Jennifer Aniston has opened up about the unfair pressure put on her to have children, with the actress claiming that you don't necessarily need to have a child of your own to "mother" something, or someone.
The Cake actress' personal life, particularly her laidback attitude towards having children, has always been the topic of much public debate, and when Jen got engaged to fiance Justin Theroux in 2012, the scrutiny only intensified.
"I don't like [the pressure] that people put on me, on women -- that you've failed yourself as a female because you haven't procreated. I don't think it's fair," the former Friends star told Allure magazine's January 2015 issue. "You may not have a child come out of your vagina, but that doesn't mean you aren't mothering -- dogs, friends, friends' children. This continually is said about me: that I was so career-driven and focused on myself; that I don't want to be a mother, and how selfish is that."
Scrutiny over Jen's decision to not have children has stepped up once the actress became engaged to Justin Theroux in 2012 (FameFlynet)
It was clear that the subject is something that deeply upsets the 45-year-old as she went on to admit, "Even saying it gets me a little tight in my throat." Discussion of the issue came up while Jen was discussing the topic of inequality while promoting her new movie, Cake, a film which sees Aniston play a woman suffering from chronic pain and hallucinations following an accident. The role saw the star undergo a physical transformation, ditching make-up, shaving and looking in mirrors. Her performance has already earned the star a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
"A woman going physically unattractive is where you get recognition and some sort of respect. You read things like, 'Oh, finally, she's acting!'" she said, before adding, "Quite sexist, to be honest, because men don't get that." When it comes to feminism, the star told Allure that people often "overcomplicate" the ideology. "It's simply believing in equality between men and women. Pretty basic."
