The Hollywood cover-up: Celebrities hiding their pregnancies from the world
Iggy Azalea’s “I have a son” announcement rocked the globe – but she’s not the only celebrity that’s kept their baby news under wraps.
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Australian rapper Iggy Azalea’s “I have a son” announcement rocked fans to their cores this week.
The shocking revelation had social media users spiralling in confusion as to when the 30-year-old gave birth – and who the father is.
While many are speculating the child’s father to be fellow rapper Playboi Carti, the answer remains unclear, with the couple staying tight-lipped on the situation.
“I want to keep his life private but wanted to make it clear he is not a secret and I love him beyond words,” Azalea said on an Instagram story.
The announcement of her baby boy follows months of public speculation she was pregnant, which dates back as far as late last year.
Azalea’s desire to keep her pregnancy under wraps is not an uncommon theme among celebrities, with many such as Meghan Markle, Kylie Jenner and Eva Mendes doing the same.
Here are some of the other high profile couples who have chosen not to reveal details of their expanding families.
EVA MENDES AND RYAN GOSLING
US actors Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling have time-and-time again proven you can keep a pregnancy under wraps, having hidden not just one but two.
The couple welcomed their first daughter, Esmeralda Amada Gosling, in 2014 after months of hiding Mendes’ tummy with strategically placed bags and scarfs.
They did not release her name until about a month after her birth.
Their second pregnancy with daughter Amada Lee Gosling was eerily similar but the public caught on just weeks before her birth.
Mendes and Gosling are yet to share any photos of their children on social media – and it is unlikely that will ever change.
KYLIE JENNER
US reality star Kylie Jenner hid her entire pregnancy in 2017 before welcoming daughter Stormi in February 2018.
She withdrew from appearances and social media, and strategically wore baggy clothing – loose shirts, robes and puffer jackets.
To keep fans from wondering where she went and why, Jenner posted a handful of throwback photos and starred in the family’s Calvin Klein campaign, which covered her stomach in every shot.
She did, however, manage to grace the cover of a magazine throughout her pregnancy.
Her sister Kendall Jenner was her interviewer and photographer, and the image on the magazine’s front is close enough to hide the bump.
After Stormi’s birth, Jenner and co-parent Travis Scott have freely posted pictures of their daughter online, with many posts showing her day-to-day life, smiling and running.
LARA BINGLE AND SAM WORTHINGTON
Aussie model Lara Bingle Worthington and her Aussie actor husband Sam Worthington secretly welcomed their third child.
The 32-year-old was spotted this week with her newborn son, alongside husband Sam and their two other children Rocket, 5, and Racer, 3.
It is no surprise Lara was able to get away with keeping her pregnancy under wraps, with the nation going into lockdown from March.
Her husband, who she started dating in 2013 and married in secret a year later, is also a notoriously private person.
Lara refrained from using social media throughout her pregnancy – only uploading three photos in 2020 – and the couple are yet to acknowledge the birth of their third child.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA
Former Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova welcomed her third child with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias after a secret pregnancy.
The couple shared photos of the baby girl shortly after her birth in February.
It is the couple’s second secret pregnancy after welcoming twins – Nicholas and Lucy – in December 2017.
The pair have been romantically involved since 2001.
They met on the set of Iglesias’ music video for the song Escape and aside from a brief split in 2013, they have been together since.
Kournikova and Iglesias are not married.
In a rare move for the private mum, Kournikova has started sharing photos and videos of her children online.
Her Instagram is usually filled with glamour shots and pictures with dogs.
AMY SMART AND CARTER OOSTERHOUSE
In December 2016, US actor Amy Smart and her husband Carter Oosterhouse revealed the arrival of their daughter, Flora, via Instagram.
The announcement was a surprise to fans, who did not even realise Smart was pregnant.
Little did they know Flora was born via a surrogate, which the couple confirmed a month later.
“One month ago today, Dec. 26th our amazing beautiful daughter came into this world. Feeling so grateful to have her in my arms … after years of fertility struggles I give thanks today to our kind, loving surrogate for carrying her. 🙏🏼✨🌸 @carterooster,” Smart’s Instagram post read.
The Just Friends actor and the HGTV host married Traverse City, Michigan, a year after they started dating in 2011.
CRISTIANO RONALDO
Speculation is flying around Cristiano Ronaldo about whether his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez is pregnant for a second time.
The Portuguese footballer has previously had three children via a surrogate – Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, 9, and twins Eva and Mateo, 3 – who were welcomed into his life out of the blue.
The announcement of all three children was a shock to many, with surrogacy being a controversial topic in many countries and Ronaldo, a man in his 20s at the time, had a girlfriend who was not expecting.
Ronaldo has been very open with always wanting seven children.
Ronaldo’s fourth child, Alana Martina dos Santos Aveiro, 2, was born in July 2017 and is the daughter of Rodriguez.
Now rumours about Rodriguez being pregnant are flying online after she uploaded a blurred photo of herself chewing gum with the words “Baby Girl” displayed alongside a heart-in-bow emoji.
SANDRA BULLOCK
Speed actor Sandra Bullock has two adoptive children – Louis Bardo Bullock, 10, and Laila Bullock, 8 – both of which she kept their identity and adoption under wraps for years.
Louis’ adoption was kept secret until 2010, and Bullock announced the news of her daughter via a cover for People magazine after paparazzi threatened to make it public.
Both children were hidden from the public eye until the time was right, with Bullock introducing Laila to the world on a surprise appearance on Red Table Talk in May.
Bullock is notoriously private and has been that way for more than 30 years.
RASHIDA JONES AND EZRA KOENIG
US actor Rashida Jones gave birth to her first child with musician partner Ezra Koenig in 2018 after an entirely secret pregnancy
Rashida concealed the announcement of Isaiah Jones’ arrival by wearing loose-fitting clothing and uploading images to social media which cropped out her stomach.
She has never once uploaded an image of her son to social media, and it looks to stay that way.
