Jennifer Aniston is no stranger to speaking her mind when it comes to American politics. In 2020, she shared a photo of herself voting for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and now, with all eyes on JD Vance, she’s speaking out about one of his worst comments ⏤ one of many, that is.
When Vance recently talked about “childless cat ladies,” he made many Americans shudder in horror and reminded them why he would be the most ill-suited VP this side of Sarah Palin. Television lovers the world over have adored Aniston since her Rachel Green days and have seen her through many great roles (and hairstyles), so they naturally perked up when she decided to speak her mind regarding the Hillbilly Elegy mouthpiece.
Jennifer Aniston, JD Vance, and the “childless cat ladies” conundrum
According to People, Aniston posted a screenshot from Fox News of JD Vance’s comments on her Instagram Stories, writing, “I truly can’t believe this is coming from a potential VP of The United States. All I can say is… Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day” ⏤ because, if his daughter needed IVF ⏤ “you are trying to take that away from her, too.”
As People pointed out, Aniston and her former husband Brad Pitt didn’t have any children. After they got divorced in 2005 and Aniston married Justin Theroux in 2015, fans continued wondering whether or not she would ever choose to start a family. It was only when the actress gave an incredibly vulnerable interview to Allure in 2022 that we learned she couldn’t have children after trying IVF and experiencing infertility.
While we would like to believe that politicians would be understanding of fertility problems and the devastating mental health consequences they can have on women, we know that’s unfortunately not the case with a staggering number of candidates. Aniston was right to call out Vance’s refusal to support IVF; as Northwestern Now reported, Vance voted that he didn’t want the Right to IVF Act in June 2024. As reproductive endocrinology and infertility associate professor Dr. Eve Feinberg told the publication, “There’s a war on women more so than there’s a war on abortion.” It’s no wonder why rumors are swirling that the GOP is having second thoughts about Donald Trump’s decision to choose Vance as his running mate.
Aniston’s comments echo what many in prominent positions have said about Vance. Jen O’Malley, the campaign manager for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid (which is now over), said Vance is “proudly anti-choice and wants to take women back decades,” according to CBS News. That’s one of the nicer things said about Vance, who has been called “soul-crushing” and compared to a head of lettuce.
If we’re going to trust someone to talk about IVF and the tragic nature of not being able to have biological children, we’re going to want to hear from someone like Aniston, who has been through this herself. Vance is fully ignoring the very real implications of anti-abortion and anti-IVF policies, which is just one reason why Democrats would argue Trump can’t win the election in November. There’s also a lot more to say on this matter, from the wildly unfair costs of IVF to how insurance doesn’t cover everything (if it covers anything) to how lonely it can be. Let’s hope for all of our sakes that the candidate who actually understands this complex issue wins ⏤ regardless of whether or not her pets are cats.
Published: Jul 25, 2024 12:22 pm