Comedian and filmmaker Dax Shepard sparked a mix of reactions after he revealed an unusual proposal he made to his 11-year-old daughter: the idea of freezing her eggs when she turns 18. This suggestion was met with a variety of responses, with some labeling it as ‘creepy’ and ‘weird,’ while others praised him as a ‘great dad.’
During an episode of his podcast, Armchair Expert, Shepard recounted how his youngest daughter, Delta, expressed her eagerness to become a mother, saying she ‘can’t wait to have a baby.’
Shepard, who is married to actor Kristen Bell, shared that he aimed to be supportive rather than judgmental. He used Delta’s collection of stuffed toys, which she treats like a ‘family of stuffies,’ as an indication of her potential to be a good mom in the future.
In the January 5 episode of the podcast, Shepard explained his reaction: “She’s saying she wants to have a baby, and I said, ‘When do you think you’ll have your first child? When you turn 18?’ I want to be supportive of whatever. I don’t want to plant any seeds that I’d be judgmental or whatever.”
Delta, who has an older sister named Lincoln, 12, responded by saying she did not want to have children at 18 but might consider it between the ages of 35 to 45. The average age for first-time mothers in the US is 27.5 years.
In response to Delta’s preference for what is known as a ‘geriatric pregnancy,’ Shepard mentioned offering to freeze her eggs: “If you want to, we’ll freeze your eggs when you’re 18. I’ll pay for you to get your eggs frozen so you don’t have to think about that.”
Shepard acknowledged that this conversation, facilitated by the family’s financial means, involves a service costing at least $10,000. He noted, “Acknowledging all luck and privilege, obviously, this isn’t an option for most people. But I think given where it’s, the trajectory it would make the most sense.”
He also linked the idea of egg freezing with giving his daughter the freedom to pursue a career. Shepard added, ‘I think they’re going to be wrestling with the same thing every woman is. You’re gonna want to do your career.”
He admitted that Delta’s plan to have children at 35 might be influenced by her young age, saying ‘she’s 11 so that probably seems like 80. She’s thinking mid-20s.’
The discussion led to a lively online debate about whether such a topic should be discussed with his young daughter. One individual questioned, “Maybe that conversation could’ve waited till she’s 18?”
It wasn’t just critics who reacted; fans of the podcast also found the conversation unusual, with one stating, “I’m a fan of his. But this is very strange. I would have been mortified if my dad said that to me.”
However, others supported Shepard’s idea of providing his daughters with the opportunity to balance family and career. A social media user commented, ‘this is the best gift we can give our daughters.’
Another noted that while egg freezing is costly for most, many would take advantage of such a privilege if possible, saying, “For normal people, freezing eggs are expensive. He’s a great dad. He’s thinking out of the box.”