonishing mothers — but childless women person been mothering the satellite and elevating the satellite arsenic aunties, godmothers, teachers, mentors, sisters, and friends." She added, "The database goes on. You bash not person to propulsion retired a babe to assistance propulsion humanity forward!" In a The New York Times event, she reiterated her determination connected not having children by saying that she does not judge her beingness is "unworthy due to the fact that I don't person children."

20. Bill Maher, the fashionable tv big and comedian, has besides opened up astir his determination to beryllium child-free. While speaking to societal media property Sophie Rain connected the Club Random Podcast successful 2026, helium said, "I made it to 70 and ne'er had kids. Marriage, kids, I ever got it. No, immoderate crap you are successful now, and nevertheless atrocious you are feeling, that is the occurrence from the frying pan. For me, not for everybody. I mean, a batch of people, of course, I ever say, adjacent celebrities person kids. There indispensable beryllium thing to it." He has reaffirmed his determination to enactment child-free and has shared his thoughts connected parenting, particularly gentle parenting, and however parents request to subject their children.

It was so refreshing to work wherefore these celebrities chose to beryllium child-free and however akin their mindsets are to those of different couples who ponder this decision. Society needs a reminder that having a kid is simply a choice, not an obligation. Who are immoderate different celebrities who person spoken publically astir being child-free? Let america cognize successful the comments!