Idina Menzel Describes the ‘Balancing Act’ of Injecting Her Body for IVF Treatments and Touring the Country for Work
Idina Menzel is a true definition of the word diva, a superstar who commands a stage or screen with her very presence. She rose to fame as a theatre star, with her soaring voice earning her acclaim from critics and fans, and eventually, she was able to transition to a successful career in film. These days, Menzel is an icon, beloved by fans around the world. However, things haven’t always been easy for Menzel — and in a recent interview in advance of her all-new documentary, Menzel opened up about her decision to undergo IVF after she married her second husband.
Idina Menzel was married to Taye Diggs for over 10 years
Menzel’s first marriage seemed to be a match made in heaven. Menzel first crossed paths with singer Taye Diggs in 1995, when they were both working in theatre, and they started dating not long after. They rose to fame at each other’s sides, tying the knot in 2003 after years of romantic involvement. In 2009, Menzel and Diggs welcomed their son, Walker Diggs.
Even though the couple seemed truly in love, Menzel would later note that they would occasionally receive “hate mail” because they were in an interracial marriage. The pressure might have been too much to bear because, in late 2013, it was reported that Menzel and Diggs had decided to split. The couple divorced not long after.
Idina Menzel opened up about going through IVF
Menzel was able to move on after her divorce from Diggs, finding love with actor Aaron Lohr not long after the split was finalized. Menzel and Lohr moved in together in 2015, getting engaged the following year — and ultimately, tying the knot in September 2017. Menzel realized after their marriage that Lohr was so “amazing” to her son with Diggs that she wanted to try to have a baby with her new husband, telling People Magazine that she embarked on the process of in-vitro fertilization close to four years ago, all while touring the country performing to sold-out concert venues.
“I’m literally going through stuff that I’m shooting into my body and I don’t know how that’s going to affect my voice,” she said, calling the process a “balancing act.” Menzel’s new documentary, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? captures much of this time in Menzel’s life. Menzel, who is now 51, noted that “And it may force me to make extra trips to get back and forth to the doctor in addition to making trips to get home to my family. And all of that isn’t great on your body when you’re trying to have a baby.” Ultimately, her IVF experience was unsuccessful, but Menzel said that she and Lohr have “moved beyond” it and are in a good place today, saying that they are content. “No matter what the outcome, I just wanted women to feel seen in this film and people to understand what we go through,” the singer said.
Celebrities who have been open about their experiences with IVF
Menzel isn’t the first celebrity to have bravely shared her IVF journey. According to Marie Claire Australia, celebrities like Amy Schumer, Chrissy Teigen, and Courteney Cox have all talked about their decisions to utilize IVF in order to build their families. Even former first lady Michelle Obama has gone on record saying that she and her husband, Barack Obama, had to go through IVF to have both of their daughters.
