The Tragic Truth About Jennifer Aniston's Decision To Remain Childless

Jennifer Aniston has spent most of her career being reminded of the fact that she doesn't have children. It's the one part of her life everybody seems obsessed with despite everything she's shared about her attempts and struggles to conceive. And sure, she's gotten better at brushing it off now, "But there comes a point when you can't not hear it," Aniston told Harper's Bazaar U.K. "The narrative about how I won't have a baby, won't have a family, because I'm selfish, a workaholic." It's impossible to not feel the sting. "I'm just a human being," stressed Aniston. "That's why I thought, 'What the hell?'"

The actor, who was previously married to Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux, did try for years to become a mother. In her quest, she explored every possible option, from fertility treatments to Chinese herbal remedies. She could've easily adopted, but Aniston wanted to have a child that was biologically hers. "When people say, 'But you can adopt.' I don't want to adopt," she told Dax Shepard of her decision to remain childless in an episode of his "Armchair Expert" podcast. "I want my own DNA in a little person." Perhaps that might sound selfish, but that's the only way she could imagine it. "Whatever that is, [I] wanted it."

Alas, her dream of having kids never materialized. But something about knowing she gave it her all gives her a sense of peace. "I have zero regrets," Aniston said in a previous interview with Allure. "I actually feel a little relief now because there is no more, 'Can I? Maybe.'" Finally, she can stop dwelling on what might have been and focus on what is. "I don't have to think about that anymore," Aniston added. 

Jennifer Aniston's honest reflections about her choice not to adopt children struck a chord with her fans. On social media, many praised the superstar for her candor and vulnerability. "This is such an honest take," one user on X wrote. "Why do people still judge women for wanting biological children instead of adoption?" Another pointed out how men are rarely held to the same standards when it comes to their life choices. "It's no one else's business but hers," the user argued. "I don't get the obsession with asking childless women intimate questions about their life choices," stressing, "Men never get this level of interrogation so I would suggest people just leave her alone." 

Previously, Aniston said she wanted share her experience in order inspire other women going through similar struggles. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar U.K., she explained that she'd come across countless women struggling with fertility issues and wanted to show them they weren't alone. However, she doesn't believe that a woman's worth should be tied to her capacity to have children. "I've birthed a lot of things, and I feel like I've mothered many things," Aniston noted during a 2014 appearance on the "Today" show. "And I don't feel like it's fair to put that pressure on people."

While she's come to accept that she may never have children at this point in her life, the 56-year-old actor (as of 2025) remains hopeful about her future. In her chat with Allure, Aniston admitted that she still longs for companionship and is actually open to giving marriage another shot. "There are moments I want to just crawl up in a ball and say, 'I need support,'" she said. "It would be wonderful to come home and fall into somebody's arms and say, 'That was a tough day.'"