Celebrities and Infertility
A discussion had come up recently on one of the Fertility Friend forums about celebrities who most likely have used fertility treatments (Brad & Angie, Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony, Nicole Kidman) but are super hush-hush about it. And how that can rankle because as if it isn't bad enough that being infertile can make you feel worthless in your worst & most hellish moments, having celebrities deny and act like infertility and infertility treatments are something to be ashamed of doesn't help. Yes, I know that they are people too, and it's understandable that they want privacy. But what about the celebrities who announce their breast cancer, or alcohol addiction? The thing is, infertility is a medical condition, and the stigmas surrounding it are BULLSHIT and the more people who remain silent, the more clueless and uninformed people will make asinine comments that make you want to beat them (angry, me? what, who's angry?). I certainly haven't been one to keep my mouth shut, about 2 1/2 months ago I was chatting amiably the with electrician who came to do a job in our building and it came up in conversation that I'd just recently celebrated my 2nd wedding anniversary. The electrician (meaning well, of course) chided me for not having children yet. I calmly informed him that we had also just "celebrated" our second year of infertility, and that my final round of clomid in May was a bust. I could tell he was thrown off, he wasn't expecting that. But he wished us well once he collected himself.
Anyway. Here's a list of celebrities who have struggled with infertility issues and treatments (in some cases not strictly infertility, but other medical conditions that made having children very tricky). It was posted on the Fertility Friend forum.
Tom Arnold and ex-wife, Shelby struggled with infertility since 2002 until their divorce in 2007. To compensate for Tom's low sperm count and poor motility, they have tried IVF with ICSI 5 times with no success. In People, they discussed how difficult infertility has been on their marriage and the cost of IVF (Guess what? They're insurance doesn't cover it either.)
David and Courtney Cox-Arquette have had a well publicized battle with telling USA Today, "it's very expensive and (requires) a lot of needles and shots."
Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Christopher Guest adopted their children after realizing that infertility prevented them from conceiving. Jamie has written a book, "Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born". The book was "written to let children who joined their families through adoption know that their own birth stories were exciting, too".
Robert De Niro and his former companion model-turned-restaurateur Toukie Smith gave birth to twin boys via surrogate on Oct. 20, 1995.
Due to a rare, painful auto-immune disorder, sarcoidosis, Karen Duffy, MTV VJ, actress, and Revlon model was worried about exposing a child to her prescribed medications. She was able to have a child through a surrogate.
Former Mrs. International, Michelle Fryatt and her husband had multiple infertility diagnoses and tried IUI and IVF before adopting their baby.
Peri Gilpin, of Frasier, has two little girls, born May 7, by surrogate. She and her husband tried to conceive for 7 years. After many years of pain and failed IVF attempts, they were able to have two daughters, Stella and Ava.
Nancy Grace and her new husband had twins, Lucy Elizabeth and John David, reportedly conceived via IVF.
Kelsey Grammer and his wife, Camille used a surrogate after her Irritable Bowel Syndrome prevented her from carrying to full term. The couple welcomed Jude Gordon on August 28, joining sister Mason Olivia.
Melanie Griffith and her husband, Antonio Banderas struggled with secondary infertility for years and had some unsuccessful fertility treatment. Reportedly, the emotional pain caused by failed treatment is part of the reason why she entered rehab.
Deidre Hall, star of Days of our Lives, and husband Steve Sohmer suffered through several treatments for 20 years before turning to a surrogate.
Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness struggled with conceiving a child. After several miscarriages and failed IVF, they were able to adopt their children.
Actor/Comedian, Penn Jillette and his wife, Emily conceived their first child, Moxie through IVF.
Leila Kenzle, best known for her role as Fran Devanow, Jamie Buchman's (Helen Hunt) best friend for six years on the Emmy award winning "Mad About You," has co-founded Fertility LA in Sherman Oaks, California, a psychotherapy program for people who are struggling to get pregnant.
After an ectoptic pregnancy and miscarriage with ex-husband, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and country musician, Keith Urban are expecting a baby, allegedly conceived after eight months of fertility treatment.
Alex Kingston, of ER tried to have a child for 6 years before finally giving birth to a baby girl. She states, "It didn't surprise me that women were trying IVF so many times; there's that need, and it ultimately overrides everything else." She is now supporting HER trust, a charity dedicated to investigating unanswered questions about infertility. As well as funding research, the charity will provide information for women on reproductive issues.
Although never confirmed, Jennifer Lopez allegedly conceived her babies via IVF after trying for 3 years.
Joan Lunden was able to have twins (twice!) with a surrogate mother.
Cindy Margolis- Supermodel/actress discusses her struggle with infertility and her desire to have a baby. She had her first child, Nicholas through IVF/GIFT in 2002. Her two daughters, Sabrina and Sierra were born prematurely by a surrogate on July 17, 2005. VH1 ran a special highlighting Cindy's career and struggle with infertility. Cindy recently published a guide about navigating infertility diagnosis and treatment.
According to People, Chris Meloni (Law and Order: SVU) and his wife Sherman Williams conceived their two children, Sophia and Dante, through surrogate. His wife remarked, "That someone would give up that much of themselves for somebody else. Its the greatest gift ever."
Laurie Metcalf, formerly of Roseanne and another Desperate Housewives,and her husband are new parents to a baby girl, born by surrogate in July 2005.
'Will and Grace' star Megan Mullally, has been trying to have a baby and admits that conceiving naturally will be very hard. Rather than turn to IVF, she is considering adoption.
Actress Valarie Pettiford and her husband, Tony Rader have been trying to conceive for over 5 years. She told Ebony magazine, "I felt so isolated and alone. It's difficult to talk about, but I want other women out there to know that they are not alone; there is support."
Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly had twins, Thomas Boone Quaid and Zoe Grace, born November 2007 via surrogate. Their faith was tested again when their babies were accidentally given a near-fatal overdose of Heparin.
Not a movie or TV celebrity, but a political celebrity. New Supreme Court Justice, John Roberts and his wife, Jane had difficulty conceiving. Her Catholic faith prohibited the use of infertility treatments.
After a lengthy and emotionally draining process, they adopted Josephine and John.
Julia Roberts gave birth to twins, a girl named Hazel Patricia Moder and a boy named Phinnaeus Walter Moder. It is rumored that she conceived through IVF, but her publicist denies it.
Katey Sagal, best known for her role as Peggy on Married with Children had a daughter in January 2007 born via surrogate.
Jane Seymour had multiple miscarriages and painful infertility treatments. She has also written a book "Two at a Time" to describe her and her husband's ordeal.
Sherri Shepherd, of The View had a son through IVF. Her son was born at 25 weeks, at 1 lb. 10 oz.
Brooke Shields gave birth to baby, Grier (conceived naturally) on April 18, 2006. She had her daughter, Rowan after many IVF cycles. Brooke now speaks out on infertility (and yes, postpartum depression). Her book "Down Came the Rain" chronicles her struggles with infertility and postpartum depression.
Alexis Stewart, daughter of Martha Stewart, has been very open about her fight to become a mother. In an interview with Oprah, she remarks that she is "lucky" because her Mother pays for her $28,000/month treatment.
Sharon Stone reportedly suffers from recurrent early miscarriages and recently adopted her second child.
Brenda Strong (Mary Alice Young- Desperate Housewives) wrestled with infertility and turned to the practice of yoga to manage and alleviate the associated stress brought on by the diagnosis. She released a Yoga 4 Fertility DVD in 2004. She will serve as the first national spokesperson for The American Fertility Association (AFA).
Former Bachelorette, Trista Sutter conceived her son, Max naturally after trying for two years. She reported that they were considering IVF, but "it really is expensive."
Oscar-winner, Emma Thompson suffered a miscarriage in 1997 and was subsequently diagnosed with PCOS. She was able to have a daughter, Gaia in 1999 at the age of 40. Later IVF attempts failed.
She is happy with her daughter, but notes that "there are thousands and thousands of women like me who can't have children." In 2006, Emma and her husband adopted a teenager from Rwanda.
Nia Vardalos, the genius behind "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" has been trying to conceive for eight years. She is currently undergoing infertility treatment.
Actress Jo Beth Williams suffered from infertility and recurrent miscarriages. She stated, "You do become desperate. You go through periods where you cry for no reason and you want someone to
help you." She and her husband adopted.
Trinny Woodall - one half of BBC's What Not To Wear team - is celebrating the birth of her first child. The couple previously suffered years of baby heartbreak; Trinny suffered nine failed attempts at IVF and two miscarriages before falling pregnant last year.
Country singer, Kellie Coffey based her song, "I Would Die For That", on her experiences with infertility. In December 2007, Kellie announced that she was pregnant with second child "after trying for awhile and having another miscarriage."
Sharon Osbourne revealed that she and husband, Ozzie, tried IVF to conceive a baby after son, Jack. However, she described it as "mental torture" and could not try it again.
Pop star Gary Numan, is thrilled at finally becoming a dad after years of stressful attempts and IVF treatment. The veteran singer's wife Gemma gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Raven Webb - who was five weeks premature - after seven IVF attempts and two miscarriages.
Celine Dion had a bouncing baby boy through IVF with ICSI after she and her husband, Rene were unable to conceive following cancer treatment. Celine has embryos frozen in New York and plans to go through IVF again now that her Las Vegas show has ended.
Both Emily and Martie of the Dixie Chicks found that they couldn't pass on their musical genes without help. Emily underwent over two years of testing before having a baby through IVF. Martie waited two and a half years before finding out she was pregnant with twin daughers, Eva and Kathleen by IVF. Martie announced, "I'm 33, and I realize fertility's not a given, it's a gift." On their most recent album, the song, "It's So Hard When It Doesn't Come Easy" addresses their infertility problems.
Anyway. Here's a list of celebrities who have struggled with infertility issues and treatments (in some cases not strictly infertility, but other medical conditions that made having children very tricky). It was posted on the Fertility Friend forum.
Tom Arnold and ex-wife, Shelby struggled with infertility since 2002 until their divorce in 2007. To compensate for Tom's low sperm count and poor motility, they have tried IVF with ICSI 5 times with no success. In People, they discussed how difficult infertility has been on their marriage and the cost of IVF (Guess what? They're insurance doesn't cover it either.)
David and Courtney Cox-Arquette have had a well publicized battle with telling USA Today, "it's very expensive and (requires) a lot of needles and shots."
Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Christopher Guest adopted their children after realizing that infertility prevented them from conceiving. Jamie has written a book, "Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born". The book was "written to let children who joined their families through adoption know that their own birth stories were exciting, too".
Robert De Niro and his former companion model-turned-restaurateur Toukie Smith gave birth to twin boys via surrogate on Oct. 20, 1995.
Due to a rare, painful auto-immune disorder, sarcoidosis, Karen Duffy, MTV VJ, actress, and Revlon model was worried about exposing a child to her prescribed medications. She was able to have a child through a surrogate.
Former Mrs. International, Michelle Fryatt and her husband had multiple infertility diagnoses and tried IUI and IVF before adopting their baby.
Peri Gilpin, of Frasier, has two little girls, born May 7, by surrogate. She and her husband tried to conceive for 7 years. After many years of pain and failed IVF attempts, they were able to have two daughters, Stella and Ava.
Nancy Grace and her new husband had twins, Lucy Elizabeth and John David, reportedly conceived via IVF.
Kelsey Grammer and his wife, Camille used a surrogate after her Irritable Bowel Syndrome prevented her from carrying to full term. The couple welcomed Jude Gordon on August 28, joining sister Mason Olivia.
Melanie Griffith and her husband, Antonio Banderas struggled with secondary infertility for years and had some unsuccessful fertility treatment. Reportedly, the emotional pain caused by failed treatment is part of the reason why she entered rehab.
Deidre Hall, star of Days of our Lives, and husband Steve Sohmer suffered through several treatments for 20 years before turning to a surrogate.
Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness struggled with conceiving a child. After several miscarriages and failed IVF, they were able to adopt their children.
Actor/Comedian, Penn Jillette and his wife, Emily conceived their first child, Moxie through IVF.
Leila Kenzle, best known for her role as Fran Devanow, Jamie Buchman's (Helen Hunt) best friend for six years on the Emmy award winning "Mad About You," has co-founded Fertility LA in Sherman Oaks, California, a psychotherapy program for people who are struggling to get pregnant.
After an ectoptic pregnancy and miscarriage with ex-husband, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and country musician, Keith Urban are expecting a baby, allegedly conceived after eight months of fertility treatment.
Alex Kingston, of ER tried to have a child for 6 years before finally giving birth to a baby girl. She states, "It didn't surprise me that women were trying IVF so many times; there's that need, and it ultimately overrides everything else." She is now supporting HER trust, a charity dedicated to investigating unanswered questions about infertility. As well as funding research, the charity will provide information for women on reproductive issues.
Although never confirmed, Jennifer Lopez allegedly conceived her babies via IVF after trying for 3 years.
Joan Lunden was able to have twins (twice!) with a surrogate mother.
Cindy Margolis- Supermodel/actress discusses her struggle with infertility and her desire to have a baby. She had her first child, Nicholas through IVF/GIFT in 2002. Her two daughters, Sabrina and Sierra were born prematurely by a surrogate on July 17, 2005. VH1 ran a special highlighting Cindy's career and struggle with infertility. Cindy recently published a guide about navigating infertility diagnosis and treatment.
According to People, Chris Meloni (Law and Order: SVU) and his wife Sherman Williams conceived their two children, Sophia and Dante, through surrogate. His wife remarked, "That someone would give up that much of themselves for somebody else. Its the greatest gift ever."
Laurie Metcalf, formerly of Roseanne and another Desperate Housewives,and her husband are new parents to a baby girl, born by surrogate in July 2005.
'Will and Grace' star Megan Mullally, has been trying to have a baby and admits that conceiving naturally will be very hard. Rather than turn to IVF, she is considering adoption.
Actress Valarie Pettiford and her husband, Tony Rader have been trying to conceive for over 5 years. She told Ebony magazine, "I felt so isolated and alone. It's difficult to talk about, but I want other women out there to know that they are not alone; there is support."
Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly had twins, Thomas Boone Quaid and Zoe Grace, born November 2007 via surrogate. Their faith was tested again when their babies were accidentally given a near-fatal overdose of Heparin.
Not a movie or TV celebrity, but a political celebrity. New Supreme Court Justice, John Roberts and his wife, Jane had difficulty conceiving. Her Catholic faith prohibited the use of infertility treatments.
After a lengthy and emotionally draining process, they adopted Josephine and John.
Julia Roberts gave birth to twins, a girl named Hazel Patricia Moder and a boy named Phinnaeus Walter Moder. It is rumored that she conceived through IVF, but her publicist denies it.
Katey Sagal, best known for her role as Peggy on Married with Children had a daughter in January 2007 born via surrogate.
Jane Seymour had multiple miscarriages and painful infertility treatments. She has also written a book "Two at a Time" to describe her and her husband's ordeal.
Sherri Shepherd, of The View had a son through IVF. Her son was born at 25 weeks, at 1 lb. 10 oz.
Brooke Shields gave birth to baby, Grier (conceived naturally) on April 18, 2006. She had her daughter, Rowan after many IVF cycles. Brooke now speaks out on infertility (and yes, postpartum depression). Her book "Down Came the Rain" chronicles her struggles with infertility and postpartum depression.
Alexis Stewart, daughter of Martha Stewart, has been very open about her fight to become a mother. In an interview with Oprah, she remarks that she is "lucky" because her Mother pays for her $28,000/month treatment.
Sharon Stone reportedly suffers from recurrent early miscarriages and recently adopted her second child.
Brenda Strong (Mary Alice Young- Desperate Housewives) wrestled with infertility and turned to the practice of yoga to manage and alleviate the associated stress brought on by the diagnosis. She released a Yoga 4 Fertility DVD in 2004. She will serve as the first national spokesperson for The American Fertility Association (AFA).
Former Bachelorette, Trista Sutter conceived her son, Max naturally after trying for two years. She reported that they were considering IVF, but "it really is expensive."
Oscar-winner, Emma Thompson suffered a miscarriage in 1997 and was subsequently diagnosed with PCOS. She was able to have a daughter, Gaia in 1999 at the age of 40. Later IVF attempts failed.
She is happy with her daughter, but notes that "there are thousands and thousands of women like me who can't have children." In 2006, Emma and her husband adopted a teenager from Rwanda.
Nia Vardalos, the genius behind "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" has been trying to conceive for eight years. She is currently undergoing infertility treatment.
Actress Jo Beth Williams suffered from infertility and recurrent miscarriages. She stated, "You do become desperate. You go through periods where you cry for no reason and you want someone to
help you." She and her husband adopted.
Trinny Woodall - one half of BBC's What Not To Wear team - is celebrating the birth of her first child. The couple previously suffered years of baby heartbreak; Trinny suffered nine failed attempts at IVF and two miscarriages before falling pregnant last year.
Country singer, Kellie Coffey based her song, "I Would Die For That", on her experiences with infertility. In December 2007, Kellie announced that she was pregnant with second child "after trying for awhile and having another miscarriage."
Sharon Osbourne revealed that she and husband, Ozzie, tried IVF to conceive a baby after son, Jack. However, she described it as "mental torture" and could not try it again.
Pop star Gary Numan, is thrilled at finally becoming a dad after years of stressful attempts and IVF treatment. The veteran singer's wife Gemma gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Raven Webb - who was five weeks premature - after seven IVF attempts and two miscarriages.
Celine Dion had a bouncing baby boy through IVF with ICSI after she and her husband, Rene were unable to conceive following cancer treatment. Celine has embryos frozen in New York and plans to go through IVF again now that her Las Vegas show has ended.
Both Emily and Martie of the Dixie Chicks found that they couldn't pass on their musical genes without help. Emily underwent over two years of testing before having a baby through IVF. Martie waited two and a half years before finding out she was pregnant with twin daughers, Eva and Kathleen by IVF. Martie announced, "I'm 33, and I realize fertility's not a given, it's a gift." On their most recent album, the song, "It's So Hard When It Doesn't Come Easy" addresses their infertility problems.