Ina Garten on Not Having Kids: ‘I Had a Terrible Childhood, and It Was Nothing I Wanted to Recreate’

A couple’s decision on whether or not to have children is personal, and one that is entirely their own. Many famous faces have been public about their choice not to have children, including Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Oprah Winfrey and more. Another beloved figure who has been open about her and her husband’s choice not to have kids of their own is Ina Garten.

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Ina Garten and her husband Jeffrey’s love story

The beloved duo of Ina and Jeffrey Garten met back in 1963 when Ina was visiting her brother at Dartmouth College. Jeffrey, who was a student at the time, was taken by Ina, and through mutual connections, sent her a letter with his photograph in it.

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The couple soon went on a date and in 1968, the two young love birds were married. Jeffrey was stationed by the Army in Thailand shortly after, but their love prevailed thanks to letters written every single day. Over their 55-year marriage full of love, encouragement and support, they’ve enjoyed adventures across the world, magnificent cuisine and all that life has to offer by each other's side.

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Do Ina and Jeffrey Garten have children?

Ina Garten and her husband Jeffrey have enjoyed a long and happy marriage, and their choice not to have children is something the 76-year-old chef has been open about. Garten appeared on an episode of Julia Louis Dreyfus’ podcast, Wiser Than Me , back in April, where she got candid about how her own childhood influenced her choice not to become a mother.

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“ I had no interest in having children ,” she said. “None. I just had a terrible childhood, and it was nothing I wanted to recreate.”

“I think Jeffrey would have been a great parent,” she also noted on the podcast of her husband, who is a lecturer at Yale, previously served as the dean of their School of Management, and has worked on both Wall Street and for the US government. “He would have really loved having children, but he wanted me to be happy, and it was okay with him.”

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Ina commented on the matter back in 2017 when she appeared on Katie Couric’s podcast as well. “ I really appreciate that other people do , and we will always have friends that have children that we are close to, but it was a choice I made very early,” she said on the show. “I really felt, I feel, that I would have never been able to have the life I’ve had. And so it’s a choice, and that was the choice I made.”

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