Diane Keaton is shedding some light on why she doesn’t date, why she doesn’t ever see herself getting back into the dating scene and why she never married. In a recent conversation with AARP, Diane revealed:
“I don’t date. Highly unlikely. I don’t remember anyone calling me, going, ‘This is So-and-So. I’d like to take you out.’ They don’t happen. Of course not.”
It’s not the first time she’s spoken up about her love life – or lack thereof. Back in 2021, she was featured in Interview magazine where she took questions from 25 of her famous friends and fans – one of which was about why she never married. The question came from Lisa Kudrow.
“It goes back to my mother, because, for me, most everything does…She had four kids, and I was the firstborn. I saw how much she gave up. I mentioned watching her get that crowning glory and being Mrs. Highland Park. After that, we moved down to Santa Ana, and it was over. There was no more trying things out,” she said. “I feel like she chose family over her dreams. And she was just the best mother, but I think that she is the reason why I didn’t get married. I didn’t want to give up my independence.”
Diane also added that no one has ever asked her to marry them, which accounts for at least some of her decision. Despite remaining unmarried, she still became a mother, adopting two children, Dexter and Duke, in her 50s.
Not wanting to give up her independence is a sentiment many women can relate to and understand to be a trade-off made in marriage. But for many women, it can be difficult to afford to live without a partner and all of the benefits that come from a second income, not to mention another set of hands to help out around the house or with the kids.
While it’s always refreshing to hear about women who did life their way and gave a big middle finger to society’s expectations, there is a certain privilege that comes with being a rich, white actress that makes it inherently easier to do away with a partner, go it alone, and still “have it all”.
Wealth allows you to afford the adoption itself, which can cost anywhere from $8,000 to upwards of $40,000, and more if there are lodging and accommodation fees, very common when you’re adopting children from overseas or even other states. You can also afford help in the form of nannies and caregivers to help you raise your kids, particularly if you spend a lot of time away from home for acting gigs. These are resources average families don’t always have access to.
Diane’s decision to become a mom at 50 is another example of the privilege that wealth brings. Women often feel the pressure to have kids in their 20s and 30s because they can’t count on the resources only money can buy to make motherhood possible at any age. And for those who spend the money on things like IVF, with no guarantee it will be successful, it can be a devastating loss, both emotionally and financially. Succumbing to the pressure of having kids younger means the ripple effect of that could be anything from choosing the wrong person to have a child with to being genuinely unprepared for motherhood. Trust me, I would know.
Just having the money makes it so much easier and accessible. Consider Lucy Liu’s experience with motherhood, which she credits to gestational surrogacy.
“It just seemed like the right option for me because I was working and I didn’t know when I was going to be able to stop. I decided that was probably the best solution for me, and it turned out to be great.”
While gestational surrogacy is a great option for women and couples wanting to have kids, but can’t carry the child themselves for a plethora of reasons, it comes with a hefty price tag that can range anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000, making it very hard to access for average families.
Before her son, Rockwell Lloyd, had his first birthday, Lucy had already been recruited to be part of a campaign by Tylenol. It was called #HowWeFamily. So not only does Lucy’s wealth afford her the opportunity to have a child and raise him on her own, but her celebrity status allowed her to make even more money through brand partnerships because of how she went about having that baby.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show more than 28% of kids adopted from foster care are taken in by single parents. Some of those single parents are quite famous and include the likes of Sandra Bullock, Kristen Davis, Madonna and Connie Britton.
So often, we hear about celebrities having it all. And as much as we romanticize the idea and admire the women for it, there is so much privilege that comes from wealth and celebrity status that makes having it all possible and sustainable. It’s important to remember this as we look on from the cheap seats and think, must be nice. Because it’s really a matter of must be possible.
