Having kids isn’t the ultimate goal for everyone. You’d think that the rich and famous would want to leave their mark behind by having children but that isn’t always the case. For many, focusing on their partners, family, or beloved pets is all the legacy they need to leave behind.
It’s almost become taboo for people to say that they don’t want to have any kids. However, more celebrities are speaking up about their decision to go against the norm. Here’s a list of famous people who have chosen to live a child-free life.
Dolly Parton, 73
Dolly Parton is easily amongst the best country musicians of our time. It’s a bit surprising that at 73 and being married to Carl Thomas Dean for 53 years, she hasn’t had any kids. In 2014, she told People Country that with 11 siblings she had several of them stay with her over the years.
As a result, she loved their children as her own. Dolly explains that their children are her grandkids and she even has great-grandkids making her a great granny “GeeGee.” She finished off by saying that she has often felt as if she wasn’t meant to have kids.
Helen Mirren, 74
English actress, Helen Mirren, is perhaps best known for her award-winning role in the 2005 miniseries Elizabeth I. Behind the scenes, she married director, Taylor Hackford, in 1997 but they had been in a relationship since 1986. Solidifying their union made Mirren the stepmother of Hackford’s two children.
However, the couple hasn’t had any children of their own and Mirren explained that she doesn’t have any maternal instincts whatsoever. In 2013, she told British Vogue that motherhood wasn’t in her destiny. She added that it seemed like it was the “boring old men” who were concerned to hear news of her pregnancy but it wasn’t going to happen.
Jay Leno, 69
Jay Leno owns a huge luxury car collection and it’s all thanks to the successful career he’s cultivated as a talk show host. Since 1980, he’s been married to Mavis Nicholson-Leno and they chose not to include a child into the equation.
Mavis told The Washington Post during an interview in 2014 that she remembers telling her mother when she was a child that she would never get married or have kids. Her perception of marriage had been shaped by the ‘50s sitcom The Honeymooners which she felt portrayed women as the inferior gender.
Lily Tomlin, 79
In 1973, Lily Tomlin appeared on The Tonight Show and she told host Johnny Carson she didn’t want kids. She’s stuck to her word more than four decades later and now that she’s almost 80 we highly doubt she’ll be changing her mind.
Tomlin met her wife, Jane Wagner, in 1971 and they solidified their union through marriage in 2013. During an interview with Metro Weekly in 2006, she added that she’s still glad that she never had kids because she was too involved in her career and things wouldn’t have worked out in their favor.
Renée Zellweger, 50
Just four months after her marriage to singer Kenny Chesney, Renee Zellweger hired a lawyer to seek an annulment. After that, she dated Jack White and Bradley Cooper. Zellweger has been in a relationship with musician Doyle Bramhall II since 2012.
None of her relationships have yielded children and she’s said that being a mother has never been her ambition. In 2004 she explained to The Times of London that she never felt the need to do any particular thing by a certain age. She concluded that she is focused on taking care of herself and being independent.
Winona Ryder, 47
We fell in love with Winona Ryder when she appeared in Beetlejuice back in 1987 and most recently on Stranger Things. When it comes to her personal life, she was once engaged to Johnny Depp and dated Matt Damon. Since 2011, she’s been dating Scott Mackinlay Hahn.
She doesn’t have any kids and she told The Telegraph that when having a conversation about the topic with her father he reassured her that she has options like adoption if she ever wanted to go down that route. Winona added that she still gets doses of being a mother through her brother’s kids.
Chelsea Handler, 44
Comedian and TV host, Chelsea Handler, has been vocal about her decision to not have kids. She has always explained that it isn’t her intention to have children and leave them under the care of a nanny. Her decision partly stems from fears caused by her past.
Handler shared that she had a heartbreaking childhood and even with access to therapy she couldn’t subject a child to the possibility of experiencing what she went through herself. She also said it would break her heart more if she had a daughter and that she just didn’t have the time needed to raise a child.
Queen Latifah, 49
Queen Latifah opened up about her desire to have children when speaking on a panel at the 2017 Television Critics Association for Lee Daniel’s HBO show Star. She said that everyone will know when she’s ready to have a child when they see her with a “rugrat” on her shoulder.
In 2018, she was all over the celebrity news sites as there were rumors that she was expecting a child with Eboni Nichols, her long-time partner. However, we can dismiss those rumors because it’s been more than a year later and we still haven’t seen her with a rugrat on her shoulder.
Kim Cattrall, 63
Actress Kim Cattrall has walked down the aisle a total of three times but she doesn’t have any children. She once dated the late Canadian politician Pierre Trudeau and in 2016 60 Minutes mistakenly identified her as the mother of Trudeau’s son.
She shared with O, The Oprah Magazine, in 2003, that when she was 5 all she dreamt about was having a hundred kids and a hundred dogs. However, she soon realized that the pressure she felt to start a family came from outside sources. She finished off by saying that she is not meant to be a biological mother.
Ricky Gervais, 58
English comedian and actor, Ricky Gervais, has been romantically involved with the author and producer, Jane Fallon, since 1982. The two met while attending UCL. Over the years, they have also shared their hard-hitting views about marriage, explaining that as atheists they didn’t see a point in having the ceremony.
They also controversially stated that they never wanted to have kids because the thought of dedicating 16 years of their lives to a child wasn’t appealing to them. They didn’t stop there, as they also shared that there are already too many children in the world anyway.
Bo Derek, 62
Bo Derek enjoyed a successful career working alongside her late husband John Derek. Sadly, she lost her husband to heart problems in 1998 after 22 years of marriage. They never had any children together and Bo hasn’t had any kids since.
She has been dating actor John Corbett since 2002 and we are not yet sure if they are keen on walking down the aisle, let alone having children. Bo lives with her sister in California and she has her sister’s two children in her life. Currently 62 years old, we believe it’s quite unlikely that Bo will welcome a child of her own.
Diane Sawyer, 73
Journalist Diane Sawyer had been married to director Mike Nicholls since 1988 up until 2014 when he passed away from a heart attack. They never had children together but Nichols had a son and two daughters from his previous marriages.
When asked during interviews why she never had kids, Diane always says that she would have if the circumstances were different. She explains that she accepted that her husband already had three kids, and at the time when they got married he was 58. She concluded by stating that she wouldn’t remarry.
Jennifer Aniston, 50
Jennifer Aniston is a staple name in the Hollywood acting industry. Her marriage to actor Brad Pitt had been widely publicized, as well as, their ultimate split in 2005. In fact, reports claimed that the two split because Aniston didn’t want to have any children.
She told Vanity Fair that the claims weren’t true, admitting that she does want to have kids and she will have them eventually. Aniston married director Justin Theroux in 2011 and they separated in 2017, without having any children. In 2019, rumors surfaced that she was rekindling her past flame with Brad Pitt. These claims, however, have not been confirmed.
Mickey Rourke, 66
The former boxer turned actor, Mickey Rourke, exchanged vows with two different women throughout his lifetime but marriage just didn’t work 0ut for him. Both his marriages were childless and since the end of his last union in 1998, he still hasn’t had any kids yet.
He told People magazine in 2006 that he fears that the impacts of the abuse he went through as a child might surface. He added that he never really got to know his father and he wouldn’t want to repeat the cycle of abuse with his own children. Rourke has been dating Anastassjia Makarenko, a Russian model, since 2009.
Megan Mullally, 60
Megan Mullally is best known for appearing on Will & Grace. She was married to Michael Katcher, a talent manager, in the mid-90s but they chose to part ways. Mullally then met Nick Offerman while filming The Berlin Circle in 2000 and they were married 18 months later.
Both of her marriages didn’t produce any kids, and she explained that she no longer believes that it’s part of her plan. She told GQ that not having children has probably helped her marriage. Mullally also said that she did try to get pregnant but when it didn’t happen, she and Offerman made their peace with it.
Matt Dillon, 55
Matt Dillion has an impressive acting portfolio including Wild Things and the Fox series Wayward Pines. He dated actress Cameron Diaz for three years but the two parted ways in 1998. He has also dated Melanie Griffith, Hallie Eisenberg, and Eliza Dushku.
Dillon has never been married neither does he have any kids. He has stayed relatively quiet about the subject and there aren’t any interviews we could find about him sharing the reason behind his decision to not start his own family. Dillon is currently working on the upcoming film Fonzo, to be released in 2019.
Ashley Judd, 51
Ashley Judd, the daughter of Naomi Judd, graced our screens in films like Double Jeopardy and Divergent before she decided to focus her efforts on political activism. She was married to the former race car driver, Dario Franchitti, but they divorced in 2013.
Judd told Sunday Mail that she didn’t feel it was the right time to have children, given the present conditions of the world. She explained that there are so many children who are orphaned, abandoned, or starving in impoverished countries. In her 2011 memoir, she stated that she felt like the children around her, at the moment, are like her own.
Rachael Ray, 51
Rachel Ray is a renowned celebrity chef who has hosted three shows on the Food Network. She married John M. Cusimano in 2005 and after their nuptials in Italy, we haven’t heard anything about their plans to expand their family.
In 2007, she shared with People magazine that she just didn’t have the time to have kids when she already has so much on her plate. She felt that she worked too much which wouldn’t make her a good parent. She finished off by saying that giving birth just wasn’t the best decision for her at that point.
James Woods, 72
American actor, James Woods, is best known for his roles in Nixon, Casino, and Contact. He married Kathryn Morrison-Pahoa, a costume designer, in 1980 but they divorced three years later. He then married Sarah Owens in 1986, however, their marriage only lasted for four months.
Woods decided to focus on his career and he hasn’t married since his last union nor has he had any children. He faced backlash when he shared a rather insensitive tweet in 2017 about a gender creative 10-year-old. He defended himself saying that the mother and father were using their child as a social tool, which to him equated to child abuse.
Anjelica Huston, 68
Anjelica Huston is an American author, producer, director, and former fashion model. The award-winning actress has been featured in several productions such as Prizzi’s Honor, The Grifters, Enemies: A Love Story, Medium, Smash, The Addams Family, and Grand High Witch.
Huston got married to Robert Graham, a sculptor, in May 1992 until his death in 2008. She does not have any children. On this subject, she once stated there were times she wanted kids and other times she was grateful she did not venture down that path. The most recent film she has appeared in is John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Patrick Swayze, Died At 57
Patrick Swayze gained fame for playing lead movie roles, portraying a romantic and tough guy in films throughout the 80s. In addition to acting, he was a professional dancer, songwriter, and singer. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008 and passed on a year later, on the 14th of September.
Patrick was married to Lisa Niemi for over 30 years, however, they did not have any children. The love birds met in 1970 when they were both teens and exchanged vows in 1975. I Am Patrick Swayze, produced by Paramount Network, has been hyped as the highest-rated and most-watched documentary of 2019.
Ann-Margret, 78
Swedish born American dancer, singer, and actress, Ann-Margret, proudly owns an Emmy Award and 5 Golden Globes. She was married to Roger Smith but they did not have any babies. They put off the idea of kids at first because a new addition to their family would halt her fast-rising career at the time.
When Margret decided she would hold off on having children, she was only 31 and thought that she would do so later on. While this did not come to pass, she is still seen as a beloved mother to her 3 step kids from Roger Smith’s first marriage.
Jon Hamm, 48
Jon Hamm is best known for playing Don Draper in Mad Men, an AMC TV series. He had to smoke herbal cigarettes on the show because he quit smoking when he was 24. When he is not on your screen, Hamm is an avid tennis player and golfer.
Hamm’s passion for sports has seen him earn several endorsement deals, including appearing in TV adverts. Jon enjoyed a long-term relationship with Jennifer Westfeldt for about 8 years before parting ways. Rumors spread that the couple split because Hamm did not want to make things official and neither did he want kids.
Ellen DeGeneres, 61
Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most successful TV hosts of all time. She is married to actress Portia De Rossi and the couple says that they are content being a family of 2 and they certainly do not want any kids. This is despite Ellen wanting children when she was younger.
Ellen has been hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a syndicated TV talk show, since 2003. She is one of the celebrities who has openly shown support to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan after they received public criticism for using a private jet to land at Elton John’s home.
Aisha Tyler, 48
Aisha Tyler is a talented comedian, actress, talk show host, and director. She was married to Jeff Tietjens but they sadly separated permanently after 23 years. Tyler did not have kids because she was struggling to conceive while she was married to Jeff.
She is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ community rights and calls herself the black female Leonardo DiCaprio, saying that she drives an electric vehicle, has low-flow toilets, uses compost, and recycles. Tyler is also a bit of a technology lover and has built two sites from scratch.
Liza Minnelli, 73
A phenomenal singer and actress, Liza Minnelli, is best known for her powerful singing voice and enthusiastic stage presence. She has worked as a musical theater actress, a traditional pop music artist, a nightclub performer, and has appeared in several films and TV series.
For a long time, Minnelli was addicted to prescription drugs and she was an alcoholic as well. She has been married four times and has divorced all her husbands. She was expecting a child at one point but suffered hiatal hernia when medics were trying to save the unborn child. Therefore, she still has no children.
Kathy Bates, 71
An acclaimed American director and actress, Kathy Bates’s career, has awarded her with multiple accolades. These include 2 Emmy Awards, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 3 American Comedy Awards, among many others. Before she was famous, she suffered from depression and used to write many sad songs.
Bates has been married once, to Tony Campisi. Their union lasted 6 years and they did not have any kids. She became a national lymphedema spokesperson after the condition affected her arms. She is also the chairperson of LE&RN; Lymphatic Education & Research Network.
Fran Drescher, 61
Wearing many different hats, Fran Drescher is an activist, writer, actress, and comedian. The role that thrust her into the limelight was when she was cast as Fran Fine in The Nanny. Her strong New York accent together with her nasal voice also made her more popular.
Drescher, who has written numerous books suffered medical issues which hindered her from keeping a child after conceiving. Although she does not have any children, at the moment, she is open to adopting. Fran revealed in an interview that she would like to become a mother in the future.
Christopher Walken, 76
Christopher Walken is an actor who has appeared in over 100 TV programs and films. He has been married since 1969 to Georgianne Walken; one of the longest-lasting marriages in Hollywood. He attributes his prolific success to childlessness, saying his career path would have been different if he was a dad.
Christopher, who started acting at the tender age of 5, has had no problems landing acting jobs. Other than being a great actor, he seldom says no to acting jobs, instead, he uses them as learning opportunities. As a result, his net worth is $50 million.
Pam Grier, 70
Pam Grier was a big shot actress in the 70s, starring in many Blaxploitation films. She has never been married and has no children, however, she has been in quite a few high-profile relationships involving professional athletes, and music executives. She is currently 70 years old, and her last on-screen performance was in Poms.
Pam was instrumental in transforming women’s roles in films and her career has earned her millions of dollars. She has also published Foxy: My Life in Three Acts, a memoir that highlights her childhood, health, family, personal relationships and other life experiences.
Cameron Diaz, 46
Cameron Diaz is a writer and retired actress. A majority of her movies were based on comedic value; some were dramatic films. She started modeling while she was still in high school and made her debut in acting at 21 in the comedy The Mask, alongside Jim Carrey.
Although she does not have any kids, Cameron admits that she adores the little ones and she will start a family when it’s her time. When probed about pregnancy, all she says is that people live differently and she has chosen her current life.
Betty White, 97
We can picture Betty White as a loving grandma but despite having gone through three marriages, she doesn’t have any children. In 2011, she admitted that she has never regretted her decision. She explained during the interview with CBS Sunday Morning that she’s often compulsive and if she’d gotten pregnant it would’ve been all she focused on.
Betty explained that she chose to focus on her career instead because her compulsiveness wouldn’t have allowed her to manage both. However, she became the stepmother of her late husband Allen Ludden’s three children when they married in 1963. Betty recently starred in the documentary, Betty White: First Lady of Television, in 2018.
Oprah Winfrey, 65
Media executive, Oprah Winfrey, has one of the most publicized rags to riches stories. She would’ve been a mom at 14, however, she had tried to get an abortion to avoid the embarrassment that would come with giving birth at her age.
The child died after she had him prematurely, and Oprah hasn’t had any children after that. It was a family member who leaked the information to the media in the early 90s. Oprah has been with Stedman Graham since 1986 and despite being engaged since 1992 it doesn’t seem like we’ll ever witness these two exchanging vows.