Kim Cattrall Does Not Have Kids, but She Still Considers Herself a Mother

"There is a way to become a mother in this day and age that doesn't include your name on the child's birth certificate," Sex & the City star explains

Hold the cosmopolitans. 

Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall asserts that she is a mother, despite never having birthed a child. The actress, who famously portrayed the sexy, single and purposefully childless Samantha on the HBO hit series, is raising eyebrows for the statements she made to BBC Radio in which she also raised the question as to what exactly defines motherhood.

"I am a parent. I have actors and actresses that I mentor. I have nieces and nephews that I am very close to," Cattrall explained. "There is a way to become a mother in this day and age that doesn't include your name on the child's birth certificate." 

Cattrall, 59, whose acting career began as soon as she graduated high school in 1972, has had a seasoned career in Hollywood for more than four decades. While her star power has endured, it has come with its own costs—including not having children. The Golden Globe winner says she doesn't regret not having children in the biological sense, but doesn't want those personal choices to impede her overall worth. 

"It sounds like you're less because you haven't had a child," Cattrall said. "There are many different ways to be a mum in the world." 

Cattrall notes one way she is a mother is through a scholarship fund she is developing at her former high school, arguing that providing financial support is a key element of parenthood.

Her comments have faced mixed reviews on social media, some saying she misunderstands the definition of motherhood while others have applauded her for describing their own feelings on the subject. Despite the public's personal views, Cattrall's questions come at a key moment in America's cultural history.

In light of the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of gay marriage, the traditional roles of parenthood are being redefined in real time. In addition, Caitlyn Jenner's public transition from male to female and raised global awareness of the LGBTQ community are forcing the American public and countries around the world to reevaluate their definitions of what it means to be a man or a woman, a mother or a father. 

"You can express that maternal side of you, very clearly, very strongly," says Cattrall.