Spotted in Harlem late last month, Rihanna and her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, finally put an end to the is-she-isn’t-she debate surrounding her pregnancy. That same day, photographer Miles Diggs captured a close up of Rihanna’s new baby bump, officially breaking the news with an Instagram post captioned “SHE IS!”.
Throughout the years, many famous women like Rihanna have taken to announcing the news of their pregnancies by posting a photo or two to social media.
While Beyoncé announced her first pregnancy live at the 2011 VMAs, her second pregnancy with twins in 2017 was revealed by a maternity shoot posted to her Instagram, kicking off the trend of baby bump reveals. Nicki Minaj similarly announced her first pregnancy by showing off her bump on Instagram in July 2020.
Shay Mitchell revealed photos of her baby bump to Instagram when she announced her second pregnancy on February 7. In the caption she talks about the joy of bringing a new life into the world while also dealing with the passing of her grandmother. “I can’t help but think this was the universe’s plan all along, knowing I would need other worldly joy to cushion the blow of losing one of the most important people in my life,” said Mitchell.
Kylie Jenner confirmed rumors of her second pregnancy in September 2021 through a minute and half long video posted on her Instagram. This video goes beyond the simple baby bump photo and shows the positive pregnancy test. Later in the video she and her boyfriend, Travis Scott, take their three-year-old daughter to Jenner’s ultrasound appointment.
Not every celebrity uses social media to announce they are expecting. Cardi B revealed her second pregnancy at the BET awards in June 2021, wearing a jumpsuit that revealed her bump during her performance.
Jennifer Lawrence is another famous woman who didn’t follow the social media announcement trend when she announced her pregnancy in September 2021 exclusively to People. Weeks later, she was photographed with her baby bump while out with her husband, Cooke Maroney. The couple is known for keeping much of their relationship private, and don’t typically share big news directly through social media.
It is common for even non-famous women to keep their pregnancies secret during the first trimester. There is a higher chance of miscarriage during the first 12 weeks, along with other risks.
After Mariah Carey was coerced into revealing her pregnancy on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2008, then later miscarried, she spoke up about feeling pressured to share the news before she was ready.
Singer/songwriter Halsey has been open about their struggles with endometriosis and miscarraige in the past. In January 2021, Halsey announced their first pregnancy through an Instagram photoshoot. Six months later, shortly before the birth of their baby, they announced their latest album If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power, which dives deep into the struggles of pregnancy, miscarriage and motherhood.
Priyanka Chopra announced to Instagram on January 21, saying, “We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family.” Many women who have a baby through surrogacy keep it a secret, sometimes even wearing fake bellies to appear pregnant.
While some argue celebrities have to give up their right to privacy in exchange for fame, there are legitimate reasons not to disclose something so personal as pregnancy right away. Ultimately, all pregnant people deserve autonomy over their bodies and to make their own decisions regarding their pregnancies.