Seth Rogen and his child-free lifestyle sparks heated debate

Canadian comedian Seth Rogen and his wife, actor Lauren Miller, have been together for 20 years. The couple decided early on that they were not going to have kids, and they say it might have been one of the best decisions of their lives.

The Neighbours star has talked publicly about his child-free lifestyle on several podcasts, which continues to spark heated debates online.

Most recently, the right-wing side of X has for some reason decided to bash Rogen for comments he made on The Howard Stern Show three years ago.

A right-wing influencer shared a quote from the 2021 interview earlier this week on X, which has reignited the discourse.

“We’re f**king psyched all the time! We’re laying in bed on Saturday mornings smoking weed, watching movies naked. If we had kids, we could not be f**king doing this,” reads Rogen’s quote, to which the influencer replied, “I wouldn’t trade Saturday mornings with my kids for anything.”

I wouldn’t trade Saturday mornings with my kids for anything. pic.twitter.com/jcG2KcaMO2

— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) March 5, 2024

Some people agreed with the post’s sentiment, a few even going as far as to call Rogen a “narcissist.”

It’s not surprising that people who seek fame in a place like Hollywood are extreme narcissists. It’s not altogether bad if these people don’t procreate.

— tmyers (@gillingh3) March 5, 2024

That’s the kind of thing you say publicly, because you think it sounds cool, while privately, when you get older, it eats away at your soul.

— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) March 5, 2024

Whose goals are smoking weed when they are over 40? Lol.

— Angie G (@MomAngtrades) March 5, 2024

Many defended the actor’s personal choice not to have kids.

“Everyone hating on Seth Rogen because he’s happy he didn’t have kids… some of you shouldn’t be responsible for a pet rock much less children,” posted one X user.

Everyone hating on Seth Rogan because he’s happy he didn’t have kids…some of you shouldn’t be responsible for a pet rock much less children. pic.twitter.com/DNfyf41zt3

— teatime75 (@teatime75) March 5, 2024

“I see a lot of people sh**ting on Seth Rogen for choosing to be child-free and celebrating it,” added another. “I don’t understand bc I would so much rather someone feel that way and embrace it than be forced into something they won’t do well bc they feel like they ‘have to.'”

i see a lot of people shitting on seth rogan for choosing to be child free and celebrating it.

i don’t understand bc i would so much rather someone feel that way and embrace it than be forced into something they won’t do well bc they feel like they “have to”.

— Becky ♿️🇵🇸🍉 (@BeccaLizz) March 7, 2024

Not sure why people are being unnecessarily weird about Seth Rogen basically just saying you have less free, adult-only time when you have a kid, which is demonstrably true and something I’m totally cool with, I’d make the trade off every single time

— cowboy postbop (Dan Lehner) (@danlehnermusic) March 7, 2024

Last March, Rogen made an appearance on the YouTube podcast The Diary Of A CEO, where he talked about his personal life, his career, dealing with criticism, having ADHD, and living a child-free lifestyle.

“I do not [have children]. That has helped me succeed as well. Definitely. Oh yeah. There’s a whole huge thing I’m not doing, which is raising kids,” he said, breaking into infectiously Rogen guffaws.

Interviewer Steven Bartlett brought up some common rebuttals child-free people receive, “Someone listening might be like, ‘Yeah, but it will make you happier.'”

“I don’t think it would,” Rogen said matter-of-factly. “I’ve obviously been around a lot of children. I’m not ignorant to what it’s like. Everyone I know has kids. I see, you know, I’m 40. Some people want kids some people don’t want kids, I think a lot of people have kids before they even think about it, from what I’ve seen.”

Rogen added that people are told to go through life a certain way — you get married and you have children. But both he and his wife didn’t want to follow that formula.

The couple has talked about whether skipping parenthood was the right choice for them, and they’re 100% sure it was.

“Now, the conversation is like, ‘Honestly, thank God we don’t have children,'” Rogen revealed.

“We have the capacity to achieve a level of work and a level of communication and care for one another, and a lifestyle we can live with one another that we’ve never been able to live before. We can just do that and we don’t have to raise a child which the world does not need.”

The Superbad star also talked about how this choice reflects in his professional life. Compared to coworkers with kids, he has more time to do things he needs to do, as well as things he simply enjoys doing.

“Not to say their kids don’t bring them joy, but I say this, truthfully — me and my wife seem to get a lot more active enjoyment out of not having kids than anyone I know seems to get out of having kids,” he added.

Commenters on the video seem to largely support the couple’s decision, as well as their openness about it.

The potter isn’t the only Canadian who prefers not having kids. Daily Hive spoke with several women about why they’re choosing to live life child-free.

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