Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Heather Graham attends the "Chosen Family" Premiere during the 41st Miami Film Festival at the Coral Gables Art Cinema on April 09, 2024 in Coral Gables, Florida. © Ivan Apfel

Celeb news

Why Heather Graham doesn’t regret her decision to live child-free, most of the time

The actress opens up about her child-free lifestyle and how it has empowered her to embrace freedom, confidence, and self-love


Andrea Pérez
Deputy Editor - U.S.
APRIL 29, 2025 5:23 PM EDT

Heather Graham, the 55-year-old star of The Hangover, has shared that she feels “glad” around 80% of the time about her decision to remain child-free. However, she also acknowledges that 20% of the time, she wonders what it would have been like to have children.

Heather Graham at the L'Agence Holiday Dinner at a private residence on December 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.© Gilbert Flores
Heather Graham at the L'Agence Holiday Dinner at a private residence on December 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Embracing the child-free lifestyle

Graham, who portrays a child-free yoga teacher named Ann in her new movie Chosen Family, discussed her personal experiences in a recent interview with The Guardian. She said, “I think I’ve had moments where I wondered, ‘What would it have been like if I had a kid?’" 

"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. Maybe 20% of the time I wonder what it would be like. You just have to appreciate the life you have.”

Heather’s views on women choosing not to have children

In addition to her reflections, Heather highlighted the growing trend of women openly discussing their choice not to have children. She finds it empowering, noting, “I do think it’s awesome now that more women are expressing their desire to not have kids. The culture says, ‘You need to have kids.’ But why? If you’re not being a people pleaser, what do you really want?”

Heather Graham the cast and director of The Hangover: Todd Phillips and actors Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis© Jon Furniss
Heather Graham the cast and director of The Hangover: Todd Phillips and actors Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis

Confidence in aging and embracing sexuality

As she ages, Heather is embracing her sexuality and newfound confidence. She admitted that she now feels “hot” and enjoys her body more than before. “Before, I was more: ‘What do other people think?’ Now I’m just like, f*** it. I think there’s a beauty that a woman can have as she gets older that’s like a powerful, sexy beauty. It really doesn’t matter what other people think – it’s how you feel about yourself,” she explained.

Actress Heather Graham soaked up the sun and enjoyed the warm Caribbean water while vacationing at Sandals South Coast Resort in Jamaica© John Parra
Actress Heather Graham soaked up the sun and enjoyed the warm Caribbean water while vacationing at Sandals South Coast Resort in Jamaica

A life of freedom and fulfillment

These comments follow her previous remarks in 2023, where she expressed that not having children has allowed her to lead a free and fulfilling life. She said, “I think we all have different paths. You just have to embrace the one that you’re on. If, somehow, I had had kids, I’m sure that would’ve been cool. But at the moment, not having kids, I do feel free. And I get a lot of sleep. That is pretty great.”

© ¡HOLA! Reproduction of this article and its photographs in whole or in part is prohibited, even when citing their source.