generic 20 Celebrities Who Have Shared Their Personal Struggles With Fertility
The Office on Women's Health notes that around one in 10 women in the US from the ages of 15 to 44 experience obstacles in becoming or staying pregnant, via the CDC. Although it's a common issue, there's still a stigma surrounding this topic. Public figures sharing their personal trials with infertility is one way the taboo of discussing the subject can be broken. Here are 20 celebrities who have opened up candidly about their experiences with fertility problems.
1.Alicia Vikander.
Alicia welcomed a child with her husband, Michael Fassbender, in 2021. The Tomb Raider star recently talked to the Sunday Times about giving birth, which she said occurred following a past miscarriage that was "so extreme, painful to go through."
"We have a child now, but it took us time," Alicia said.
In 2016, Alicia and Michael starred together in The Light Between Oceans, in which their characters are a couple who is faced with numerous miscarriages.
"That film has another meaning now," Alicia added.
2.Kim Kardashian.
Kim spoke to C Magazine in 2015, People reported, about her struggles with fertility. The reality TV star and businessperson detailed the "long road" to her and her ex-husband, Kanye West, conceiving again after the birth of their first child, North.
“I had so many complications. I had this condition called placenta accreta. There were a couple little operations to fix all that, so that created a little hole in my uterus, which I think made it really tough to get pregnant again,” Kim said.
In 2019, Kim revealed in a SKIMS promo that she "had to have five different operations" following the birth of her second child. She then chose to have two more children via surrogacy.
"I asked my doctors, 'Can I do it one more time?' and they were like, 'We won't even put an embryo in you, that would be like, malpractice,'" Kim said. "And I opted to have a surrogate to use the last — two different surrogates — to use the last two embryos that we had."
3.Gabrielle Union.
In 2021, Time published an excerpt from Gabrielle's book, You Got Anything Stronger?, which shared her history of fertility problems. The Cheaper By The Dozen star was told by her doctor that having a baby via surrogate would be her best option following difficulties with conceiving.
"I had been through an adenomyosis diagnosis and more miscarriages than I could confidently count, and all I could do was nod. I was not ready to do [surrogacy]. I wanted the experience of being pregnant," Gabrielle wrote.
The actor went on to say that she continued with "more IVF cycles and losses" for a year. Eventually, Gabrielle contemplated taking Lupron, which she said can have "intense" side effects.
"Near the end of that year — that hopeful and hopeless year — I had a new plan to take Lupron, which basically quiets the adenomyosis. Dr. Baek told me I would have a 30% chance of bringing a baby to term," Gabrielle said. "But the side effects of Lupron can be intense: you’re basically throwing your body into early menopause and you can break bones very easily."
Gabrielle's husband, Dwayne Wade, then told her, "'As much as we want this baby, I want you... We’ve lost too much in our relationship for me to be okay with encouraging you to do one more thing to your body and your soul,'" Gabrielle wrote.
She and Dwayne later welcomed a daughter, Kaavia James, via surrogate in 2018.
4.Tyra Banks.
In 2015, Tyra and fellow FABLife panelist, Chrissy Teigen, discussed being questioned about not having children. The model and host expressed her frustration in constantly facing these inquiries from fans on social media.
"I'm so tired of seeing on my social media, 'Why don't you have kids? Why don't you have kids?' You don't know," Tyra said. "You don't know what I'm going through."
Tyra, who later welcomed a son, York, via surrogate in 2016, then described the arduous process of undergoing painful IVF treatments.
"And, you know, putting needles in your tummy every day and having to come to work and smile when you feel like you want to throw up and lay down ... I can't believe I'm saying this right now," Tyra said, per E! News.
"Working women ... have respect for that working woman that might not want a child now, and let's not attack each other and feel like, 'Oh, you're doing that but you need to do this,' and just remember, you never, ever know what somebody is going through. Okay?" she concluded.
5.Nancy Juvonen and Jimmy Fallon.
Jimmy and his wife, Nancy, opened up about their fertility struggles in a 2020 episode of The Tonight Show. The couple always knew they wanted to have children, but it took them "five years of really, really, really, really, really deciding not to give up," Nancy explained, before having their two daughters.
“At a certain point it had to become almost like a job because it’s way too emotional to live...through that,” Nancy said. “So you just keep going and going and going, and if you really want something, you just make it happen. And you have all of these things where you go, ‘Yeah, but I would never do that. Yes, but I would never do that, ...’ Then, all of a sudden, you’re like, ‘Hey, I’ll do that. If it’s for my family, I’ll do anything.’”
Jimmy described the process as "crazy" and said "at one point, it was just shots and things and drinking weird teas" as he and Nancy tried to conceive. Nancy also encouraged others going through fertility problems to remain hopeful in their journey.
“I think if anyone’s out there having the dream, do not give up,” Nancy added. “Because I realized, too, that unlike even becoming a multibillionaire, you can stumble upon a lottery ticket and win it and win the lottery, but you will not ever stumble upon a child that you can love and have as your family. So don’t give up.”
6.Mariah Carey.
While being interviewed with her then-husband, Nick Cannon, by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters in 2011, Mariah revealed she had previously suffered a miscarriage. As a result, she underwent fertility treatments in order to get pregnant. This led to the singer-songwriter giving birth to her two children, twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom she shares with Nick.
“The main thing I did that was tough, was to go on progesterone like every month … and then when I was pregnant, I had to stay with the progesterone for 10 weeks,” Mariah said, per The Washington Post. “It minimizes the chance of miscarriage by 50 percent.”
7.Brooke Shields.
Brooke has been open in the past about her difficulties with becoming pregnant before having her two daughters. In 2005, according to NY Metro Parents, she stated that she "never thought [she] would have problems" having children with her husband, Chris Henchy, but the couple endured setbacks while trying to conceive.
“After a while, when you’re not successful, you start to associate the word ‘failure’ every time you pee on a stick and it doesn’t come out the right color," Brooke said. "What starts out as a dream becomes a project that’s all-consuming — everywhere you look, women are pregnant, and every song on the radio seems like it’s all about being pregnant! It becomes a very frustrating, frightening place.”
The model and actor advised people going through similar issues to be vocal about their experiences and not feel shame over fertility problems.
“The quicker you can get past the taboo of it, the faster you can ask the questions you need to ask," Brooke added.
8.Angela Bassett.
When Angela and her husband, Courtney B. Vance, were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2007, they stated that they had tried unsuccessfully to conceive for seven years while using fertility treatments. Angela explained that she stayed optimistic, and the couple later decided to have their two children, twins Bronwyn and Slater, via surrogacy.
"I was devastated when it didn't happen [again and again]," Angela said. "I had to remain hopeful and resilient and, 'Okay, let's do it again.'"
9.Michelle Obama.
Michelle told the broadcaster, Robin Roberts, in a 2018 Good Morning America interview that she initially felt shameful when she'd experienced a miscarriage about 20 years prior.
“I felt like I failed because I didn't know how common miscarriages were because we don't talk about them,” Michelle said. “We sit in our own pain, thinking that somehow we’re broken ... That's one of the reasons why I think it's important to talk to young mothers about the fact that miscarriages happen."
The former First Lady said she went through IVF treatment in order to have her two daughters, Malia and Sasha, with Barack Obama. She further wrote about her fertility problems in her book, Becoming.
“I think it's the worst thing that we do to each other as women, not share the truth about our bodies and how they work," Michelle added.
10.Halsey.
Before giving birth in 2021, Halsey experienced numerous miscarriages in the past, they revealed in a 2022 essay for Vogue.
"I miscarried three times before my 24th birthday," Halsey wrote. "It seemed a cruel irony that I could get pregnant with ease but struggled to maintain a pregnancy."
“Aftercare” was warranted after one of these miscarriages, Halsey explained, which meant they needed an abortion, as they were "desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening [their] life."
The artist also shared that she "shed a single tear in the exhaustion of post-labor" following giving birth to her son, Ender, whom she shares with her boyfriend, Alev Aydin. This, Halsey explained, was "a tear of happiness" while reflecting on their journey to parenthood.
"My life’s long chapter of miscarriages and abortions was reduced to a page in that moment. It was simply divided into 'before' this moment and all things that would come after it," Halsey said. "Years of blood and pain and misery from near-perilous and unwanted pregnancies, then the euphoria of chosen motherhood."
11.Jaime King.
Jaime was diagnosed with adenomyosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and endometriosis and told by medical professionals that she would never be able to have children at the age of 26. Before eventually getting pregnant with her first child, James Knight, in 2013, the actor suffered five miscarriages and underwent more than 60 intrauterine inseminations and five rounds of IVF.
"It was awful," Jamie told E! News in 2022. "It was humiliating. It was painful. It made me feel like something was broken in me. I think that women are taught that somehow our capacity to be able to give birth and carry a child is the only reason why we're here."
The Hart of Dixie actor described the instant she realized she'd be able to welcome her son following her long stretch of fertility problems.
"It was the middle of the night and he was awake, and like kicking, kicking, kicking, kicking," Jaime said. "And I'll never forget that moment. I was like, 'Oh, this baby boy is coming and it's going to be magical.' And it is."
Jaime and her husband, Kyle Newman, additionally welcomed a second son, Leo Thames, in 2015.
12.Beyoncé.
In her 2013 documentary, Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream, Beyoncé revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage before having her first child, Blue Ivy, with Jay-Z. She appeared on Oprah's Next Chapter that same year and explained why she decided to publicly open up about her fertility journey.
"I felt like there are so many couples that go through that, and it was a big part of my story," Beyoncé said. "It was one of the hardest things I've been through."
"It's one of the reasons I did not share I was pregnant the second time because you don't know what's going to happen," she added. "So many people go through it, and in the end, I have my daughter. And there is hope ... I feel so fortunate."
13.Anne Hathaway.
In 2022, Anne told WSJ Magazine she and her husband, Adam Shulman, might consider having more children before adding that giving birth has consisted of a "complicated" path. The WeCrashed star, who has two children with Adam, noted that speaking with others who have similarly gone through fertility issues has assisted her in handling personal grief.
"There's this tendency to portray getting pregnant, having kids, in one light, as if it’s all positive. But I know from my own experience… it's so much more complicated than that," Anne said. "And when you find out that your pain is shared by others… I just feel that’s helpful information to have, so I’m not isolated in my pain."
"I mean, what is there to be ashamed of? This is grief, and that’s a part of life," Anne added.
14.Nicole Kidman.
Nicole said on 60 Minutes Australia in 2011, per Marie Claire, that she'd had a "rollercoaster" fertility experience. This led her and her husband, Keith Urban, to have their second together child via surrogate. The Oscar winner was candid in her comments about the impact fertility issues can have on those desiring to expand their family.
"Anyone that's been in the place of wanting another child or wanting a child knows the disappointment, the pain, and the loss that you go through trying and struggling with fertility," Nicole said. "Fertility is such a big thing, and it's not something I've ever run away from talking about."
15.Maria Menounos.
Maria spoke about her journey of trying to have children with her husband, Keven Undergaro, in early 2022. The decision to explore surrogacy emerged following Maria undergoing IVF treatments, which she first began ten years ago.
"I definitely didn't think it was going to take this long. It's been years. We've used different services, different people," Maria told People about the couple's surrogacy experience. "It's just been a very frustrating process."
The TV personality added that she and Keven have found a surrogate after a years-long process, which she called "super costly" and "super emotionally taxing."
"Hopefully all will be well and we'll get two little brats that I will tell every day, 'You have no idea what we went through to bring you here! You better do great things in this world,'" Maria said.
16.Rebel Wilson.
In 2021, Rebel opened up about her fertility struggles in an Instagram post. The actor had previously revealed in 2020 that she'd begun to freeze her eggs and make healthy lifestyle changes to improve her chances of being able to have children.
"I got some bad news today and didn’t have anyone to share it with... but I guess I gotta tell someone. To all the women out there struggling with fertility, I feel ya," Rebel said.
"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," she added.
17.Celine Dion.
"It's life, you know? A lot of people go through this, but it's not being told," Celine said on The Oprah Winfrey Show in February 2010 of a past miscarriage she went through.
She further commented on trying to have another child with her late partner, René Angélil, and how she felt following several unsuccessful attempts to conceive.
"We didn't want to feel like we were playing yo-yo. 'I'm pregnant. I'm not pregnant. I'm pregnant. I'm not pregnant,'" Celine said. "So, we didn't want to do this thing. But we did [have] a miscarriage. We tried four times to have a child. We're still trying. We're on the fifth try. And I tell you, if five is my lucky number, this fifth try has got to come in."
Celine underwent six rounds of IVF before welcoming twin boys in October 2010.
18.Tamron Hall.
The broadcast journalist and TV host spoke to Allure in 2019 about her personal issues with fertility. Tamron stated that she underwent painful treatments in order to be able to eventually give birth to her son, Moses, whom she shares with her husband, Steven Greener.
"When I was traveling, I was afraid to give myself the injections. It was very painful and I couldn't work up the nerve... It's brutal," Tamron said.
"I'm fortunate to be able to have this procedure and access, but the pain is real," she added. "You don't want to be ungrateful, you don't want to minimize what chance you have right now that someone else would beg for. Even though I was grateful and this was an opportunity I had, it still hurt. I'm still bleeding."
After becoming pregnant with Moses, Tamron was "terrified" of losing her baby, so she waited to publicly reveal she was expecting until 32 weeks into the pregnancy. She later reflected on how everything she'd gone through, including infertility and being let go from herToday Show role in 2017, had set her up for a positive ending.
"I’m from the South, and there’s a saying: 'It's not a setback; it’s a setup for something else,'" Tamron said to People in 2019. "That loss set me up for, yes, a dream job but also my baby, my husband, my family. I just couldn’t see it coming."
19.Courteney Cox.
In 2019, Courteney visited Busy Tonight and revealed her complications with becoming pregnant prior to having her daughter, Coco, with her ex-husband, David Arquette. This inspired her to make the docuseries, 9 Months with Courteney Cox, which follows the pregnancies of various couples.
"I like real human stories and, yes, I had a difficult time," Courteney said of her path to having a child, USA Today reported. "I had a lot of miscarriages, and I don't think that's something that people shouldn't talk about, because ... it was unfortunate, but it happens."
20.Chrissy Teigen.
Chrissy has consistently been candid about infertility, including when she said it was "devastating" after using IVF didn't result in a pregnancy for her and her husband, John Legend, on the initial try.
"You hear stories about IVF working the first try. But you’ll hear a lot more stories about when it takes a few times,” Chrissy told The Cut in 2018. “Ours didn’t work the first time, and it was devastating. You realize that a lot of it is luck, and you can’t blame things on yourself."
Listening to the personal accounts of others who have also undergone IVF treatment put things into perspective for the TV personality, whose two children, Luna and Miles, were both conceived through IVF.
"I think hearing stories is just really important. You realize there’s no right way to do it, or right way to react," Chrissy said.
