Tracee Ellis Ross Shared Her Blunt Response To People Asking Why She Doesn't Have Kids—And Fans Are Applauding

After eight seasons of the hit ABC comedy series Black-ish, Tracee Ellis Ross has easily joined the ranks of the all-time best TV mothers with her portrayal of Dr. Rainbow Johnson.

Rainbow, or "Bow," memorably balanced her prolific career as an anesthesiologist with raising her four (eventually five) children, while also dealing with her sneaker-loving advertising executive husband Dre, as well as her opinionated in-laws.

In sharp contrast to her iconic TV alter-ego, the 53-year-old Ross, daughter of music legend Diana Ross, remains unmarried with no children of her own.

The press has reminded her of that throughout much of her adult life, as she recently shared during an appearance on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

When asked by Palmer if there was a question she wishes she were asked more in interviews, an obvious answer didn't immediately come to mind.

While Palmer attributed that to the fact that Ross is frequently asked "so many cool questions" and "could be asked anything," the Golden Globe-winning actress retorted that she also isn't afraid to answer anything, nor is she afraid not to answer questions she doesn't want to.

Ross then specifically cited the "phase" during the eight-season run of Black-ish where she was relentlessly asked why she didn't have children and/or if she was thinking about it.

She said she even went so far as to ask one reporter to "get out of [her] womb."

While Ross admitted that the reporter in question was visibly taken aback by her response, she nonetheless didn't back down, calling her out for asking what she viewed as an "insane" question.

As her appearance on the podcast started to go viral, Ross received a round of applause for her candid and unapologetic response on social media.

Countless Reddit users felt that Ross highlighted an all-too-common problem regarding women in the entertainment industry, not to mention women in general, with several other childless women expressing their exhaustion at being constantly judged and questioned and others pointing out that not all women are childless by choice, making such questions all the more intrusive:

"God forbid a woman have agency and not want to have children. I’m glad more high profile women are speaking out about their decision to be child free, because there shouldn’t be a stigma around it." -Sleepy-Giraffe947

"Tracee is so warm and fun. I love this. On a less pleasant note: folks need to get out of our womb fr. When I was younger, I thought things would get better, but now that I'm older, I still can't believe we're dealing with this." -lolbotomite

"Leave women alone about their wombs. Happily childfree here, this sh*t is so annoying." -MarieOMaryln

"My sister was pressing me on this topic and I evaded it for a while with 'yeah someday, maybe, it’s a lot, etc.' she kept probing. I started crying and said 'yeah it’s something I think about A LOT it’s a complicated topic for me'. She was taken a back and felt like I over reacted. It’s a deeply personal question, ESPECIALLY for women who are married and into their 30s - 40s, there’s an assumption it’s what you’re supposed to do." -WiseBroccoli2

"I’m gonna start using this. 27 and sick of people questioning why I don’t want kids." -sp00kysista

"I’ve taken to responding to this with 'for the same reason you haven’t learned any manners, I didn’t want to'." -JuliasTooSmallTutu

"Period! Not every woman is the same and wants the same things. Also pregnancy and fertility should not be questioned at all. Leave women the f**k alone Also, people still going on Keke’s podcast is always surprising to me." -longlisten527

"You never know the circumstances of why someone doesn't have kids. If someone wants you to know they'll tell you." -Jerkrollatex

"God forbid a woman be more than just an incubator." -undead_crybaby_420

"Wow as Tracee gets older it really feels like Diana Ross gave birth to her own clone. The eyes especially." -elephhantine2

In addition to being open and proud of not having children, Ross has also been an outspoken advocate for other women who do not have children of their own.

In a 2018 interview with Glamour magazine, she expressed frustration about how her career and life accomplishments tended to be overlooked because of her childless status.

She said at the time:

"It’s really interesting to be a woman and to get to 45 and not be married and not have kids."

"I’m a good friend, a solid daughter, a hard worker, my credit is good, I take out the garbage before it gets smelly, I recycle, and I won a Golden Globe!"

Ross is currently making her Broadway debut in the acclaimed one-person play Every Brilliant Thing, appearing with the production through its scheduled closure on August 9.