Hollywood icon Jennifer Aniston, 56, has candidly addressed the persistent public speculation surrounding her childless status, revealing a deeply personal and previously undisclosed two-decade-long struggle to conceive a child. The beloved "Friends" star felt compelled to set the record straight against what she termed a "false narrative" that labeled her a "selfish workaholic" for not becoming a mother.

In a recent interview, Aniston explained her reasons for breaking her silence: "They didn't know my story, or what I'd been going through over the past 20 years to try to pursue a family, because I don't go out there and tell them my medical woes. That's not anybody's business. But there comes a point when you can't not hear it – the narrative about how I won't have a baby, won't have a family, because I'm selfish, a workaholic. It does affect me – I'm just a human being."

Speaking with Harper's Bazaar UK, the actress openly shared details of her arduous fertility journey, which included multiple failed IVF treatments. She confessed her regret at not having frozen her eggs sooner, reflecting on the challenging period in her late 30s and 40s. During this time, she "was trying to get pregnant" and "was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it." Aniston characterized this era of her life as having involved "really hard sh*t," which ultimately shaped who she was meant to be.

The actress also used the opportunity to clarify long-standing misconceptions about her past relationships. She firmly dismissed claims that her marriage to Brad Pitt, which ended when she was 35, concluded because of her reluctance to have children, branding such suggestions an "absolute lie." Aniston previously stated that "nobody did anything wrong" regarding her separation from Pitt in 2005, which occurred following his encounter with Angelina Jolie. After her divorce, she maintained a six-year romance with Justin Theroux until 2017, with her subsequent fertility battles continuing to be a "challenging road."

While Aniston often chooses to let untruths fade, acknowledging that "the news cycle is so fast, it just goes away," she sometimes feels a "sense of justice" to correct misinformation. Ultimately, she finds comfort in knowing that "My family knows my truth, my friends know my truth." Readers can find the full interview in the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, available from October 9.