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Jennifer Aniston -

Jennifer Aniston has always been seen as the independent career woman who didn't want or need kids in her life. Some even labeled her selfish, as is often the case with women who choose not to have children. After decades of this narrative, the 53-year-old actress finally spoke out on the incredibly private topic of fertility. In an interview with Allure published on November 9, 2022, Aniston revealed that she actually was trying to have children for years but struggled to become pregnant. She shared how difficult it was to see speculations about whether or not she was pregnant during her marriages to Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux, all the while she was struggling with fertility issues. 

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Jennifer Aniston -

"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 it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed.” Despite the difficult journey, which ultimately did not lead to motherhood, Aniston says she has no regrets. In fact, there is some relief in putting that stage of life behind her.

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Kourtney Kardashian -

The 43-year-old star underwent IVF to have her fourth child, this time with husband Travis Barker, but it wasn't an easy experience so far. She addressed the struggles in an episode of the family's new reality show, 'The Kardashians.' Speaking to her mother, Kris Jenner, Kardashian admitted that she doesn't feel like the medication is working. In fact, she feels like it's having the opposite effect, in addition to making her feel "super moody and hormonal." She also expressed how difficult it is to deal with the online commentary: "Every single person on social media is like, 'Kourtney's pregnant,' 'Kourtney's gained so much weight.' It's so rude to comment on people when you have no idea what they're actually going through." She revealed that the medication and overall situation had put her into a bit of a depression. Kardashian gave birth to baby Rocky at the end of 2023. 

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Chrissy Teigen -

Over a year after her traumatic pre-term pregnancy loss, Chrissy Teigen revealed that she was undergoing IVF again. She and John Legend have been quite open about their struggles, even sharing photos from the fateful October 2020 loss of their son Jack. “I humbly beg you to stop asking if I’m pregnant because while I know it’s said with excited, good intentions, it just kind of sucks to hear because I am the opposite of pregnant!” she wrote. Eventually, Teigen became pregnant and gave birth to their daughter Esti in 2023. Six months later, they welcomed their son Wren by surrogacy. 

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Chrissy Teigen -

Teigen and her husband John Legend had real problems before they even had daughter Luna and son Miles through IVF treatments. In 2015, she opened up about how upsetting the experience had been and how she and John would have had children five or six years prior if it had happened for them.

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Brittany Daniel -

The actress is known for starring in the '90s tv show 'Sweet Valley High' alongside her twin sister, Cynthia Daniel. Brittany underwent a difficult battle with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and was told she may never be able to have children on her own. This is when her sister Cynthia stepped in and offered to donate her eggs to her sister. "I saw it as such a simple gift I could give to her," Cynthia said. "I know Brittany would do it in a split second for me. And we've always shared everything, so why not this?" Brittany and her husband gave birth to their daughter Hope in October of 2021.

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Rebel Wilson -

On May 2, 2021, comedic actress Rebel Wilson took a more serious turn on Instagram to share a candid update on her fertility struggles. "I got some bad news today and didn't have anyone to share it with...but I guess I gotta tell someone," she explained. "To all the women out there struggling with fertility, I feel ya. The universe works in mysterious ways and sometimes it all doesn't make sense...but I hope there's light about to shine through all the dark clouds." In December 2020, the actress had shared that she made the decision to freeze her eggs. In 2022, Wilson had a daughter born via surrogacy. 

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Halsey - In 2021, the singer shared photos of their baby bump, highlighting the scars from multiple surgeries to treat endometriosis. Halsey has been open about freezing her eggs at age 23 due to her endometriosis, and also about a miscarriage she suffered in 2016.

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Mandy Moore -

The actress told Romper that she had been trying to conceive for years and was ready to go into surgery to fix her uterus. Luckily, just before the surgery, Moore started ovulating again, but she was told pregnancy was still unlikely. Now, she has welcomed two children. 

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Gabrielle Union -

Actress Gabrielle Union wrote in her 2017 book that she had had eight or nine miscarriages, and in August 2018 she announced she had been diagnosed with adenomyosis.

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Gabrielle Union -

Union, who didn't want children until she became a stepmom, told People that, for her, the hardest thing is all the questions that people feel they have to ask. 

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Kim Kardashian -

Kim Kardashian, who is now a mother of four, revealed in 2015 that she started to have issues after her first child, North West, was born in 2013.

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Kim Kardashian -

The model and businesswoman spoke about having a condition called placenta accreta, for which she had to undergo surgery to correct. At one point she had to visit the doctor everyday at 5 am.

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Nicole Kidman -

Actress Nicole Kidman has struggled with infertility for many years. When she was married to Tom Cruise the pair decided to adopt kids Isabella and Connor.

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Nicole Kidman -

With husband Keith Urban, she gave birth naturally to daughter Sunday Rose, but after that she struggled again and the couple decided to use a surrogate for their second daughter, Faith.

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Emma Thompson -

Following a miscarriage, actress Emma Thompson gave birth to her first child, Gaia, at age 40 via IVF. She was unable to conceive again after this, which apparently sent her into a clinical depression.

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Emma Thompson -

In 2003, Thompson and her husband informally adopted a former Rwandan child soldier, and in 2010 she spoke about how there may not have been space for him if she'd had another child.

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Mariah Carey -

In 2011, singer Mariah Carey told Barbara Walters that after suffering a miscarriage in 2008 she used fertility treatments and acupuncture to become pregnant with twins.

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Mariah Carey -

For Carey, who is now the proud mother of twins Moroccan and Monroe, the most difficult thing was having to go on progesterone every month.

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Sarah Jessica Parker -

The 'Sex and the City' frontwoman Sarah Jessica Parker has three children: James, who was born in 2002, and twins, Marion and Tabitha, who were born via surrogacy in 2009.

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Sarah Jessica Parker -

In 2010, SJP told Vogue that having a child via surrogacy was "so different, and equally extraordinary." 

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Courteney Cox -

In 2003, 'Friends' actress Courteney Cox told People that she and her husband David Arquette had had quite a few miscarriages before conceiving their daughter via IVF.

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Courteney Cox -

Apparently the couple would "bounce back pretty quickly" after each miscarriage, but also found that the first round of IVF was "nerve-wracking."

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Michelle Obama -

Both the Obamas' daughters, Malia and Sasha, were born via IVF. In a 2018 special with 'Good Morning America' Michelle talked about how she decided that was the best way forward since she was in her 30s. 

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Michelle Obama -

The former First Lady spoke about how after a miscarriage she felt like she'd failed and how important it is to talk about the experience, especially since it's so common.

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Tyra Banks -

In 2015, Tyra Banks told fellow model Chrissy Teigen that she put off having children for years, only to find that when she started trying it wasn't as easy as she'd expected.

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Tyra Banks -

She told People that before she had her son, York, via gestational surrogate in 2016, she had had some attempts at IVF, some  of which were "traumatic."

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Christie Brinkley -

In 1998, supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley spoke in interview about the miscarriages she had suffered. She told 'Good Housekeeping' how the second one was especially difficult.

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Christie Brinkley -

Brinkley described how her second miscarriage was "really devastating" and how the experience made her and then-husband Peter Cook opt for IVF the next time.

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Sharon Osbourne -

In her autobiography 'Extreme, Survivor' Sharon Osborne revealed that she and husband Ozzy Osbourne tried for a fourth child after their son Jack was born, but sadly they had no luck.

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Sharon Osbourne -

It was complications from a stomach infection that made Osbourne unable to carry a fourth child, and although the couple tried IVF they found it so traumatic they stopped after one round.

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Nancy Juvonen -

Film producer Nancy Juvonen and her husband Jimmy Fallon are now proud parents to Winne Rose and Frances Cole, but before that they went through a five-year period of trying.

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Nancy Juvonen -

The power couple opened up about their experience during an interview and Juvonen emphasised that people struggling should never give up since parenting is so rewarding.

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Lena Dunham -

In an essay for the March 2018 edition of Vogue, actress and comedian Lena Dunham revealed that she had had a hysterectomy after years of dealing with endometriosis.

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Lena Dunham -

She described how she had always wanted to become pregnant and felt she was right for the job, but also how after the hysterectomy she felt free to explore other options.

Sources: (People)(Marie Claire) (Romper)

See also: Celebs open up about their struggles with endometriosis

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