15 Celebrities Who Proudly Said No To Having Kids

In Hollywood, every personal choice can become a headline, especially if it diverges from convention. To that end, celebrities have often found themselves at the center of unwarranted public scrutiny every time they have dared to admit that parenthood is not for them. Whether it's seniors like Helen Mirren denying the existence of any maternal instincts in her, or Lily Tomlin simply admitting that she's content without the chaos, or younger stars like Miley Cyrus refusing to hand over a declining planet to more people — a slew of famous figures have openly challenged outdated ideals of happiness. 

While their honesty often becomes fodder for public judgment, stars who have proudly said no to having kids have unsurprisingly been bold enough to stand their ground against all kinds of backlash. By doing so, they represent millions of regular people without their reach or platform who share the same views and choose to live their life on their own terms.

As any young person with a voice and a penchant for independent thought, Miley Cyrus holds strong views, and one of them has to do with her decision to remain child-free in her 30s. The Grammy-winning pop star's stance on the subject collides with her concern for the planet and the myriad issues it's battling today, from climate change to political inaction. "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," the Grammy winner told Elle, adding that she is not alone in echoing this planet-conscious sentiment. 

"We [millennials] don't want to reproduce because we know that the earth can't handle it." Miley Cyrus, who comes from a large family with five siblings of her own, presumably grew up watching the daily demands of motherhood unfold around her for years. "It's a lot of responsibility and devotion and energy," she told The New York Times, claiming the key element of passion that fueled such relentless commitment was missing in her. 

Considering that her career spans six stellar decades marked by great cinema, numerous accolades, and unquantifiable adulation from fans, it's safe to say that Helen Mirren has lived a full life. This fullness has come about in the absence of what is typically said to make women's lives more fulfilling: children. The Academy, Emmy, and Tony-winning star has long been vocal about her decision to remain childless, having always prioritized her career above everything else. 

"I love children, they are so funny and so sweet, but I never wanted my own," she told The Times, recalling the time she briefly lamented her decision to eschew motherhood after watching the family film "Parenthood." "I realised I would never experience that, and for about 20 minutes, I sobbed for the loss of that and the fact that I never experienced it." But the moment of regret passed as soon as it came and Mirren was back to her self, who famously lacks any maternal instincts. Through her marriage to Taylor Hackford though, Mirren did play stepmother to his two children, one of whom sadly passed away in 2022.

Anna Kendrick is an actor, writer, and now famously a "childless cat lady" all rolled into one. The latter descriptive is a relatively recent development, following the "Pitch Perfect" star's claims that motherhood is not for her — a bold declaration, given the current political rhetoric against decisive women like her. Except, Kendrick believes she's not worthy of a place even in the cat ladies club. "I thought: 'I'd have an easier time falling asleep with the weight of a cat on me. But I'm not responsible enough to own a cat," she told The Guardian. "Why would anyone trust me with a kid?" 

Her choice to refrain from motherhood is something Kendrick also echoed in her 2016 laugh riot "Scrappy Little Nobody." The thoughts fueling her decision to remain childless are vivid and paint pictures of a reality (rather close to ours) where parenthood comes about as a far-off, fairytale ideal for many men who don't fairly measure the responsibility that comes with it. "'Yeah, maybe one day — a couple of kids running around.' I don't think I've ever heard a woman say that!" she observed (via Flow Space). 

Tracee Ellis Ross is one of the most vocal advocates of calling the shots in your life, especially as it relates to the question of parenthood. The star of shows like "Girlfriends" and "Black-ish," Ross has long reinforced her status as a mold-breaker by being loud, proud, and unapologetic in her views on not having children of her own. "I do not believe that my life is unworthy because I don't have children," she said at The New York Times' 2025 Wells Festival, echoing the same sentiment for her singlehood. 

Like so many others who share her stance, Ross' decision to remain childless hardly robbed her of chances to show up with love for the people and passions she actually cares for. "I do believe that I mother all over the place," she said. One of Ross' most moving declarations on the subject came about at Glamour's 2017 Women of the Year Summit, where she delivered a hard-hitting speech about societal pressures on women, expectations around motherhood, and how one eye-opening epiphany carried her through it all: "My life is mine." 

The legend of Oprah Winfrey is irrevocably tied to a certain kind of courage that has helped the talk show host live on her own bold terms, despite being under constant public scrutiny. One of them was the choice to not have children of her own. Motherhood was apparently never a significant part of Winfrey's life plan, owing firstly to her personality. As she told Good Housekeeping, "I wouldn't have been a good mum for babies. I don't have the patience. I have the patience for puppies, but that's a quick stage!"

In between building a thriving 50-year-long career and a solid relationship with her partner Stedman Graham, Winfrey did not have the space or headspace to have children. Also drawing context from her endless interactions with people from all walks of life on her shows, Winfrey was more than aware of the heavy emotional costs of parenthood. "I'm talking to a lot of messed-up people, and they are messed up because they had mothers and fathers who were not aware of how serious that job is," she told People. 

Dolly Parton is a legend for more than one reason. Her historic music career — complete with chart-topping hits, multiple Grammy decorations, unmatched record sales, and a millions-strong fanbase — is, of course, a core one. But that distinction is also owed to the way Parton built a life that is entirely hers — no rulebook, no timelines, and definitely no pressure to pop out children. "Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom," she said on an episode of "The Oprah Conversation," tying her success story to her decision to skip conventional motherhood. 

That is not to say that Parton didn't ever get a chance to embrace her maternal side. Through kid-friendly ventures like Dollywood and Imagination Library, Parton caters to young people around the globe and therefore, feels she hasn't missed out on much. If anything, she has only gained through these experiences. As she told Saga Magazine, "I always say God didn't let me have children so that all kids could be mine." Dolly Parton is also the godmother of Miley Cyrus, whose opinion on parenthood in current times she shares. "With everything that's going on, I'd hate to be bringing a child into this world right now." 

If Kim Cattrall would have embraced motherhood, "Sex and the City" may not have been what it is today. Appearing on "Piers Morgan's Life Stories" in 2017, Cattrall recalled briefly considering methods like IVF to conceive but then decided against it, owing to the busy schedules she was dabbling in the '90s as the beloved, spunky Samantha Jones. "I thought to myself, 'Wow, I have 19-hour days on this series' ... I realized what a commitment it was just to [do] the procedures and I thought, 'I don't think this is going to happen.'" 

It wasn't always this way for Cattrall though. She once revealed to Oprah Winfrey that her girlhood dream "was to have a hundred dogs and a hundred kids" (via Oprah.com). That desire presented itself all too powerfully in her youth when she saw friends around her starting families while she was still single, prompting her to admittedly feel the pressures of the so-called biological clock. "I also thought that without having children, I'd be missing something unique to being female." Cattrall didn't go ahead with motherhood at the time — nor during her three marriages — but eventually found an outlet for her maternal instincts by playing mentor to budding actresses. 

Anything Seth Rogen does, or doesn't do in this case, triggers a reaction from the masses. The "Superbad" actor's choice to enjoy a child-free marriage with his wife Lauren Miller is just a small example of it. Rogen has been candid about how opting for a life sans parenthood has served his personal and professional situations well. "A lot of people have kids before they even think about it, from what I've seen," he said on "The Diary Of A CEO" podcast. "Honestly, the older we get, the more happy and reaffirmed we are with our choice to not have kids." 

But despite his straightforward explanations (or perhaps because of them) Rogen has earned public backlash over the years. In a profile for Esquire, he expressed shock over the surprisingly strong, negative takes people had over his choice to eschew fatherhood and, ever the brazen funnyman, questioned: "Well, if you hate me that much, why do you want more of me?" He went on to reiterate that his wife was on the same page as him about parenthood being a conscious desire, not just a milestone. 

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's relationship has been going steady for the past 20 years and the celebrity duo don't seem to need anyone else to keep them company. Rumors of their plans to have children have hounded the pair in the past, but their no-kids policy has held up strong against tabloid speculation — even if, as de Rossi quipped on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2014, it feels like they're "disappointing the whole of America." 

While DeGeneres has poked fun at the topic on her talk show during light-hearted segments like "Why I Don't Have Kids" – painting vivid pictures of the mischief little kids get up to — she has also spoken sincerely about some deeper reasons behind that choice. "I think I would. But that's not enough to have kids," she told Today, when asked if she would like to have children. With signature wit, she added, "It seems like a commitment that you have to stick with ... it's too risky. Like, what if I don't like the kid?" 

Unmarried, childless, and well into her 60s — Patricia Clarkson is enjoying the kind of life many women can only dream about. The award-winning actor, who has worked tirelessly for the last 40 years, is living proof that happiness isn't rooted in conforming to traditional ideals of domestic expectations. She realized she was a lone wolf early on, when ideas of marriage and motherhood didn't excite her. "I've had beautiful, extraordinary men in my life and I wouldn't change any of that. But I've never wanted to marry, I've never wanted children — I was born without that gene," she told The Guardian. 

That is not to say that Clarkson has been totally devoid of love for and by children. During an appearance on the "Table for Two" podcast, the "Pieces of April" star shared that she is surrounded by her siblings' children and grandchildren, and deeply relishes the opportunity of being an aunt to them all. Her own mother's words of wisdom were also grounding. "My mother said: 'Patty, I just don't want you to wake up at 50 and be unhappy.' I woke up at 50 in stilettos and a thong," she quipped.

Lily Tomlin has never played by the rules. So her decision to shun parenthood didn't exactly come as a shock to fans. The award-winning comedian and actor — who has been in a long, loving partnership with her wife Jane Wagner for over 50 years — has been open about her choices for the better part of her decorated career. Considering she's been a public figure for six decades, having also voiced herself in a time when society wasn't as liberal as it is today, it's a feat worth recognizing. 

In an interview with Metro Weekly, she recalled an interview with Johnny Carson in 1973, where she was asked about having children and the room went quiet. "Because as a female, even to say you didn't necessarily want to have a child or act out the traditional role of any kind was heavy," she said. For Tomlin though, forgoing motherhood seemed like a straightforward choice in the face of other priorities. "I really do like kids, but there wouldn't have been room in my life to raise children," she said, hilariously adding, "God only knows what I would have done with them, poor things." 

Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay was put off the idea of motherhood early in her life. As the oldest of five siblings, her exposure to the demands of small children happened a long time ago and cemented her desire to join the no-kids camp. "My family, my mom, would always say, for a little while before she realized I was serious, 'You'll change your mind,'" she said on Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell's Audible series.

DuVernay, who has also chosen to stay unmarried on account of a busy career and general disinterest in fulfilling traditional roles, didn't mince her words while explaining why she is unwilling to try out parenthood. Putting it simply, she said, "I don't feel like I would be a good mother for a child. I don't want to do that and I think in the most ideal scenario, you should want to do that." 

Motherhood is a lot of work and Alison Brie, having carefully considered that fact, has decided against trying it out. In an interview with The Times, the "Mad Men" star said it straight, declaring, "I don't really want to have kids." Her reasons for it are rooted in the same fast-paced, career-first mindset that fuels so many other women in her industry. "It's great because I don't worry about when should I get pregnant — between seasons, while we're shooting the show — I don't think about it every day." 

Brie seems to be more than content in her life with husband Dave Franco, whom she has been with since 2011, and their two cat children. "I think about how much we're involved in our cats' lives. Oh my God, if it was a child!" Given that the actor couple's schedules are so busy that they often don't see each other during the day and have just enough time to catch up with each other at night, their decision to remain childless seems to fit in well with their lifestyle. 

Chelsea Handler may have attended parenting classes but she is in no mood to have children of her own. "I just wanted to understand the psychology of children to do a better job at whatever my role is," the comedian, who plays an aunt to many children in her family and friend circles, shared on the "Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky" podcast. "I have so much bandwidth, because I don't have children, to spread the love and the joy and the happiness." She added that her choices allowed her to show up with far greater credibility for the kids in her life than she might have if she'd had her own family.

Fearlessly outspoken against social convention, Handler knows how to ruffle a feather or two with her words — always with a touch of dry humor. But on the subject of children, her repartee is rooted in profound opinions against the patriarchy that conducts people toward parenthood. "You are not defined by the children that you bring into the world [and] that you're not defined by your relationships or being married," she told Today, urging people to not think of having children as a necessary milestone. 

In an industry where short celebrity marriages have more or less become the norm, Christopher Walken and his wife Georgianne Walken have spent six decades together in marital bliss. The film duo, one an acting legend and one an ex-casting director, have evidently balanced each other well without feeling the need to expand their family. It's been easy to gauge Walken's sentiment on the subject, considering how matter-of-factly he has always responded to it. "I do like to work as much as I can because I don't have children, I don't have hobbies, I don't do anything else," a feature by Golden Globes quoted him as saying. 

In true deadpan Walken style, he further quipped there were plenty of children in his family and he was always glad when they left. Having started his showbiz career over 70 years ago, "The Deer Hunter" star kept himself busy with work for much of his life and as a result, built a film legacy that few even in his own elite league could match — a feat that can partly be attributed to his child-free lifestyle. Walken once admitted to The Guardian that his career may not have flourished as it did, had he become a father.