Let’s just start by saying that this is by no means a new phenomenon. Women have fallen into this category by circumstances or by choice since time began. But famous women, now that is something else… we own them and we all have an opinion.
Many of our contemporaries in the spotlight are making a choice not to have children and are very vocal about it. When asked, Helen Mirren has freely admitted that she has no maternal instinct at all. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi believe that you have to genuinely want kids to do it properly and neither of them did. This trail was blazed by the likes of Katherine Hepburn and Betty White who both admit to being way too selfish to have children.
Stevie Nicks, Debbie Harry and Christine McVie chose a long music career instead, noting the road trips would have been impossible with a child in toe. Gloria Gaynor had no children either. “I will survive” — and she did. But, showbiz waits for no one and many starlets missed their chance. Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner and Marilyn all died without having a child of their own. Many girls in the spot light were and still are, happy to marry a man with a ready-made family. Ann-Margaret and more lately, Dianne Sawyer married and instantly became a step mum to 3.
Celebs these days have taken issue with the starving children in the world and quote this as their reason for not birthing themselves. Ashley Judd once come out and said “It’s unconscionable to breed with so many children hungry on the planet”. Josephine Baker, an actress and civil rights leader, adopted many children and called them her “Rainbow Tribe”.
So many celebrities adopt and they all have different reasons for doing this too. Charlize Theron, Katherine Heigl, Sharon Stone, Sheryl Crow are a few names that spring to mind. Maybe they want to have a child but can’t seem to get a break in their work load. Maybe they haven’t got a partner in their life or maybe they just aren’t able to conceive. Debra-Lee Furness (Mrs Hugh Jackman) had two miscarriages before they decided to adopt.
There are many sad stories like Debra-Lee’s. Fran Drescher had uterine cancer and is unable to conceive, Liza Minnelli was pregnant once but never had any children and Oprah Winfrey was abused as a child and became pregnant at 14 years of age. She gave birth prematurely and the baby died. She has jokingly said that her children would hate her for being so busy all the time and would end up on a rival talk show, winging about their mother.
Whether these women chose to remain childless or the decision was made for them, we can appreciate the achievements of these individuals. Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer and founder of a global company. She was credited with freeing women from the corsets that had had them imprisoned for hundreds of years.
Amelia Earhart was a gutsy aviation pioneer who took great risks in order to break records and becoming a role model for her generation. Margot Fonteyn and Anna Pavlova were prima ballerinas who travelled the world entertaining crowds and setting the high standards of ballet we see today.
Other women who may have sacrificed their private happiness for their profession are the likes of Florence Nightingale. She dedicated her life to the improvement of healthcare for Army personnel and civilians alike. She popularised nursing to make it the noble profession it is today. Dian Fossey was an anthropologist and zoologist who undertook a comprehensive and sometimes dangerous study into gorillas. She lived amongst them for 18 years of her life. (That is sort of like having a child.)
Many female authors may not have been able to write the masterpieces we enjoy today had it not been for the mental anguish and struggle that goes with not taking a “normal” path for a female. Ladies like Louisa May Alcott (Little Women), Jane Austin (Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park and many, many more), Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) and let us not forget Beatrix Potter and her Peter Rabbit.
One of the most famous of all “Babes without Babes” is of course the” Virgin Queen”, Elizabeth I of England. She successfully ruled her kingdom for nearly 50 years and left it in a much better state then than when she started. She truly loved her subjects and often referred to them as her children.
Do women really have to give birth?
Have your say!