Ina Garten Reveals Why She Never Wanted Kids & Says Jeffrey Would Have Made A 'Great Parent' (2024)

Ina Garten Reveals Why She Never Wanted Kids & Says Jeffrey Would Have Made A 'Great Parent' (1)Ina Garten Reveals Why She Never Wanted Kids & Says Jeffrey Would Have Made A 'Great Parent' (2)

In anticipation of Ina Garten's upcoming memoir debut, the Barefoot Contessa has been increasingly candid about her life and marriage. And while she's previously opened up about her decision to not have children, the cookbook author is revealing new details about what led to that choice—and whether Jeffrey was onboard.

In a new interview for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me, Garten admitted that it "wasn't a struggle at all" to decide against having children.

"I had no interest in having children," she told Louis-Dreyfus. "I had a terrible childhood, and it was nothing I wanted to recreate. I think now looking back, I see my friends with their children and I understand what it could be, but when I was 20, I didn't want anything to do with it ... Maybe because when I was a kid, I didn't have any choices. Somebody else made all my choices. So once I had the power, I really used it."

Despite feeling confident about her decision, Garten says her husband Jeffrey "would have been a great parent."

"He would have really loved having children, but he wanted to make me happy and it was okay with him," she revealed.

Jeffrey has also been a supportive partner in more ways than one. Garten's longtime husband was actually a driving force behind her culinary career path.

"As soon as I got married, I remember looking around going, for the first time, I have nobody criticizing me, nobody telling me what to do. I can do whatever I want, and I just wanted to have parties. So I just started teaching myself how to cook," she said.

The television personality admits that she "was never allowed to cook" when she was a child, so she had never connected with it as a hobby in the past. It took advice from Jeffrey to finally pursue the passion.

"When I was a kid, I didn't even know I would do anything. I was kind of the generation that thought, 'Well, I'm gonna go to college and then I'll get married and that's that," she said. "It was Jeffrey who's like, you're not going to be happy.' And I was like, 'Woah.' It never even occurred to me...I totally credit him with that."

This isn't the first time Garten has opened up about her relationship—or choice to forgo motherhood. And it certainly won't be her last. Much of her upcoming memoir looks back at her childhood, which she did not want to "repeat" with kids of her own.

"I'm always looking forward to look back realized a lot of my decisions were based on my childhood. And so I think that was the motivating factor," she said late last year, adding that her and Jeffrey have always been "just so happy together" as is.

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Ina Garten Reveals Why She Never Wanted Kids & Says Jeffrey Would Have Made A 'Great Parent' (2024)

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Ina Garten Reveals Why She Never Wanted Kids & Says Jeffrey Would Have Made A 'Great Parent'? ›

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. Despite feeling confident about her decision, Garten says her husband Jeffrey "would have been a great parent." "He would have really loved having children, but he wanted to make me happy and it was okay with him," she revealed. Jeffrey has also been a supportive partner in more ways than one.

What ethnicity is Ina Garten? ›

Born Ina Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City and grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, Garten was one of two children born to Charles H. Rosenberg, a surgeon specializing in otolaryngology, and his wife, Florence (née Rich), a dietitian.

Why did Ina Garten name her show Barefoot Contessa? ›

East Hampton, New York, U.S. The show's title, which comes from the Italian word for countess, was originally used by Garten in her best-selling cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999). The cookbook was in turn named after Garten's specialty food store, which she bought already named in 1978.

Is Ina Garten rich? ›

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ina Garten's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $60 million. When combined with that of her husband Jeffrey, that amount is estimated at a whopping $120 million.

Did Ina Garten ever want children? ›

Ina Garten is opening up about her decision not to have kids. During a recent appearance on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast "Wiser Than Me," the Food Network star got candid about having "no interest in having children" and how her husband Jeffrey Garten has been supportive of her choice.

Is Ina Garten a Catholic? ›

Garten is Jewish by birth and heritage, as is her husband, but rarely refers to her religion and ethnicity, though they are showcased through the inclusion of classic Jewish cooking in her television show and cookbooks, when she makes such dishes as rugelach, challah, and brisket.

What does the barefoot Contessa's husband do for a living? ›

Currently, Jeffrey serves as the Dean Emeritus at the Yale School of Management and teaches courses on the global economy. According to his faculty page, prior to joining Yale, he worked for multiple White House administrations, served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and was a managing director on Wall Street.

Why did Ina Garten refuse to make a wish? ›

The child's wish was to meet Garten because he would watch her show from his sickbed. Various blogs, articles and other media state Garten rejected the request because of scheduling conflicts.

Is Barefoot Contessa divorced? ›

What age did Ina Garten get married? Ina and Jeffrey tied the knot on Dec. 22, 1968, and the pair is still going strong today. Just this year, the couple played the "Not the Newlyweds Game," on Ina's Instagram, which is just as charming as you'd imagine.

Does Ina Garten have a college degree? ›

Ina Garten once worked in the White House and worked her way up, which eventually put her in charge of writing the nuclear budget for the United States. She also managed to earn her MBA from George Washington University at the same time. Despite her success, she decided she wanted a different life.

Why do people love Ina Garten? ›

Instead, he decided to trust Ina. Having made most of them, he has learned that the recipes always work if you follow them closely, and that when they are not simple, the extra steps are worth it. He said the feeling of mastery her recipes provide is what makes Ms. Garten so popular with inexperienced cooks.

Who is the wealthiest chef in the world? ›

Alan Wong: $1.1 billion (£862m)

Alan Wong takes the top spot as the world's wealthiest chef by a long shot, with a jaw-dropping estimated net worth of $1.1 billion (£862m).

How much is Ina Garten's husband worth? ›

Ina husband, Jeffrey, is also a financial powerhouse. According to Celebritynetworth.com, Jeffrey is worth $100 million, mostly thanks to his former jobs as managing director of Lehman Brothers and Blackstone Group.

Did Jeffrey Garten serve in Vietnam? ›

Garten attended Dartmouth College on an ROTC scholarship before serving in Thailand during the Vietnam War. “I never saw myself working in government as a career,” Garten said. “I decided to go to Wall Street because I was fascinated by people who had moved back and forth between Wall Street and Washington.

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