What you need to know
Charli XCX hasn’t been shy about sharing her feelings about having kids.
The singer appeared on the Monday, February 2nd episode of the Smartless Podcast and spoke with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes about growing up as an only child. While discussing whether Charlie wanted to have children in the future, Ms Bateman suggested that she might change her mind if she met the right person, not knowing that Charlie married husband George Daniel in July last year.
During the episode, Charlie (real name Charlotte Aitchison) said that she “missed out on a lot of conflict” because she was an only child. Bateman then asked if that meant the The Moment star wanted to have more than one child, or if she wanted to have a child with a similar experience to hers.
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“Actually, I don’t really want to have kids,” Charlie replied. When asked why, the “Apple” singer replied, “You know what? Who knows? That might change.”
“I’d rather regret not having a baby than having a baby and later regret it,” Hayes said, and Charlie agreed.
She went on to explain that she loves “fantasizing about having kids” and that “naming them sounds like the most ‘fun’ part of being a mom.”
“That’s just a sign to me as to why I shouldn’t have it,” Charlie explained. “The fact that I feel like that’s the coolest part about it? Maybe I’m just not ready for it yet.”
However, Bateman agreed that “everything can change,” and explained that his wife, Amanda Anka, also didn’t want to have children in the first place.
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“[Amanda]didn’t want to have kids, so this story went forward,” the Zootopia star said. “And then once we started dating, she said, ‘Okay, I think I could have kids with this person.'” Then maybe you’ll find someone. ”
“Well, I’m married,” Charlie replied. The “Mean Girls” singer married The 1975 drummer in London in July of this year. The couple then held another wedding ceremony in Italy in September.
“I’ll have to read the newspaper sometime,” Bateman replied jokingly.
“That’s fine,” Charlie said. “I was looking forward to it because I knew right away where I was going to go and how I was going to react.”
Bateman joked that Charlie “didn’t finish[him]” and added, “Maybe your next husband will want to have kids with him.”
This isn’t the first time Charlie has opened up about his mixed feelings about having children. In May 2024, the singer gave an interview to Rolling Stone UK and talked about whether she considered motherhood in her future.
Regarding his friend and songwriter collaborator Noonie Bao becoming a parent, Charlie said, “It was crazy to see her standing there wearing the same clothes she always wears. But now she has a completely different perspective on life than I do. She’s not forcing it on me. It’s just a fact. She’s not living for the same reasons I am now.”
However, Charlie also said, “I don’t want to submit to centuries of brainwashing.” However, she also said that she would think carefully about the social consequences of choosing not to have children.
“Am I a lesser woman if I don’t have children? Will I feel like I’m missing out on my purpose in life? I know I’m not supposed to say that, but it’s biological and social programming,” she told the outlet.
Charlie continued: “There’s so much pressure on women not to talk about it openly, especially in pop music and music in general. We’re supposed to be sexy and free and fun and wild.”
Charlie admitted that if she decided to have children, she would need special planning given her career.
“My situation is, I make a decision and I’m like, ‘I’m going to get off birth control. I’m not going to tour. I’m going to see what George wants to do. And then I’m going to go have a baby.'” “I feel like a child. I don’t feel like I can make that decision,” she cautioned.
