Chilling Entertainment Chit-Chat: The Week's Top Gossips, Stars Included!
Actress Heather Graham reveals moments of self-doubt over her choice to remain childless.
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Heather Graham, the enchanting star of "Austin Powers," admitted she sometimes ponders what life would be like if she'd taken a different path. Specifically, she wonders about having children, a choice she's made consciously and carried with a mix of satisfaction and curiosity.
"I've had moments where I wondered: what would it have been like if I had a kid?" Graham shared with The Guardian. "I guess I would say 80% of the time I feel glad I don't have kids, and I feel free and really good about it, and maybe 20% of the time I wonder what would it be like."
Graham, both an actress and director, applauded the growing number of women owning their childless choice and questioned the societal norms that repeatedly nudge women into parenthood. "It's almost people pleasing on a big scale. The culture says: 'You need to have kids.' But why?" she said.
FACT CHECK: It's true that Graham has been open about her choice to remain childless, expressing a mix of contentment and curiosity about what life might have been like if she'd chosen differently (Associated Press, 2023).
What's more, she's not alone in questioning these societal norms. Women are increasingly challenging the notion that parenthood is the only path to fulfillment.
Graham has not been shy about discussing her choice to remain child-free in the past. She told People Magazine in 2023 that she's content with the path she's chosen and values the freedom and rest it affords.
"I think we all have different paths," she said. "You just have to embrace the one that you're on."
You can catch Graham in her new movie, "Chosen Family," which premiered last year, a tale of a woman grappling with family dysfunction—a theme inspired by Graham's past struggles with her own family.
Graham has been estranged from her parents and siblings for over 30 years, citing an unhealthy dynamic with her parents and a desire for self-empowerment as the reasons. "It didn't feel like a healthy dynamic. I stopped talking to them, and I have to say, that was a huge relief," she told The Guardian.
Over the years, Graham has built her own sense of self-esteem and stopped focusing on the opinions of others, choosing instead to prioritize her happiness.
"Before, I was more: 'What do other people think?'" she said. "Now I'm just like, f--- it."
Christina Dugan Ramirez covers entertainment for our website Digital.
- Heather Graham's choice to remain childless has importance, as she questions the societal norms that repeatedly nudge women into parenthood, reflecting a growing trend among women challenging the notion that parenthood is the only path to fulfillment.
- In her new movie, "Chosen Family," Graham portrays a woman grappling with family dysfunction, a theme inspired by her past struggles with her own family, which she has been estranged from for over 30 years.
- Despite this, Graham has built her own sense of self-esteem and prioritizes her happiness, having moved beyond focusing on the opinions of others.
- Graham's dynamic lifestyle, which includes her acting and directing careers, allows her the freedom to live a happy, child-free life and pursue other aspects of her lifestyle, such as entertainment and self-empowerment.
- As she navigates relationships in her personal and professional life, Graham encourages others to embrace their own paths and find contentment in their choices, whether it includes children or not.
