'Childless cat ladies': Why Jennifer Aniston is 'praying' for JD Vance's daughter

Three years ago, Donald Trump's running mate said the US was being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies" who "want to make the rest of the country miserable".

Jennifer Aniston has criticised Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance over comments he made about women in politics. Source: AAP / Evan Agostini / AP

Key Points

• Jennifer Aniston has criticised the Republican vice-presidential candidate over comments about women in politics.
• In 2021, JD Vance described senior female Democrats like Kamala Harris as "childless cat ladies".
• Aniston also spoke about Vance's stance on access to IVF and fertility treatments.

Actor Jennifer Aniston has criticised Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance for his comments about United States vice-president Kamala Harris.

In 2021, US senator Vance — who has been chosen as Donald Trump's running mate — claimed women such as Harris were "childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives".

He told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson the US was being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too".

"It's just a basic fact — you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children," Vance said.

"And how does it make any sense that we've turned our country over to people who don't really have a direct stake in it?"

On Instagram Stories, Aniston, 55 — who has been open about her IVF struggles in the past — shared a screenshot of a post from social media platform X referencing Vance's interview and wrote: "I truly can't believe this is coming from a potential VP of the United States."

"All I can say is ... Mr Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day," the Friends star said.

"I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too."

Harris is stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff's two children: son Cole, 29, and daughter Ella, 25.

JD Vance has described senior women from the Democrat party, including Kamala Harris, as "childless cat ladies". Source: AAP / Carolyn Kaster / AP

Emhoff's ex-wife Kerstin Emhoff praised Kamala as a "loving, nurturing co-parent".

"These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I," she told CNN.

"She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it."