The pressure to announce your pregnancy in a perfectly crafted social media post can send anyone into a spiral. Not only do you need to look like a glowing goddess, but you also better gush over how ecstatically blissful you feel (no other emotions are acceptable). Bonus points if you detail every craving and deeply personal aspect of your changing body. Add on the celebrity spotlight—and all the scrutiny that comes with it—and announcing a pregnancy can go quickly from sharing a beautiful moment to being dragged down into the abyss of everyone else’s opinions.
That’s why Halle Bailey, in an act of self-preservation, just kept her mouth shut. Despite swirling pregnancy rumors, the 23-year-old star of the Little Mermaid and The Color Purple opted to protect her peace and not let on that she and her boyfriend, DDG, were expecting a son, Halo, until after he was born—and we are here for it.
“No one on social media and no one on the planet was going to tell me what to do with my body or what to share with the world,” she said in an acceptance speech at the 2024 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards on March 7. “There was no way in hell I was going to share the biggest joy of my world with anyone. Halo was my gift. He is the greatest blessing, and I had no obligation to expose him, me, or my family to that,” she continued.
@essence Halle Bailey candidly shared why she decided to not share her pregnancy and chose to protect not only her peace but her child from the criticism of the world. And quite frankly, it was none of our business. #ESSENCEBWIH24 #hallebailey ♬ original sound - essence
Her message boils down to this: it’s nobody’s business. Period. Halle did what felt right and safe for her family—and we should all feel empowered to do the same.
Want to announce your pregnancy on day two? Go for it! Want to have a big blowout of a gender reveal? Save us a slice of cake. But if sharing such personal news isn’t sitting right with you, you should also feel free and supported to decide to keep your pregnancy a little closer to the vest. Nobody has the right to know what’s going on with your body. You get to decide how and when you’d like to share that news, if at all. Because if showing up in a friend’s photo with your new baby is your idea of an announcement, cool! Or if you want to publicly acknowledge your now-toddler for the first time in your Oscar’s acceptance speech, like Emma Stone, we’re on board. All that matters is what works for you.
The more people push back against the expectation to post everything online immediately, the better we will all be with respecting the boundaries of others, including celebrities. The journey through pregnancy is yours to savor, and only you get to decide who you want along for the ride.
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