As more and more celebrities begin to share their stories about infertility, couples struggling to conceive are reminded that they are not alone.
Infertility affects approximately one in six couples in the United States. Because infertility can be very personal and painful, many women are reluctant to openly share their stories about struggling to conceive. This can lead to profound feelings of loneliness and isolation during the very time when women need the most validation and support.
As such, there is real value created when women in the public eye share their infertility stories. Their openness about such a private issue brings the reality of infertility into the public consciousness, showing women around the country that it is not only acceptable, but often helpful, to talk about these kinds of issues.
Though nobody — celebrity or otherwise — is obligated to share their experience with infertility, those who feel comfortable doing so can help create a safe space in which women are able to both learn from and support each other. Whether in memoirs, during interviews, or on social media, these five celebrities have been forthright about their struggles with infertility.
- Gabrielle Union
The 46-year-old actress is candid about her struggle to conceive in her book, We’re Going to Need More Wine. She reveals that she had “eight or nine miscarriages” during a three-year period of trying to conceive.
“For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant,” she writes. “I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle.” A 2018 diagnosis of adenomyosis, a type of endometriosis, revealed the underlying cause of Union’s infertility. Union later used a Surrogate and her daughter Kaavia was born in 2018.
- Khloé Kardashian
The reality star and new mom struggled to conceive for years before giving birth to her daughter, True, in April 2018. As one of the stars of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, she has had to reckon with her infertility quite publicly over the years.
In one episode of her show, she visits a fertility specialist with her sister, Kim. During the appointment, the fertility specialist notes that Khloé’s uterus contains fewer follicles than expected for a woman her age.
- Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen gave birth to her daughter, Luna, in May 2018, but not before she and her husband, singer John Legend, struggled to conceive for over a year. In an interview with Self magazine, Teigen was open about her frustration with her infertility, noting, “I thought, ‘People get pregnant by accident all the time! How does this happen?’”
Ultimately, the couple ended up choosing to go through IVF. “Once we talked about IVF, it was like I heard everything,” Teigen says. “Some people who were close to us had done it, like, seven to ten times.” The support of these friends helped Teigen get through the difficult time.
- Nicole Kidman
The 51-year-old actress famously struggled to conceive during her marriage to actor Tom Cruise, and the couple eventually opted to adopt two children, Isabella and Connor. After splitting from Cruise and marrying country singer Keith Urban, Kidman gave birth to daughter Sunday Rose in 2008, but struggled to conceive a second child.
The couple eventually decided to use a gestational surrogate to carry their second child, Faith. In an interview with the Australian edition of 60 Minutes, Kidman stated, “Anyone that’s been in the place of…wanting a child knows the disappointment, the pain, and the loss that you go through trying and struggling with fertility.”
- Jaime King
King went through an extensive process to conceive her now-five-year-old son, James. She saw 10 different doctors before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Prior to these diagnoses, she’d gone through five rounds of IVF, had 26 artificial inseminations, and had five miscarriages.
In a 2015 interview with PEOPLE Magazine, King said, “I was hiding what I was going through for so long, and I hear about so many women going through what I went through. If I’m open about it, hopefully it won’t be so taboo to talk about it.”
The Power of Storytelling
Ultimately, King’s sentiment underscores the value of celebrities — and in truth, ordinary people, as well — openly discussing their struggles with infertility. As with so many challenging things in life, having a safe, supportive forum in which to talk through infertility is itself quite valuable.
If you have questions about infertility, consider reaching out to the Advanced Fertility Center of Texas today. Our experienced team is ready to help you start building the family you’ve always wanted.
