Jennifer Aniston Accused of Choosing Career over Kids & Forced to Defend Herself against Fans' Criticism

Jennifer Aniston began acting as a young girl and has become one of Hollywood's most revered female actors. She finds comfort in her successful career but often faces accusations of choosing her job over having kids. Recently, the "The Good Girl" star was forced to defend herself from such claims.

Jennifer Aniston grew up with actor parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow. She began working as an actress early, with her first uncredited role in "Mac and Me." She landed her first significant role as Tory Reding in the 1993 horror-comedy "Leprechaun."

Years later, her role as Rachel Green in "Friends" threw her into worldwide recognition. Fans loved her but appreciated her more when she gave birth to her and Ross Geller's daughter Emma Geller-Green on season eight of the show.

However, she did not have biological children, which has put her on the receiving end of fans' criticism over the years. In April, several European tabloids reported that Aniston was looking to adopt a child and had shared the news with her "Friends" costars when shooting the reunion.

When TMZ reached out to Aniston, looking to clarify whether she was indeed in the process of adopting a baby, the actress's rep denied the claims, saying the rumors were "false and never happened."

The actress remains alone with no plans of starting a family. She disclosed that she held no objections to motherhood but did not need kids to feel complete. The actress wrote in an open letter published by The Huffington Post, according to Closer Weekly:

"We are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child … that decision is ours and ours alone. We don't need to be married or mothers to be complete. We get to determine our own 'happily ever after' for ourselves."

ANISTON AND BRAD PITT WERE READY TO START A FAMILY

Aniston and Brad Pitt were the perfect embodiment of a fairy-tale Hollywood couple. They married in a million-dollar wedding on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, a ceremony attended by 200 guests.

The venue was straight out of a storybook, with 50,000 lotus flowers, tulips, wisteria, and roses. The bride's low-back, glass beaded, Lawrence Steele gown looked flawless as she trotted down the aisle. The performers included a 40-person choir and singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge.

Like their wedding, the couple's marriage, while brief, became one of Hollywood's most revered and remains in the history books and fans' memories. In 2004, in a hopeful vision of their shared future, Aniston told The Guardian she was ready to have a baby with Pitt. She disclosed as Brides reports:

"It's time. It's time. You know, I think you can work with a baby, I think you can work pregnant, I think you can do all of it. So I'm just truly looking forward to slowing down."

Unfortunately, her wish did not come to pass as shortly after her comments, the world watched as the couple's dream marriage fell apart, and they separated soon after that.

Before the actress could get over her heartbreak, sensationalistic stories claimed that the marriage ended because Aniston refused to have babies with Pitt. She reportedly wanted to focus on her career and did not care about anything else.

She denied the claims, saying that she seeks inspiration from women with careers and children, so why limit herself? She also claimed she never said she did not want children:

"I've always wanted to have children, and I would never give up that experience for a career. I want to have it all."

ANISTON HITS BACK AT HATERS

Initially, Aniston took the negative comments about her pregnancy and baby rumors personally, but with time, she started hitting back at her naysayers. She chose to focus on the positives of her life, such as friends and how blessed she was. She would say to her haters:

"You have no clue what's going with me personally, medically, why I can't… can I have kids? They don't know anything, and it was really hurtful and just nasty."

Aniston has been in the headlines since she became a star, but she still is amazed at how absurd the headlines about her have gotten over time. And even though she would get hurt at first, she now laughs at the news about her private life.

The actress's voice has become clear and loud over the years as she slams society's views about women. During an interview with the much-loved daytime TV show host Lorraine Kelly, the actress addressed the scrutiny surrounding her life from as far back as she can remember.

Her concern was the judgment she often receives for having no children. She also added how sick she was of women being branded "useless" if they did not meet societal standards.

She pondered: "We're seeing women through that very narrow lens. If we don't have a baby or a white picket fence or a husband, then we're useless. We aren't living up to our purpose. It's shocking to me that we are not changing the conversation."

She hates that people judge women for what they do not have instead of focusing on their achievements and the years of work they have put into their careers. She shared how women were branded useless for not having a husband, children, or a white picket fence.

The "Rumor Has It" actress, in a bid to bring light to the situation, wrote a heartfelt letter that the HuffPost published. In the tear-jerking message, the actress shared concerns about being harassed by paparazzi who are out to post every little detail about her, true or not.

She penned down her frustration, saying that women were complete, whether they chose to have husbands, children, and picket fences or not.

Now, the actress chooses to keep things simple. After two divorces — to her first husband Pitt and her second, Justin Theroux — she said she was busy and did not appreciate any attempts by her friends to set her up with a new man.