'I Don't Feel Guilty Anymore': M*A*S*H Star Loretta Swit Knew She Didn't Want Kids Early On

Being a woman is no walk in the park, and the expectations to reach certain milestones in life can be suffocating. One of these expectations includes having children, but there is a growing trend to go against the grain when it comes to the latter, as well as being brave enough to go public with it. Loretta Swit did just that, becoming one of the celebrities who are unapologetically childless by choice (and we love them for it). "I'm not interested in being married," Swit exclusively told People back in 1979, per People. She then credited fellow "M*A*S*H" alum Alan Alda for making her feel more assured and confident in her decision to stay childless. 

"Thanks to Alan [Alda] ... I don't feel guilty anymore about not wanting a family," the late actor added, "My parents and friends are my family." Swit went back on her stance on marriage after tying the knot with former "M*A*S*H" co-star, Dennis Holahan, in 1983. However, the marriage didn't last, and the pair called it quits in 1995. But Swit stuck to her guns when it came to having children, and it doesn't seem to be a decision she regrets.

Loretta Swit always knew she never wanted to have children, but this clashed with her family's expectations of her. Naturally, it was a different time, and the expectations placed on women were more stringent during Swit's upbringing compared to what's available for women today. When Swit told her parents of her decision, they reacted with confusion, bewilderment, and the notion that there was something not quite right with her. "When I was a child, my family wanted nothing more for me than marriage and at least four kids," Swit exclusively shared with The Miami Herald, per Me TV. She continued, "When I told them I had other plans, there was a lot [of] wondering if they'd done something wrong. You know, 'It must have been something we fed her to make her turn out like this.'"

Swit was understandably hurt by her parents' reaction, and later on, channeled the emotions associated with it into her breakout character for "M*A*S*H". It became the role she was most renowned for and essentially put her on the map. But Swit gradually learned to process her emotions and stand in her truth, with the understanding that there was nothing wrong with her at all. Swit's experiences mirror those of fellow Hollywood veteran Heather Graham, who is also unapologetically childless by choice, and we definitely appreciate their courage and honesty.