There are some famously prolific parents in the celebrity world. Eddie Murphy has 10 children, Nick Cannon has 12 (and counting), and Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have a staggering 19. But not everyone wants a large brood. In fact, some celebrities are content with just one kid who they can lavish all of their time, attention, and love on.
So-called "one-and-done" parenting is actually a growing trend around the world, as more couples choose to stop at one child. They're consciously limiting their family size for a wide range of reasons, including finances, familial support, age, mental health, environmental concerns, and convenience. And sure, money and resources aren't typically an issue for celebrities, but their demanding work and travel schedules can certainly make it difficult to juggle multiple kids.
Despite only children becoming more common, pressure to have more kids remains — from everyone from family members to complete strangers. Stereotypes about only children being spoiled or lonely without siblings persist, forcing people to have to defend their decision, as some of the celebrities on this list have experienced. But as more of them speak out on the subject, hopefully they can help bust those stereotypes.
Here, 15 stars share what led to their decision to be one-and-done parents — and why it works for them.
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Amy Adams
Sofia Vergara
When Sofia Vergara married Joe Manganiello in 2015, people immediately began asking the Modern Family star whether the couple planned to have a child together. But at the time, Sofia said "it's not a priority" and that she wasn't interested in being an older mom. "I don't want to be 50 with a baby," she told Women's Day. She also felt content and happy just having her son, Manolo, who she raised on her own. "I was a single mom for a long time and I was able to do everything I wanted to do," she said in a 2016 interview with Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
Jacqueline Piñol
Spider-Man star Jacqueline Piñol became a mother for the first time in 2016 with the birth of son Atlas, and she quickly realized she wouldn't be giving him any siblings. "I'm good with one," she told People at the time, though she did note that having just one child can be taboo to some. "There was pressure like, 'Should I not be saying I only want one?' but there's going to be judgment with every situation."
Taraji P. Henson
Actress Taraji P. Henson jokingly admitted that it was her son hitting his teenage years that cemented her one-and-done status. "Noooo! No, thank you. You want to know what my birth control is? It's called "teenager," she told The Huffington Post in 2011, when asked if she'd like to have more kids. She even admitted that she was looking forward to having more time to herself once Marcell headed off to college. "I'll probably be 50-50 [between being happy and crying]. It'll be like, 'Woo-hoo I'm free!' The other half will be like, 'What do I do now?' I'm so used to being a mom."
Kate Beckinsale
Though she was on the fence for a while, Kate Beckinsale ultimately decided not to have another child. The 49-year-old actress, who is mom to daughter Lily, said she worried that expanding her family would disrupt the good dynamic she already had going. "I feel very lucky in that we navigated a pretty bumpy situation and that Lily's okay," she explained to Glamour UK in 2012, referencing her messy 2003 split from Lily's father, Michael Sheen. 'So my resistance is along the lines of, 'Do I want to upset the apple cart?' And we're such a merry little bunch as we are."
Jenny McCarthy
In 2002, Jenny McCarthy gave birth to her son, Evan, who was later diagnosed with autism. She split from his dad, John Asher, in 2005 and raised Evan mostly on her own. When she remarried in 2014, she and new husband Donnie Wahlberg blended their families together (he has two sons), and it turns out that three boys were more than enough for the couple. "When you work so hard and your kids are out of the diaper phase, out of the high chair, and you get rid of all that stuff … to start over again? No way!" she told E! News in 2015. "I want to go towards the light with my husband while we still can walk."
Debra Messing
For Will & Grace star Debra Messing, the decision to stop at one child — son Roman — came from the realization that she didn't think she could handle more kids, especially with her busy career. "I think that there are certain women who are built to have five, six children and are able to multitask and handle the sort of innate chaos of having lots and lots of kids. I know myself, and I'm not built that way," she explained to Parents.com, noting that she also appreciates the easier logistics of having just one child. "What I love about having one is dealing with pickups at school and after-school activities while you're also a working woman, it is easier with one child versus many children."
