The Evolution of Celebrity Pregnancy Reveals
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What was once a time best kept hidden is now a period celeb mothers are enjoying loudly. The pregnancy announcement has become a staple in celeb culture—and it is here to stay.
Trends. They come and go, yet, one that seems to be gaining more popularity every year is the pregnancy reveal. From flamboyant photoshoots to sweet videos, celebrity mamas cause a stir every time they reveal their baby bumps. Each lady infuses their unique style their fans know and love them for. This trend is not new, despite its ability to garner massive attention today as pregnancy has become a major ‘bag’ itself.
Gone are the days when female celebs were expected to hide for nine months, rendered useless until birth. Modern ladies are now sporting their bumps with pride, demolishing the myth that pregnancy hinders a woman’s career. Let’s look at the evolution of pregnancy reveals through time in mainstream media.
As absurd as it may sound now, pregnant women were not allowed on screen or in the general media decades ago. Lucille Ball was only the second actress to ever appear on TV pregnant when she wrote her real-life pregnancy into her show ‘I Love Lucy’. Ball’s C-Section in 1953 coincided with her character’s day of labour. The episode was watched by 72% of households with televisions, ushering in a new dawn for women on TV.
In 1991, Demi Moore graced the cover of Vanity Fair in what is now one of the most talked-about celebrity pregnancy announcements in contemporary media. Moore posed seven months pregnant with her second child, Scout Willis. Critics bashed the iconic nude photoshoot for being ‘vulgar’; however, it blazed the trail for pregnancy reveals.
Fast forward two decades later, the pregnancy reveal was reinvented once again.
Superstar Beyoncé is synonymous with breaking the internet, and her first pregnancy reveal was no exception. At the 2011 MTV VMAs, after delivering an octave-smashing performance of ‘Love on Top’, she opened her purple, sequined blazer to reveal her baby bump. The moment broke a Twitter record, generating 8,868 tweets per second.
Six years later, she broke more records when she announced her second pregnancy via Instagram. The beautifully styled photo became the most-liked image on the app that year and has amassed millions of likes. Many female celebs have followed in Beyoncé’s footsteps, using performances and social media to announce their bundle of joys.
In South Africa, the last two years have seen a surge of pregnancy reveals from our media personalities and influencers. The young mamas have set the bar high with creative photoshoots and Instagram reels.
Nomalanga Shozi shocked the nation by posting her magazine cover-inspired shoot, sharing her ‘Good News’ with her fans on Instagram and Twitter.
Ayanda Thabethe and Batswadi’s latest cover star, Blue Mbombo took it to the next level by revealing their pregnancies with amazing videos. Both moms wore white and chose breathtaking locations to compliment them.
Business maven DJ Zinhle definitely knows how to market her business ventures. She revealed her second pregnancy in the promo video for her reality show, ‘The Unexpected’, which chronicled her journey to baby Asante’s birth. The reveal was unexpected indeed, as social media went abuzz at the announcement, expressing their excitement for both the baby and the show.
It is great to see mothers embrace motherhood and share it with the world. It is an extremely exciting stage of life—and they sure make it look good. Only time will tell how much more pregnancy reveals will change in the future, but one thing is for sure, Batswadi will be there to witness it all.
