Leslie Bibb has spoken candidly about why she never planned to have children, revealing she has never felt the instinct to become a mother.

The White Lotus star discussed her decision during an appearance on Jenna Bush Hager's Open Book podcast, explaining how her upbringing shaped her choice to remain child-free.

"I don't want kids. It's not a chip I have, and the mom I would want to be, I'm not sure I can be," she said on Thursday's episode. "My dad died when I was three, and my mom had a really hard time with it, and then she was working all the time because she had four girls and she had to."

Leslie admitted that her mother's absence during childhood had a lasting impact.

"I really felt the loss of her presence because she was hustling," she told host Jenna. "All I wanted was her there, but she was providing for us."

She added, "I knew how important that was for me - if I had a kid - to give that to them."

While she wishes her mother could have been more present, Leslie said she grew up with a strong appreciation for her work ethic.

"The other thing she taught me was hustle. I saw how happy she was," the 52-year-old shared. "(While) I wanted my mom there, I knew that I had a better, more fun mom because she was really fulfilled by her work."

"She loved being a mom, but she also liked being an independent woman, and she was smart, clever and a go-getter."

During the interview, the actress revealed she never developed a maternal instinct, saying, "I never did. I have it toward dogs, like, you put a dog in front of me and I'm, like, 'Ahh!'"

Leslie has been in a relationship with actor Sam Rockwell since 2007.