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In the past few years, there’s been a whole new level of awareness where the possibility of egg freezing is concerned. That’s thanks in part to influential people who have opened up about their own experiences: Celebrities and influencers have discussed the freedom egg freezing has given them — some have even taken the public behind the scenes by documenting the process of freezing eggs and what it really entails.
The choice to preserve fertility has been normalized thanks to the people who have shared their own journeys, and that’s a wonderful thing. Some may argue that stars have minimized the privilege required in order to freeze eggs, and that’s absolutely a valid point — but without these influential people speaking up about egg freezing, many people may not have been made aware of the option early on in life. In fact, according to recent SART data, egg-freezing cycles jumped a whopping 31% in 2021!
The public figures who have used their platform to advocate for the practice of egg freezing deserve applause for helping to change the conversation surrounding a once-uncommon choice.
10 Fertility Preservation Stories
If you're considering egg freezing and want to feel less alone, here are 10 celebrities who have spoken out about freezing their eggs:
1. Kaitlyn Bristowe
Back in 2017 — before many people were talking about, or even aware of, egg freezing, Kaitlyn Bristowe spoke publicly about her decision to take control of her reproductive future.
After she tweeted that she was freezing her eggs, someone asked if she’d care to share why, and the Bachelorette star replied: “I'm taking control of my future! As a woman, there's always pressure to have babies, and this puts my mind at ease for when IM ready.”
During an appearance on Good Morning America, she expanded on the choice. "I think a lot of women feel pressure to have kids, especially when you get engaged," Bristowe said. "And for me, I'm like, I don't want that pressure on myself."
2. January Jones
On an episode of Race to 35, an extension of the Armchair Expert podcast, January Jones shared that she froze eggs after having her son, Xander.
"I already had my son and I just wanted to alleviate any pressure on myself," Jones said "As women, we have these stories in our mind of our 'plan' for life and marriage and family and kids, whatever that looks like. And I had an idea, but nothing ever goes to plan. So I just thought, to get rid of that weight, I wanted to do it."
The actress also shed some light on how tough it was to access information or social support from others who had been through the process.
"I didn't have anyone and I didn't know anyone who'd done it," she said. "My doctors were not helpful…They're like, 'Watch this YouTube [video], and here's a bunch of vials,' like I'm a freaking chemist and I know what to do. And you just feel really vulnerable and lost before you start. It's complicated."
3. Lindsay Hubbard
The Summer House star opened up on camera about experiencing a miscarriage, and she also took viewers behind the scenes as she began the process of freezing her eggs.
"I think it's not talked about enough," Hubbard told TODAY. "I think for some reason it's a little taboo to speak publicly about fertility and your fertility journey, and I'm trying my hardest to try to normalize it a little bit more. I think the sooner that women understand more about it, then the sooner they can start planning their fertility journey, even if they are solo in that process.”
4. Olivia Culpo
Olivia Culpo has been vocal about her endometriosis diagnosis, and she recently got candid about how the disease had affected her family planning.
“I’ve been making decisions out of fear for the future,” Culpo said during an episode of her reality show, The Culpo Sisters. “There’s a lot of pressure that I’ve been putting on my relationship because of fertility…I am going to freeze my eggs so that I can have babies when the time is right…it’s an insurance policy. It’s exciting.”
5. Chrishell Stause
While rehearsing for her run on Dancing With the Stars, Chrishell Stause was also in the process of freezing her eggs. ″I was in the middle of the process when DWTS approached me. So for the first weeks of rehearsal, I was giving myself daily hormone shots while learning the tango, and the procedure was done a few days before the premiere of the show,″ she told People.
The Selling Sunset star opted to take control of her own fertility after her divorce. "I’m going to do everything I can to take that power in the situation, and hopefully, that will empower me going forward in the dating world, so there’s not so much pressure,” she said.
6. Rita Ora
Rita Ora was in her early 20s when she froze her eggs, and she opened up about why she decided to undergo the process at such a young age. “I think it’s amazing the technology we have now to really take control of our destiny,” she shared during an appearance on Sunrise.
“I’ve always wanted a big family and my doctor actually said to me, ‘I think you should freeze your eggs’ when I was in my early twenties. I’m 26 and I know some people might be like, ‘Wow that’s so young’, but I just really wanted to be safe.”
7. Kourtney Kardashian
On an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian opened up about the physical and emotional effects of egg freezing.
“I’ve been so up and down emotional because I’ve been doing the shots for the egg freezing,” Kardashian told two of her friends on camera before revealing bruises on her stomach from the injections. "I feel like I want to jump out of my skin… I can't take it. I feel fine, I just cry myself to sleep every night."
8. Halsey
Halsey, who has been very vocal about their endometriosis diagnosis, revealed their decision to freeze eggs at 23 years old during an appearance on the show The Doctors.
“I’m 23 years old, and I’m going to freeze my eggs," Halsey said. “When I tell people that they are like ‘why would you do that, you’re 23’…doing an ovarian reserve is important to me because — and I am fortunate enough to have that as an option — I need to be aggressive about protecting my fertility, about protecting myself."
9. Mindy Kaling
While Mindy Kaling has not disclosed whether she froze her own eggs, she’s a major advocate for the practice.
"I wish that every 19-year-old girl would come home from college and that the gift — instead of buying them jewelry or a vacation or whatever — is that their parents would take them to freeze their eggs," she told Marie Claire. “They could do that once and have all these eggs for them, for their futures…to focus in your twenties and thirties on your career, and yes, love, but to know that when you're emotionally ready, and, if you don't have a partner, you can still have children.”
10. Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson recently welcomed her first child via surrogate, but before sharing the news of her child’s arrival, Wilson spoke about fertility preservation.
“As all good career women out there should know, if that’s something that interests you, it’s a pretty good time to do it,” Wilson said during an Instagram live. “Getting to 40s is kind of even leaving it a little too late. It’s better to do it a bit earlier if you can.”
Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and mom of twins. She's written for outlets like Parents, Marie Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Motherly, and many others. In her (admittedly limited!) free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family.