Jennifer Aniston has been one of the most followed celebrities for the almost two decades following the premier of the hit television sitcom, Friends, and has remained in the eyes and minds of the media in recent years through ventures like her starring role in the Apple TV series, The Morning Show, and the foundation of her haircare brand, Lolavie. Now the widely sought-after and closely followed celeb sat down with Allure for a candid, tell-all interview where she opens up about her struggles with infertility, her fickle relationship with social media and the peace she’s found within herself after a life in the spotlight.
For years, the media was obsessed with whether or not Aniston was heading towards motherhood, and newspapers and magazines alike produced endless speculations about her supposed “baby bumps” or—on the flip side—her “selfish” devotion to her career that could be preventing her from having kids. In her recent chat with Allure, Aniston reveals that her relationship to motherhood was not as as simple as the media made it seem. “I was trying to get pregnant. It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road,” she shares, “All the years and years and years of speculation… It was really hard. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it,” she continues. “I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, ‘Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.’ You just don’t think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed.”
Aniston’s candid admissions shed light on an issue many women face throughout their child-bearing years but, like the actress herself, struggle to talk about in the moment. Despite the challenges that infertility posed on Aniston, the star goes on to explain that—on a lighter note—she has no regrets about her past. “I have zero regrets. I actually feel a little relief now because there is no more, ‘Can I? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.’ I don’t have to think about that anymore,” she explains. Aniston goes on to address the toxic idea that her “decision” to not have children was a negative reflection of her character: “The narrative was that I was just selfish,” she says. “I just cared about my career. And God forbid a woman is successful and doesn’t have a child. And the reason my husband left me, why we broke up and ended our marriage, was because I wouldn’t give him a kid. It was absolute lies. I don’t have anything to hide at this point.”
Despite all the ups and downs, Aniston assures readers that the journey was worth it: “If it wasn’t for going through that, I would’ve never become who I was meant to be.” After discussing at length the struggles she faced navigating social media and launching her haircare brand in the midst of an on-going pandemic, Aniston’s main takeaway is one that many of us could afford to digest ourselves. “We needed to stop saying bad shit to ourselves,” she exclaims. “You’re going to be 65 one day and think, I looked f*cking great at 53.” The star’s mindset is a healthy one, emphasizing the need to appreciate yourself in the moment instead of fearing for what’s next. “I feel the best in who I am today, better than I ever did in my 20s or 30s even, or my mid-40s,” she affirms.
As many of us know all too well, growing up and growing older is scary and filled with uncertainty and challenges—both physical and mental. But, Aniston is an incredible example of how your past—no matter how rocky—can shape your future for the better, and adopting a positive, loving mindset towards ourselves, our bodies and our experiences is something that even our most admired A-listers have to work on. Nevertheless, Aniston’s story shows one thing is true; living with no regrets and being authentically you is always worth it.
