3 Celebs Who Touted The Freedom Of Being Single In Your Late 60s

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Cultural conventions still expect most women to find a partner and swear "Til death do us part." It's those same conventions that encourage women to fear dying alone as the worst possible life outcome. But more and more, women are pushing back on those stale expectations. In fact, many women, including celebs, are discovering that single life in their later years can actually feel pretty good.

Being alone in your late 60s means you get to put yourself first. "I get to do what I want, when I want, for as long as I want. I'm busy with a lot of things, interact with friends and acquaintances, and get to make all my own decisions about money," wrote one Reddit user. "I go to bed when I want, get up when I want, and eat what I want. Life is good." Especially for divorced women who have spent decades caring for others, that kind of independence can feel like a luxury.

But while opting to be single later in life might be a nontraditional life path, it's becoming increasingly normalized. "I look at it as a privilege my mother and her mother never got," wrote one Reddit user. "My grandmothers grew up in a time where women needed men to survive. My mother grew up in a time where women needed men still, but a bit less." In fact, a number of prominent celebrities have spoken out about their choice to stay single — and why it's not the tragedy it was once portrayed as.

Actor Andie MacDowell has been married and divorced twice. Now, in her sixties, MacDowell says she's over romance. Like Teri Hatcher who isn't stressed about being single in her sixties, she's in no rush to commit to someone new. "I feel like a lot of times, we get this pressure we have to be with someone. That we're incomplete if we choose to be single," MacDowell told "The Talk" (via Parade). "I've been married, and I know what it's like. It's great and everything, but I don't know that I really want to do it [again]... I want to go to bed by myself."

On the whole, MacDowell says she now feels more selective about potential partners. "I don't want to take on somebody 20 years older than me," she told Katie Couric Media. "I like to hike and have a good time. If I were to get back into a relationship — and honestly, it's not that important to me, it would be a miracle if it happened — it would have to be with a contemporary."

Instead, she is channeling her energy into different parts of her life. During a 2025 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," MacDowell revealed that her friendships have become a much bigger part of her life, and that romantic relationships simply aren't as necessary as they once were. "We've had such evolution as human beings," she explained. "I do think there is nothing wrong with being single."

Journalist Maria Shriver was married to Arnold Schwarzenegger for 25 years before the two separated in 2011. While in her 60s, Shriver was candid about the fact that she has no plans to remarry — or even date. "My kids have kidded around going, 'We should make you a dating app,'" Shriver explained during an appearance on "The Jamie Hern Lima Show" in 2025. "I mean, what do you call it, a dating profile? I'm like, 'Absolutely not!'... I'm finally good on my own, and that's taken a tremendous amount. I have a beautiful life that I'm deeply grateful for."

Instead, Shriver has turned her focus to reconnecting with herself. Rather than feeling lonely, she explains that she's found new places to find connection. "I used to think that love came only in an intimate, romantic package, and it made me miss out on all the love that was being offered to me through my friends and through other people," she explained. 

Meanwhile, Shriver is devoting her time to her longtime advocacy work and exploring new creative pursuits, including a 2025 poetry collection titled "I Am Maria." It's clear that she's happy in this new phase of her life with no urgent plans to return to wife life. "I was single in my 60s.I have been single my whole 60s, and now I'm ending my 60s," Shriver explained ahead of turning 70 during a 2025 episode of "Today with Jenna & Friends" (via People). "But I think I loved being single."

Actor Fran Drescher has no problem admitting that she prefers the single life in her 60s. She confessed she loves life when she doesn't have to share the remote. "Starting up with someone new, it takes a lot of work," Shriver told People in 2026. "You know what else? Selfishly, I don't want to compromise. I don't want to negotiate everything — what to eat for dinner, what movie we're going to see, what TV show we're going to watch in bed. That's a lot of what it is when you're with somebody." For many women, it can be tricky to gain a sense of independence within marriage, especially if you've been together for years. Drescher confesses that she spent so many years putting other people's needs ahead of her own — she has previously been married twice — that it now feels like a relief to prioritize her own preferences.

But while she's swearing off romantic commitments, Drescher isn't lonely. "I have someone on the side who is a friend with benefits," she told PageSix in 2020. "We really don't go out, we don't go to restaurants, we don't date. What we do, we do great." Fans applauded the reveal, praising Drescher's willingness to live life on her own terms. "That's the best way to live as a woman," wrote one Reddit user. Like Michelle Obama's masterclass in unlearning people-pleasing, Drescher's choice is inspiring for women figuring out how to put themselves first.