Lea Michele recently announced her engagement to Zandy Reich, but it looks like we won’t be hearing a pregnancy announcement any time soon.
Michele told Us Weekly that although she does eventually want to be a mom, “I’m still playing roles that are under 21, so I kind of want to push that as long as I can. Having a baby might mess that up for me.”
The actress’ under-21 roles include her big TV break as Rachel Berry on Glee and her turn as Hester Ulrich on Scream Queens, which are both great roles, so it’s no surprise she’d want to continue on that path. Though some might criticize Michele for delaying motherhood for the sake of her career, it’s part of a larger trend: Rewire reported that millennials are starting families later than previous generations, even though 52 percent still do want children.
In a society where marriage and kids are expected of women by a certain age, seeing Michele put aside those stereotypical norms in favor of career success is empowering. And it looks like Michele’s career isn’t going to slow down any time soon, as she will be going on a US concert tour with former Glee co-star, Darren Criss, beginning May 30 in Nashville.
It’s awesome to see her thriving, and I’m sure she’s got many more great things coming. And if you’re still hoping to see a mini-Lea one day, you’ll eventually get your chance: “I come from a very large Italian family,” she told Us Weekly, “so [having a child is] very important to me.”