Jennifer Aniston criticises J.D. Vance’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comment

Jennifer Aniston has criticised J.D. Vance after he called Democrats including Kamala Harris “childless cat ladies”.

Jennifer Anniston.Credit: AP

Writing on Instagram, the Friends star said: “I truly can’t believe that 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.”

The actress, 55, shared a clip of Donald Trump’s running mate making the controversial remarks to Tucker Carlson on Fox News in 2021.

In the interview, Mr Vance describes the Democrats as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too”.

He then goes on to name Ms Harris as an example of the party being “controlled by people without children”. Ms Harris has two step-children with her husband, Doug Emhoff.

In the post criticising Mr Vance, Aniston added: “I hope your daughter will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too.”

Aniston’s comments appear to be in reference to Mr Vance’s voting with Senate Republicans last month to block legislation that would have established a national right to IVF.

Aniston has previously discussed how she unsuccessfully tried to have children through IVF.

“It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road,” the Friends star told Allure in 2022. “All the years and years of speculation... it was really hard. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it.”

She added: “I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, ‘Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favour.’ You just don’t think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed.”

Vance’s comments lead to backlash

Earlier this week, Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary, who was also singled out by Mr Vance in his “cat lady” remark, responded to the comments.

Mr Buttigieg, who is a father to twins he adopted with his husband Chasten, told CNN: “The really sad thing is he said that after Chasten and I had been through a fairly heartbreaking setback in our adoption journey.

“He couldn’t have known that – but maybe that’s why you shouldn’t be talking about other people’s children.”

Meghan McCain, the daughter of John McCain, late Republican senator, said that Mr Vance’s comments were “activating” even to the most conservative Trump-supporting women.

Ella Emhoff, Ms Harris’ stepdaughter, also fired back to Mr Vance. “How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I,” she posted on Instagram, sharing an earlier statement by her biological mother, Kerstin Emhoff, praising Ms Harris role as a “loving” and “nurturing” co-parent.

The Telegraph