Jennifer Aniston spoke for the first time about trying to get pregnant in an interview with Allure magazine ‘s December issue published on November 10. “It was really hard. I went through IVF, drank Chinese tea. I tried so hard… but the opportunity passed.”
Now, at 53, the actress has stopped trying to have children. “It’s over. I have no regrets. I don’t ask myself, ‘Can I do it? Maybe I can…’. I don’t have to think about it anymore.”
Social expectations of femininity
The Friends star , one of the highest-paid TV actresses in the world, has always been a role model for the feminine ideal, according to The Guardian .
When Friends first premiered, an American journalist described Aniston’s appeal as her perfect hair and confidence.
“Aniston knows and everyone knows she knows, the actress has great hair.”
At that time, Aniston’s hair was not too long, not too short, not too blonde, not too dark, the perfect hairstyle for women in the late 20th century.
But it’s also important that the actress is aware of her own beauty. She’s feminine, independent and full of confidence, something many girls aspire to, according to journalist and author Zoe Williams.
When Aniston got engaged to Brad Pitt, the perfect man of the late 20th century, in 1999, news sites and newspapers around the world were obsessed with the actress’s body.
“People say it must be the most amazing body in the world, so she can marry such a perfect man. Aniston’s life becomes a guide, an ideal for many people,” Williams said.
Before the wedding, it was rumored that the actress was hitting the gym from 9am to 5pm, working out so hard that she had no time for anything else. Other rumors suggested that Aniston was so determined to stay in shape that she even advised women to try to fit into tight pants to keep a man.
“If you can map out societal expectations of femininity, Aniston is nearly perfect, from her hair to her body, from her family to the man she marries. It’s no surprise that her fertility has also become a public obsession,” Williams said.
Rude speculation
In the late 1990s, being a woman was almost synonymous with being able to reproduce. That was rooted in cultural anxiety around women’s liberation.
The debate about women not being able to “have it all” arises amid questions from many: What if women focus too much on their careers and leave work too late to have children?
The concern continues into the 21st century. Aniston has been criticized for not having children because she is too busy with her acting career.
Sharing with The Hollywood Reporter , the actress said the persistent rumors made her uncomfortable and hurt.
“They didn’t know what was going on with me personally or the medical issues, why I couldn’t… Could I have children? They had no idea. It was really painful and horrible.”
Nosy and speculating about someone’s pregnancy can be risky and rude. It can be a painful and upsetting subject for those who want to have children but are infertile. It’s also a private matter that some celebrities are loath to share or confirm.
Like many women undergoing infertility treatment, it’s no surprise that Aniston wanted to keep her IVF process private.
“I spent so many years protecting my IVF story. I tried to protect these things because I felt I had so little privacy. But now I find myself coming out of hibernation. I have nothing to hide.”
