Sienna Miller felt 'pressure' to have more children and reveals she's frozen her eggs
Sienna Miller has opened up on the "pressure" she felt under to extend her family, revealing that she had frozen her eggs to future proof her fertility.
The actor, who turned 40 in December, spoke candidly about the “pressure” she felt to have more children, and how she chose to combat this as she enters the next decade of her life.
Miller has a nine-year-old daughter, Marlowe, who she co-parents with her ex-partner, actor Tom Sturridge.
In a new interview with Elle magazine Miller recalled her 20s and 30s and said she often pondered whether she should have another child.
Sharing that she felt: "pressure... [about] kids, and should I have more, and why haven’t I, and all of that, which is a really loud noise", she went on to add that "biology is incredibly cruel on women in that decade – that’s the headline, or it certainly was for me".
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But when she got to 40 the star revealed she decided to freeze her eggs.
"Having been really focused on the need to have another baby, I’m just like, if it happens, it happens. That kind of existential threat has dissipated," she added.
The actor said the milestone of turning 40 has also become a time with “much less anxiety” compared to her younger days.
“I like the tranquillity of it [life]," she said. "There's just much less anxiety, for no specific reason, other than maybe turning 40 and surrendering to being on some sort of life journey that is completely irrelevant."
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She went on to say that she's learnt what is important to her - friendships, her child and "ultimately trying to be happy".
"That really is enough, with bursts of intensity and creativity. And, you know, way too much fun still at times, but I feel more in control of my life. And that's really, really relieving," she added.
In the same interview Miller also opened up about her career, explaining that she has previously grown frustrated at the fact she is so often underestimated as an actor.
“I don’t know what more I have to do. I feel like, from a young age, I’ve proven myself”, she said before going on to add that as she has grown older, she has learnt to care far less about the opinions of others.
“Without sounding arrogant,” she said, “because I’m riddled with insecurity and the lowest self-esteem – and that’s the truth, I’m not just saying it – but I think I’ve reached a point of nihilism, which I’m quite happy about.
“I don’t know whether that’s (because of) COVID, but I just don’t really care.”
Miller stars in a new Netflix series, Anatomy Of A Scandal, due for release later this month, and plays a character who has similar experiences to her own.
For a time, Miller’s acting achievements were somewhat overshadowed by her personal life after she experienced a very public break-up from ex-fiancé Jude Law after he admitted to cheating on her with his children’s nanny.
Miller likened her experiences as a young woman to those of the character she plays, Sophie Whitehouse – the wife of parliamentary minister James Whitehouse – after her husband is accused of a scandalous crime.
Speaking about her character, Miller said: “It was familiar terrain, because I’ve experienced some of the things that she experienced. And the feelings were familiar.”
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She added: “There is something cathartic, I suppose, about spending time in an ugly space that’s familiar. And maybe reclaiming it? I don’t know what the psychology of it is. But there is something where maybe you can substitute a memory with something else.”
Sienna Miller isn't the only celebrity to open up about egg freezing. Rita Ora has previously revealed that she has frozen her eggs in a bid to future proof her fertility, while Emma Roberts also said she froze her eggs before falling pregnant in 2020 and Paris Hilton revealed Kim Kardashian urged her to consider egg freezing to ease the pressure of marriage.
The May issue of Elle UK featuring the full interview with Sienna Miller is on sale from April 7.
Additional reporting PA.
