Topics: Kristen Bell, Parenting
Comedian and filmmaker Dax Shepard has divided opinion after sharing a strange offer he made to his 11-year-old daughter, to freeze her eggs when she turns 18.
Some called it 'creepy' and 'weird' while others said he was a 'great dad'.
Speaking on his Armchair Expert podcast, Shepard shared how his youngest daughter, Delta, had shown excitement at becoming a mom in the future, saying she 'can’t wait to have a baby'.
Actor Kristen Bell's 51-year-old husband said he wanted to appear supportive and not judgemental, citing his 11-year-old's 'traveling circus' of stuffed toys that have become a 'family of stuffies' as an example of why she might make a good mom when she's older.
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On the January 5 instalment of the podcast, he shared his response: “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 also has an older sister, 12-year-old Lincoln, told Shepard that she did not want to have kids at 18.
He predicted she might want to start a family when she is 35-45. The median age of a first-time mom in the US is 27.5 years old.
With Shepard's estimate being what is termed as a 'geriatric pregnancy', he told Delta: "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."
With this bizarre father-daughter conversation only made possible by Bell and Shepard's millions, the podcast host acknowledged his privilege in offering a service that costs $10,000 at the minimum.
He said: "Acknowledging all lucky privilege, obviously, this isn’t an option for most people. But I think given the trajectory it would make the most sense. "
While Delta said she might want to start a family in her mid-20s, Shepard thought at that age she might be having too much fun to want to be 'in the house every night with a child'.
He added: "I think they’re going to be wrestling with the same thing every woman is. You’re gonna want to do your career."
This conversation triggered a noisy debate online about whether it is even appropriate to be talking about this topic with his daughter. One person remarked: "Maybe that conversation could’ve waited till she’s 18?"
Another said: "I’m a fan of his. But this is very strange. I would have been mortified if my dad said that to me."
However, some agreed with Shepard's comments about offering his daughters the freedom to not have to chose between family and a career. One social media user said that 'this is the best gift we can give our daughters'.
Another said it was a privilege that plenty would take advantage of, if they could, adding: "For normal people, freezing eggs are expensive. He's a great dad. He's thinking out of the box."
