Life Style

41-year-old Joy Bryant has no children, and she's OK with that.

The star of Parenthood underscored the what she chooses to do with her body is none of anyone's business in an essay titled "Stop Telling Me That I Should Have Kids" for Lenny Dunham's Lenny Letter.

Bryant has been married to her husband, David Pope, since 2008. So, of course, people ask the question.

“I know people don’t mean any harm, but this really shouldn’t be an issue at all, because what I choose to do or not do with my womb should be of no concern to anyone but my husband,” she writes.
Bryant is very straightforward about why motherhood isn't right for her. “I don’t have the need to breed.” she says.

Motherhood, in all its beautiful significance, is a job I do not want. It doesn’t matter how great my résumé is or how many glowing recommendations I receive. I don’t need to be a mother in order to be fulfilled in my life. I am choosing to put my life energies into pursuing all that my heart desires: designing clothes, writing, traveling, developing projects to produce. Choice. Isn’t that what we’re fighting for? Having the choice, the freedom to decide how we want to live our lives?

Ultimately, the constant inquisitions infringe on Bryant's right to live freely. They assume she's somehow unfulfilled before, and that simply isn't fair.

“And my womb should be free to live life as MY nature intended. And if that doesn’t include a child, that’s OK, because I’ve got plenty of love to give, and plenty of plans to help make the world a better place through something other than my offspring.”

Right on.

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