Ina Garten Jokes She's 'the Worst Kind of Childless Cat Lady': 'I Don't Even Have a Cat!'

In her new memoir, 'Be Ready When the Luck Happens,' the Barefoot Contessa opened up about how she never wanted kids because of her own “horrible” childhood

Ina Garten isn't a childless cat lady — she's just childless.

In her new memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, the Barefoot Contessa star shares how she never wanted kids after her own “horrible” childhood. So on Cherry Bombe’s latest podcast, host Kerry Diamond asked Garten how she felt about the term “childless” being “weaponized,” referring to comments made by J.D. Vance, the vice presidential Republican nominee, in a 2021 interview.

“Technically, it’s not an ugly word. It’s being used as an ugly word. It’s being used in a way that says if women don’t have children, they have no value. It’s that simple. And they have no value to society. They have no value to other people. It’s obviously ridiculous," said Garten.

Diamond pointed out that Garten might not have kids, but she's not a "cat lady."

“I’m not just childless. I don’t even have a cat," laughed Garten. "I'm the worst kind of childless cat lady!"

Related: Ina Garten ‘Couldn’t Understand Why People Had Kids' After Her Own ‘Horrible Childhood’ (Exclusive)

The Food Network star said that her and husband Jeffrey’s “simple” life has granted them many freedoms.

“We do what we love to do. We spend a lot of wonderful time together. We’re not responsible to anything except each other and the people who work with us and our friends. The things that people fight about, we don’t even have,” she laughed.

And when it comes to having pets, the Gartens are happy just the way they are.

“I know people love their pets. I know people love their children, and I admire that. I just don’t have it in me,” she quipped.

During her September cover story with PEOPLE, Garten elaborated on her decision not to have kids.

Related: Ina Garten Opens Up About Childhood Abuse By Her Father: ‘I Remember Thinking He Would Kill Me’ (Exclusive)

"I grew up in a family that wasn't a happy family, so I couldn't understand why people had kids," she said. "Nobody had any fun in my family. Now I understand it, but at the time, when I was 25 and 30, I just didn't. It was nothing I really wanted to do."

Able to push public scrutiny and expectations aside, Garten has no regrets.

"Dolly Parton once opened up to Oprah Winfrey about why she didn’t have children. She said, 'If I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done.' I feel the same way," she wrote in her memoir.

Be Ready When the Luck Happens comes out Oct. 1 from Crown Publishing Group and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.

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