Jennifer Aniston Explains Why She's Never Wanted to Adopt Children: 'Selfish Or Not'

During an appearance on Armchair Expert podcast -- which People got early access to via Wondery+ -- The Morning Show actress opened up about her thoughts on the path after co-host Monica Padman discussed her experience freezing eggs.

According to the publication, Padman was unsure whether she wanted to have children while noting, "maybe it's okay that I don't," before asking Aniston if she has found "peace" being on the other side of that.

"It's so peaceful," Aniston replied.

"But I will say there's a point where it's like out of my control. There's literally nothing I can do about it."

"When people say, 'But you can adopt,' I don't want to adopt," she continued. "I want my own DNA in a little person. That's the only way, selfish or not, whatever that is, I've wanted it."

Aniston added that there have been moments where she has met someone and thinks they "would have made some good kids." However, it's a thought that will "pass within three seconds."

The Friends star said it's something that becomes romanticized now that she is "on the other side of it because it's out of your control."

"It just wasn't in the plan, whatever the plan was," she said, adding later that "it's very emotional, especially in the moment when they say 'that's it,' because there is a weird moment when that happens."

The fact that Aniston doesn't have children is a constant narrative in the media.

She looked back on the rumors spread online and through the media with Harper’s Bazaar, saying: "They didn't know my story, or what I'd been going through over the past 20 years to try to pursue a family, because I don't go out there and tell them my medical woes."

"That's not anybody's business," she explained to the publication.

"But there comes a point when you can't not hear it – the narrative about how I won't have a baby, won't have a family, because I'm selfish, a workaholic. It does affect me – I'm just a human being," she added. "We're all human beings. That's why I thought, 'What the hell?'"

Back in 2022, Aniston spoke about her quiet struggles in a cover story with Allure, where she recalled trying to get pregnant through IVF as the world speculated her journey to motherhood.

"I was trying to get pregnant. It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road," she said.

"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. I would've given anything if someone had said to me, 'Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.' You just don't think [about] it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed."