Is it just me, or does it seem like there’s a new celebrity pregnancy announcement every day on Instagram? Whether it’s Kylie Jenner, Emma Stone, Cardi B, or John Mulaney and Olivia Munn, it appears every celeb used quarantine to their advantage. I get it — if your quarantine consisted of living with a jaw-dropping supermodel, how could you not get her pregnant? (I’m talking to you, Travis Scott). Some of us watched Netflix for days on end during quarantine or learned to knit a scarf that was just a bit too long, but apparently, these celebrities used it to take off their face masks and get up close and personal.
Just this morning, Katniss Everdeen joined the quarantine baby club — PEOPLE magazine directly reported from Jennifer Lawrence’s reps that she and her art gallery director baby daddy are, in fact, expecting a little Mockingjay. This comes just after the surprising news that Kylie Jenner is having a second baby with Travis Scott — which she announced in a heartwarming video.
Kris Jenner, the grandma of ten (soon to be eleven) grandbabies, can be heard in the video saying, “This is one of the happiest days of my life.” When Stormi handed her photos of the ultrasound, it’s safe to say Kris looked pretty surprised — I’d even take a guess that Kylie and Travis weren’t necessarily “trying” to have a little one. But hey, sometimes that’s what happens when you’re stuck in the house for 12+ months.
No more than a few hours after this shocking announcement came an even more surprising pregnancy reveal on national television from comedian John Mulaney. On Late Night with Seth Meyers, he announced: “I got into this relationship that’s been really beautiful with someone incredible…and we are having a baby together.” That incredible someone is none other than actress Olivia Munn, who he started dating after attending rehab earlier this year. I love some John Mulaney, and I’m honestly thrilled for the couple, but phew — this love story is messy. Even so, with Mulaney’s humor and Munn’s acting chops, their baby is bound to live an exciting life.
Another celebrity who recently took on the “mom” role is Halsey; their recent album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, was even inspired by their personal journey with motherhood. The album’s iconic cover image — which was originally announced on Instagram on July 10th and subsequently broke the internet — attempts to depict the breastfeeding mother through a lens of beauty and strength. According to Halsey’s IG caption, the album was written to raise awareness for “the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.” The singer adds: “The idea that me as a sexual being and my body as a vessel and gift to my child are two concepts that can co-exist peacefully and powerfully.” They gave birth to a beautiful baby, Ender Ridley Aydin, on July 14th, shortly after the album announcement.
We can’t forget how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave birth to their second royal baby, Lilibet Diana, on June 4th — and now, baby fever continues to hit Hollywood royalty as well. Scarlett Johansson (AKA the Black Widow herself) and her partner Colin Jost welcomed their baby, Cosmo, into the world this summer while another superhero, Gal Gadot, gave birth to her third daughter, Daniella. Even Disney stars like Hillary Duff, Ashley Tisdale, and Brenda Song got knocked up during quarantine, and — hold up — Bindi Irwin?! I know, I’m shocked, too. Apparently the daughter of the late Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) welcomed her first baby on March 25th. And these are just a few of the many celebrities who boarded the parenting train during the pandemic.
After investigating the countless celebrity pregnancy announcements posted in 2021, it looks like Emma Stone might be secretly responsible for introducing the pandemic baby trend. Her delivery announcement came out of nowhere, with both her fans and the media surprised that she was ever pregnant in the first place. Due to the pandemic providing a sense of privacy, Stone was able to keep her pregnancy hidden up until her baby’s arrival. She’s not the only celebrity who has opted to keep her private life “offline” — even Stormi’s birth was kept a secret, and couples like Tom Holland and Zendaya managed to keep their romance under wraps, along with the rise of “offline” partners in general. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see celebrities continue to keep their partners and even babies out of the limelight.
Based on my calendar and social media intel, it appears there have been at least sixty famous babies who were born during the pandemic. You read that right — sixty little celebrity babies learning to talk, walk and poop. If that number doesn’t prove that celebrities took advantage of the stay-at-home orders, I don’t know what will. Personally, I think it’s absolutely mindblowing that so many celebrities are getting pregnant during this pandemic — never in a million years would I expect Emma Stone to settle down and start a family (I just can’t unsee her as Olive in Easy A). It’s exciting to see these hardworking, talented artists make their personal lives just as much of a priority as, say, filming a blockbuster movie. Plus, it’s a reminder that celebrities do, in fact, have lives outside of making money and being successful. The way things are looking, any big-time Hollywood celebrity could be the next culprit of a pandemic pregnancy. As for me? I’ll be waiting for Ariana Grande to birth a talented little mini-me, high ponytail and all.