Jennifer Aniston has been speaking publicly about the fact that she doesn’t have children, and for the most part, she’s been applauded for her candor and honesty.
But some of her remarks have received blowback from folks who believe that the Friends star may have unintentionally disparaged the practice of adoption.
The backlash stems from comments Aniston made during a recent appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast.
Aniston opened up about her fertility journey, prompting co-host Monica Padman to ask why she never adopted kids.
Jen began by explaining that at 56, she feels that the “ship has sailed” and there’s a “peaceful” quality to her life.
“It’s so peaceful,” Aniston said. “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 was speaking only of her own personal preferences, but across the social media landscape, critics accused her of bashing adoption as a general practice.
“I sympathize with her because my mom also has infertility issues. That’s why they adopted me. Me not having their DNA doesn’t change anything about being a parent,” wrote one X user.
“Jennifer Aniston calling adoption ‘not for her’ because she only wants her ‘own DNA’ is brutally tone-deaf. Millions of kids need homes, but celebrity empathy apparently stops where genetics begin. Dressing that up as honesty doesn’t make it any less self‑absorbed,” another added.
Elsewhere on the podcast, Aniston says that she still finds herself thinking that certain romantic partners “would have made some good kids,” but she added that the sentiment will “pass within three seconds.”
“It just wasn’t in the plan, whatever the plan was,” she said, adding that “it’s very emotional, especially in the moment when they say ‘that’s it,’ because there is a weird moment when that happens.”
This is not the first time that Aniston has spoken abouyt these issues.
“Here I am today. The ship has sailed,” she said in a 2022 interview with Allure. “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.”
However, it’s the first time that Aniston has spoken publicly about her stance on adoption, and she’ll continue to receive some blowback for her comments.