Famous Women Who Have Been Candid About Taking A Break From Dating

Hollywood is notorious for its forever bachelors and men who simply can't settle down. In stark contrast, the narrative surrounding famous single women tends to focus on the negative aspects, often suggesting they might be lonely or unhappy. The real world isn't much different, but women don't seem to care as much anymore. According to Fortune, 52% of surveyed American women are either single or separated, with a 2022 Pew Research Center survey reporting that a significant 65% of single women they questioned are not actively seeking to date or be in a romantic relationship.

Despite the potential for societal scrutiny, famous women who choose to remain single have the privilege of openly discussing their decision with the world. From supermodel Linda Evangelista to Hollywood legends Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda, a handful of famous women have been candid about the benefits of opting out of the dating scene.

Some of them, such as Drew Barrymore and Chelsea Handler, have opted for a temporary hiatus from dating, while others are fully committed to the single lifestyle. Choosing to stay single is very obviously not due to a lack of options; it's a choice, and if you ask any of these five women, it's certainly been for the better.

Linda Evangelista, the iconic supermodel from the '90s known for once saying that she doesn't "wake up for less than $10,000 a day" (via Oxford Reference) is now applying a variation of her infamous philosophy to dating — she isn't getting in bed with a man. Following a number of high-profile relationships and a six-year marriage, Evangelista is taking a hiatus from dating. In a 2023 conversation with The Times, she shared: "I don't want to sleep with anybody anymore. I don't want to hear somebody breathing."

However, despite her decision to abstain from dating, Evangelista's aversion to hearing somebody next to her is not rooted in a dislike for people. Rather, it is due to her struggle with misophonia, a condition that makes certain sounds, such as breathing and chewing, intolerable, as she revealed in her Times profile.

Additionally, the fashion icon has faced numerous challenges in recent years, which likely contributed to her need for a break. In a 2023 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Evangelista shared that she had breast cancer twice within a span of five years, undergoing a double mastectomy, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, and radiation. On top of it, Evangelista's plastic surgery controversy took an additional toll on her dating life. The model opened up on social media about a fat-freezing procedure, CoolSculpting, gone wrong, leaving her body "permanently deformed." According to her Times interview, she last dated before undergoing the treatment in 2015 and doesn't have any plans to get back out there any time soon.

Jane Fonda is done with dating and doesn't have a problem with that. Unlike some of her famous peers, Fonda doesn't attribute her break from romance to a traumatic experience or a difficult relationship; she's simply moved on. Speaking to Extra in 2018, Fonda shared, "I've closed up shop down there."

Just a year prior, she was in a relationship with music producer Richard Perry. Before calling it quits with him and dating in general, Fonda told The Sun she only found genuine intimacy with Perry, which was something she was unable to experience in her past relationships and three failed marriages. "I feel totally secure with him," the actor gushed. Nonetheless, the two still broke up following an eight-year relationship but have remained on great terms, Perry told E! News in 2017. Despite the producer hoping for a reconciliation, Fonda doesn't seem to be interested.

In a 2018 conversation on SiriusXM's "Town Hall" with Hoda Kotb, Fonda said of her love life, "My current and next love are my girlfriends," adding, "I've had a good run." The Hollywood veteran reiterated her stance when speaking to Harper's Bazaar in 2021, sharing: "I don't want to be in a relationship, a sexual relationship, again. I don't have that desire."

Sometimes you need a break before being able to resume where you left off. That's exactly what Drew Barrymore did, and the actor-turned-host has been very open about hitting pause on dating. After already divorcing twice, Barrymore went through a highly publicized split from her ex-husband of four years, Will Kopelman, in 2016, with whom she shares two daughters. In a candid 2020 interview with Willie Geist on "Today," Barrymore shared that she struggled to cope with the aftermath of their divorce. She explained, "I think I'm equally as scared to find love again as I would be if it never happened."

In 2022, on "CBS Mornings," Barrymore openly discussed the challenges of navigating the dating world as a single mother of two. "I don't want to bring people home," she told guest Bobby Berk (via CBS News). Barrymore revealed that she took a four-year break from meeting new people following her last divorce, fueling speculation that she resumed dating around 2020.

Fitting the timeline, in 2023, the "Charlie's Angels" star shared that she had been secretly involved with someone for the past three years, according to Entertainment Tonight. The actor dropped the bombshell revelation when interviewing Gwyneth Paltrow on "The Drew Barrymore Show," revealing that she met the mystery man on Raya, an exclusive dating app. While Barrymore downplayed the seriousness of the relationship, it's evident that her break from dating has had positive effects on her love life.

Another Hollywood legend decided to remain unattached. Diane Keaton, who has openly been embracing her single status for decades, shared in a 2023 interview with AARP that dating is still not on her agenda. "I don't date," she said, explaining, "I don't remember anyone calling me, going, 'This is So-and-So. I'd like to take you out.'"

Keaton never got married and was always quite open about not wanting to. In a candid conversation with People, Keaton admitted that she doesn't have what it takes to be a good wife to somebody. "I don't think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I'm really glad I didn't," she told the outlet. Speaking with Interview, Keaton reflected on her choice to remain single, citing her mother's decision to prioritize building a family over pursuing personal aspirations as a significant influence.

Notably, the star is more than serious about staying solo. While promoting her 2023 movie, "Maybe I Do," Keaton shared that she hasn't been on a date in at least 15 years. "[The dates] probably just thought, 'Enough's enough. She's too weird," she quipped to Extra, adding, "I'm kind of odd, but I'm doing fine."

Renowned for her outspoken stance against conforming to conventional dating and marriage norms, Chelsea Handler stands firmly by her beliefs. In a 2012 interview with iVillage, Handler shared her disinterest in dating, outright saying to the host, "I don't like dating." Three years later, reflecting on a string of disappointing dates, Handler revealed to People that she took a year-long hiatus from the dating scene, as per the Daily Mail. She echoed the sentiment in 2017 when she appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," as reported by Entertainment Tonight, admitting that dating wasn't something she was actively pursuing. "You would have to be really fantastic to get me to lose my focus," Handler explained.

During a 2014 conversation with Gwyneth Paltrow at Live Talks Los Angeles, Handler admitted to viewing love as a potential distraction (via ABC News). She shared: "I don't really know how to balance a relationship and my life. I've never been able to really do that." In a 2016 essay for Time Magazine, she defended her solo status, sharing how her love life revelations led her to the realization that she thrived on her own. "I respectfully reserve a table for one in the restaurant of life," she penned.

Although the comedian didn't swear off dating forever and was famously in a relationship with comedian Jo Koy for a year before their 2022 split, she has never been married. "I don't know that I'm the marrying kind," she admitted to Today in 2021.