Laverne Cox Candidly Shared Why She’s Chosen Not to Have Kids
"I'm doing the work of reparenting my inner child."
Laverne Cox wants to make it clear that while she fully supports those around her who are bringing children into the world, it’s not something she envisions happening for herself. In a candid Instagram text post, the Promising Young Woman star opened up about this decision with beautiful words about the “most important job” in the world of being a parent but ultimately said it’s not a job that’s for her.
“I see so many friends and colleagues becoming parents. I’m so happy for all of you. I’m even happier for me, ecstatic even that I am NOT becoming a parent ever, never ever. The thought brings me so much joy!” she wrote on Instagram on August 24th. She went on to call raising children the “most important job on the planet” and added, “I’m enjoying watching you from a distance.”
Cox’s reasoning for her decision, though, is perhaps the most touching part of the post. She closed her statement by writing, “I’m doing the work of reparenting my inner child. That’s more than enough work.” She also poignantly added the caption, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”
The conversation surrounding women choosing not to have kids has been going on since the dawn of time (at least it feels like it), but too many of them are still criticized for making the choice to remain childless. However, more and more of them are being vocal about the topic and defending their right to make that call.
Allison Janney touched on this topic back in April, saying on The Drew Barrymore Show, “I would rather regret not having kids than have kids and regret it.” She also said that throughout her life, she wasn’t confident that she really wanted kids, leading her to make the choice to just not do it. And though the 61-year-old actress hopes to spend her days with a partner, she’s content with it only being the two of them and no one else.
Whether or not a woman (or anyone) wants to have kids should be left to them and not be up for debate by the public—and this includes celebrities who are always under the watchful eye of critics. For Cox to boldly say that she doesn’t want to have kids because she wants to focus on being a parental figure for herself is a wonderful message that people need to hear. We’ll always champion anyone who makes this choice, because it’s totally fine to want to live your life child-free if that’s what you decide.
