20 Celebs Who Didn't Want Kids (But Then Changed Their Minds)
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How hard is it for women to resist becoming a mother? Even though many celebrities have talked about how they would never get pregnant, they often go back on these promises. Time and time again, we've seen women get to the stage in their life when suddenly they realize that they really, really want to become a mom. Pregnancy is a huge decision, and definitely one that shouldn't be taken lightly. That's why it's so important to really think about it before you become a mother. If you're not ready, then you're not ready, and that's what people often forget. It can be a long process of coming to terms with what you want, and famous people deal with the same struggles as the rest of us.
So we should applaud these famous women (and men) who have taken their time, waiting for the right moment to have kids. Sometimes this means waiting until they're mature enough. Sometimes this means waiting for the right person to come along. But if there's one thing that you should take away from this article, it's that you should never rule out having kids, whatever your situation is. After all, these celebrities said no to parenthood, but they eventually changed their minds.
Zooey Deschanel
One celebrity who was extremely against motherhood was Zooey Deschanel. She probably said she didn't want kids in over a dozen interviews, and this was just one example: "Like every woman is dying to give birth! I like kids, and I like being around kids, but it was never an ambition... I like working. That's what I like doing. I like work."
But of course, she did change her mind, and now she's totally hooked on motherhood, saying, "Nothing can really prepare you for it because you never again have a day where you don't think of your kids first. At least for me, that's what I think of first thing. Like, "How are the kids doing? What do they need?" That's my first thought when I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night. I'm always thinking of them." Some people actually feel betrayed by Zooey's 180 on this issue.
Josh Holloway
Josh Holloway is a famous TV actor, and has been incredibly successful with roles in shows like Lost. For the longest time, he too was fervently against having kids, but he seems to have realized that wasn't what he really wanted. He admitted, “We have changed our minds… only recently. Basically, nature happened. If you’re in a loving relationship with someone, [having] children becomes a part of it. I don’t know exactly when or how, but we’re very open to either having our own children or adopting.”
Nowadays, he's happily married and has kids with his loving wife. He is totally hooked on being a dad, saying, "I’m completely in love with my children, and I participate in their lives on every level.”
Jessica Biel
Another celebrity was not planning to be a mother was Jessica Biel. In 2008, she said, “I tell you, I have so many friends having babies and getting married, and they just want to put me where they are so we can go to nursery together and stuff. I’m like, ‘Noooooo!’ I’m resisting.”
But obviously, she did change her mind, and now Justin Timberlake is a proud father. But Jessica Biel admits it's not exactly the best thing that ever happened to her, admitting, "This might sound really terrible, but it's the truth. Having a child, I have never experienced more emotions in all my life, anger being one of them. Simply put, sometimes your two-year-old makes you crazy." It's clear that her reluctance towards being a mom wasn't for nothing...
Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes is another celebrity mom who once was strongly against having children. Many years ago, she insisted, "I don’t wanna have kids. I love the little suckers; they’re so cute, but I love sleep so much and I worry about everything.” Years passed, and Eva Mendes started dating acting superstar Ryan Gosling, and soon enough, her opinion on the matter changed.
Now the couple has two beautiful children together, and she admits that she loves being a mom and hanging out with her kids. She describes raising children as a "beautiful time," saying, “Literally, you want to wear jammies all day? Wear jammies all day. Like, to me, it is such a beautiful time to be a kid and not have, you know, no pressure."
Fergie
Fergie is another famous celebrity who initially wanted nothing to do with motherhood or having children. When she first started dating her most recent boyfriend, Josh Duhamel, her stance was very clear. When asked if she was planning to have kids with her new man, she stated: "It's not happening yet, I can tell you that definitely." But soon enough, Fergie was convinced by her boyfriend to have children, and that was that.
She explained, "We negotiated [the number of children] early on. Two is our number. I felt that it was either going to be another baby or an album [coming next]. I'd love to [have another baby], hopefully in the next year or two." Even though she was seemingly willing to have more children with her boyfriend, the relationship came to an end. Some have suggested that the breakup happened because Fergie felt pressured to have more children.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson is another huge celebrity, and nowadays she's a proud mother. But things weren't always like this for the American Idol star and winner. When she was just starting to get famous, she was quoted as saying, “I have no desire [to have kids]. I would not be a good mother. I mean, I love being an aunt to my niece and nephew. And I used to want to, like, adopt 10 kids. But again, my job is too selfish.”
Of course, she eventually changed her minds about the whole kids thing, and now has embraced motherhood. Today, she actually admits that motherhood has made her a better person, saying, "I feel far more intelligent and wiser when making decisions — not just for myself, but for my children.”
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is another star that needs no introduction, and this star was against having children for many years. She herself admits, "It's strange, I never wanted to have a baby. I never wanted to be pregnant. I never babysat. I never thought of myself as a mother." She eventually adopted children, but still stood by her decision that she would never get pregnant.
But after she met Brad Pitt, all that went out of the window, and she eventually did in fact get pregnant herself. Explaining what happened, Angelina Jolie said, "I think one of the life-changing things that he did, one of many, is that I was absolutely never going to get pregnant. I never felt that it was the right thing to do. I knew that he would never see them as different, and that gave me a certain peace. I suppose I just looked at him and loved him and just felt open to [getting pregnant]. I suddenly wanted to. It's one of those things you can't explain. I'm with a man who's evolved enough to look at my body and see it as more beautiful, because of the journey it has taken and what it has created."
John Cena & Nikki Bella
One of the newest couples in the entertainment world is John Cena and Nikki Bella. These two wrestling stars have been married for about a year now, after John Cena proposed to Nikki Bella in a crowded arena, inside the wrestling ring. For a while, they just enjoyed being married to one another, and Nikki Bella herself admitted, "John doesn’t want kids, so we’re not gonna have kids."
But recent interviews with John Cena have led some to believe that he has changed his mind about kids. After being in a movie where parenthood is a prominent feature, Cena admitted, “[Blockers] is about being confident as a parent, being confident in your children that you have done well, and they also are doing well. And the bond between parent and child can be a wonderful thing, even through some pretty tough situations. So, it absolutely has made me consider being a parent more.”
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is a major pop star, although she's fallen out of the public spotlight a little in recent years. Her life has been pretty turbulent, though, and we hear the odd headline about her every once in a while. While she was still at the height of her fame, Janet Jackson admitted, “My view is that if it’s God’s plan for me to have children then it’s going to happen. I’m not panicking. It would be very, very sweet if I did have children. The icing on the cake. And I like sweet things. But it doesn’t feel essential.”
That led many to believe that Janet Jackson would never have kids, and that she never wanted to. But all that changed when Janet Jackson got married to her most recent husband, and she was convinced to become a mother. The marriage didn't end well for her, but her son is a huge part of her life today, even if she likes to keep that life very private.
Simon Cowell
Almost everyone knows Simon Cowell as the very critical judge in more than a few reality TV contests. When asked whether he wanted kids, Simon Cowell answered, “God, no. I couldn’t have children. If I had them here drawing on the walls, I’d go nuts.”
Later, he seemed to be changing his mind, saying, "I'd want kids if I knew I could be faithful. I do like kids. I'm not sure I would be good for the first six months or so, but once they knew who I am…” And of course, not long afterwards he really did have kids, although it was in the midst of a painful infidelity scandal.
But all that is behind Simon Cowell now, and he's just thankful he managed to have a son: “It gives you such a different perspective on life. Things that I thought were important, just aren’t. Because I see a lot of things through his eyes now, I find everything to be a happier place."
Courteney Cox And Johnny McDaid
Courteney Cox is of course the star actor best known for her role in the hit TV sitcom Friends. She's been through a few relationships in her life, although she seems to have finally found love at the age of over 50, with an Irish singer named Johnny McDaid, who is several years her junior. This is an amazing development for Courteney Cox, and we're so happy for her... But what about those rumors about this couple having kids?
As is turns out, Johnny McDaid was fiercely against having children. It wasn't something he wanted to do, and that was that. But after seeing how good he is with Courteney Cox's daughter, Coco, his mind might have changed. Pregnancy rumors swirl around this couple, and Courteney Cox fueled the flames recently, saying, "I would love to have a baby now. I mean, I could carry someone else’s egg. I may be one of the older people doing it, but I would love to, with Johnny that is." Did Jimmy change his mind?
Cameron Diaz
Another celebrity who has always been against motherhood is Cameron Diaz. At the height of her career, many years ago, she stated, "I like protecting people, but I was never drawn to being a mother. I have it much easier than any of them. That's just what it is. Doesn't mean life isn't sometimes hard. I'm just what I am. I work on what I am. Right now, I think, things are good for me. I've done a lot. And I don't care anymore."
But rumors about her pregnancy are starting to swirl, because of just how strong her relationship is with her new man, Benji Madden. It's now or never for the star actress, and many people have seen her with a baby bump. Could this just be a "fake belly" she's wearing for a movie, or is it the real deal? Only time will tell, but we're betting she's changed her mind on the whole pregnancy thing...
Kim Kardashian
Although Kim Kardashian's story is a little different than some of the other women on this list, she too definitely changed her mind about having kids. When she was told by doctors she couldn't have any more kids, she "gave up," saying “I can’t carry anymore kids… it’s the worst. It’s not going to be happy for me.. I had a full break down … I give up.”
But not too long afterwards, Kim Kardashian changed her mind on the issue, after realizing that she could still have kids – through the use of a surrogate: “Having more kids is definitely going to be a struggle. I’ve gone through so much with really bad deliveries that the doctors don’t feel like it’s safe for me to conceive again myself. After everything I went through, the surgery and it wasn’t successful and didn’t do anything. Kanye was really nervous about the surgery… but I know he would want to have more kids. I feel like surrogacy is the only option for me.”
Naomi Watts
Another celeb who has a slightly different tale to tell when compared to the rest of these women is Naomi Watts. This star actress is approaching her later years in life, and looking back on her life as a mother, she actually has some regrets. Even though she never said she didn't want kids, she still seemingly changed her mind about the number of kids she had. Looking back, she now feels like she should have had more kids, and she regrets calling it quits on motherhood so early in life.
She admitted, "I should have had more kids, started younger. I feel like the births of my children were so huge, but I don’t remember either of them well. I wish I could have it all back but without the pain.” This is a huge revelation, and it shows that Naomi Watts might've been slightly cautious about having kids as a young woman. But she regrets it all now.
Vivicia Fox
Another stunning revelation came out of an interview between Vivica Fox and Oprah. The actress is well-known for her roles on shows like Days Of Our Lives, Generations, and many more. When her interview with Oprah took place, the host asked her a very simple question: "Do you ever miss being a mother?”
To this, Vivica Fox immediately answered, “Of course. That’s the biggest regret of my life, that I didn’t have a child.” She went on to explain how seeing other celebrity moms raise their kids made her realize what she was missing out on and she admitted, "I don’t get to see my eyes in a child. I think that’s something I’ll miss.”
George Clooney
One celebrity who we were sure would never settle down, let alone have kids, is George Clooney. In his own words, Clooney once admitted, “I think it’s the most responsible thing you can do, to have a kid. I think it’s the biggest responsibility you’ll have, and it’s not something to be taken lightly. I don’t have that thing in me that says,’must do it.’ I don’t see myself ever having kids. But everything in my life has changed over periods of time … and the world does change.”
And yes, things did change. He now has twins with his amazing, loving wife Amal. Speaking about the pregnancy, he stated, “We didn’t plan on it. We never talked about it until after we were married, which is funny. There was an assumption that we didn’t want them.”
Michelle Keegan
Michelle Keegan is a British actress well-known for her work on shows like Coronation Street, as well as many other comedic series coming out right now. She was another one of those people who was against having children, saying, "I love babies, but working with a newborn has changed my outlook. I’m now thinking I’m not ready yet — give me a few more years. I have always been quite broody, but now I’ve realized I want to wait a bit longer before I start a family."
But according to inside sources, she is now ready to have a child with her husband, TV personality Mark Wright. According to rumors, Michelle Keegan has given her husband a 12-month window in which to start a family, so she can juggle both being a mom and a film career.
Vicky Pattison
Vicky Pattison is a hugely famous TV personality and reality TV star in the UK, having appeared on many shows such as Geordie Shore I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! She now has a permanent role as a host on the talk show, Loose Women. In 2017, she became engaged to her partner, John Noble. Even though the star has previously talked about how she doesn't want children, she recently admitted her opinion is changing...
In her own words, she stated, "I’m starting to feel slightly less against the idea of children. I have spoken openly in the past about never having children, but I think that was the stage of life I was at." This suggests that babies are on her mind, and we can expect at least one in the near future.
Lisa Riley
Lisa Riley is another huge name in the UK, and she's gained fame as a TV actress, a reality star, and as a talk show host. Her most notable roles were in Emmerdale and You've Been Framed! Like Vicky Pattison, she is also a permanent host on Loose Women. She used to be very against the idea of having children, saying, “I used to think I was too selfish to have a child, but I am not selfish anymore."
She elaborated, saying that her weight loss and her recent experiences are what made her rethink her stance against motherhood, “You realize caring for someone is more important than anything. In other relationships, I know I didn’t truly care about them or them about me. It is a combination of my weight loss, a healthier lifestyle and finding the right person that has changed my mindset."
Eva Longoria
In 2015, Eva Longoria was very against having children, saying, "I just turned 40, so I have thought, 'Is time running out?' I should be thinking about [children], but I feel like my life is full. I don't feel like we are lacking because we don't have a baby. We are fulfilled. If there is anything else to come, it would be icing on the cake." This was just after getting together with her new man, Jose Baston. It seemed pretty clear that Eva Longoria was dismissive at the notion of having children.
But three years have passed, and now she's happily pregnant. All of those prior words went right out of the window, and Eva Longoria recently gushed, “I’m in the golden months right now. I’m full of energy, and the hard part of the first trimester is over.” Not bad for a woman in her 40s!
Sources: hollywoodlife.com, huffingtonpost.ca, dailymail.co.uk
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