Katey Sagal has opened up about the experience of having a child at age 52, revealing she told her husband she had "five minutes left" if they wanted to start a family. The 72-year-old actress, known for her roles in "Married... With Children" and "Sons of Anarchy," shared her story on the "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" podcast.
Sagal welcomed her youngest daughter, Esme, now 19, in 2007 via surrogate with her husband, Kurt Sutter. She is also mother to Sarah, 31, and Jackson, 30, from her previous marriage to Jack White. "I had a child at 52 through a surrogate, but I became a mother again at 52," Sagal told host Ted Danson.
She recounted that when she met Sutter, who is six years her junior, he was initially hesitant about having children. Sagal stated, "And I was like, 'Okay, because I have about five minutes left if you wanna have kids.'" However, after about five years into their relationship, Sutter reconsidered, and the couple pursued the surrogacy process.
"This is Esme, my sweet Esme, who's 19. She's my favorite right now. Kids, I love you all," Sagal said, referring to her youngest daughter. She emphasized that "we continue to live life, we don't just fold up and die."
In a previous interview with People, Sagal explained that Sutter had been content being a stepfather to her older children but desired biological children of his own. Their initial exploration into adoption proved difficult, and subsequent in vitro fertilization attempts with their own embryos were unsuccessful due to their low strength. "But then our little Esme came through. That's why we call her our little miracle, our beautiful miracle," Sagal said of Esme's arrival.
Sagal also touched on her children's ventures into the entertainment industry. Her son Jackson has appeared in projects like "Tell Me Lies" on Hulu and "Pet Sematary: Bloodlines." Sagal noted his recent success, stating he is currently filming in Australia. Jackson has expressed discomfort with the "nepo baby" label, preferring to establish his own identity, partly by using a different last name.
Her daughter Sarah is a musician who released an album titled "Are You Here This Time" in 2023 and has released tracks such as "Ride." Sagal praised her oldest daughter's musical talent and the challenges of self-marketing in the current music industry.
Jackson previously shared that his mother advised him against pursuing acting until he was 18, encouraging him to grow up first. Sagal occasionally shares photos of her three children on Instagram, most recently posting a black and white image for Mother's Day with a caption calling them "the loves of my life."