11 Characters That Were Pregnant in Real Life, and What Their Babies Look Like Today

Participating in the filming of a series or movie is hard work since celebrities have to get into the skin of their characters to achieve an authentic interpretation. But that doesn’t mean that actors don’t have real lives behind the scenes. Sometimes, actresses decide to become mothers and already have contracts with production companies. This presents a challenge for them, because of their pregnancy, and for the filmmakers who have to decide whether to incorporate the belly into the plot or simply let the actress cover her belly.

Bright Side made a list of 11 celebrities who played during pregnancy (some of them had to hide their belly) and is revealing what these kids that made things complicated for their mothers and producers look like today.

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Seinfeld

During the shooting of the third season of the popular sitcom, Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus became pregnant with her first child, Henry Hall. Baby Henry was born in July of 1992. However, the actress’s pregnancy was never really a problem for the producers of the series. The simple solution writers came up with was to put her character, Elaine, in baggy clothes and any large garments to hide her belly. Henry is currently 29 years old.

2. Claire Danes in Homeland

You probably know actress Claire Danes because of the amazing performance she delivered as the CIA agent, Carrie Mathison, in the television series, Homeland. However, what’s not often talked about is the fact that she was 8 months pregnant when she completed the filming of the second season. Her pregnancy could not be introduced in the plot due to her character, so they decided to use digital retouching to hide her belly. Her son, Cyrus, was born in December 2012, and he’s now 9 years old.

3. Ellen Pompeo in Grey’s Anatomy

During the filming of the sixth season of one of the most popular drama series ever created, Grey’s Anatomy, producers decided to hide Ellen Pompeo’s pregnancy from the cameras. This was done because, for the writers, this was not the right time for her character, Dr. Meredith, to have a baby, and they wanted to keep that for a later moment. In September 2009, Stella Luna, now 12 years old, was born.

4. Zooey Deschanel in New Girl

Zooey Deschanel was 7 months pregnant when season 5 of the hit series, New Girl,was shot. As you probably remember, the actress had to be momentarily replaced by Megan Fox since producers were only able to hide her belly for no more than a few episodes. Deschanel also had to stay off the series until she returned from postpartum rest. Zooey gave birth to her daughter, Elsie, in August 2015, and today the little girl is 5 years old.

5. Holly Marie Combs in Charmed

Holly Marie Combs, who plays Piper, one of the main characters of the series, Charmed, announced during the shooting of the sixth season that she was pregnant. The producers thought it was better to hide her pregnancy at first. However, after a while, they decided that it was better for her character to actually have a child in the story as well. Apparently, Piper’s pregnancy was planned before the actress knew she was expecting a baby, so that came in handy. Combs gave birth to her first child, Finley Arthur, in 2004, and he’s now 17 years old.

6. Amaia Salamanca in Velvet

https://embed.gettyimages.com/embed/667730796?et=qkSA4q7KRYpwkGjPvGq6ew&tld=es&sig=7gpI_h2Icj2NbK0Kl3NV-_unjFrM4_HJtvhUF_g1sfE=&caption=true&ver=1

Amaia Salamanca’s pregnancy was well-planned when she rejoined the set of Velvet, a show about the compelling Spanish story of a fashion house in Madrid in the late ’50s. Because of this, production had no choice but to make Barbara, her character, pregnant as well. At the age of 28, she gave birth to her first child, a girl named Olivia Varo, in April 2014.

7. Kerry Washington in Scandal

Kerry Washington’s pregnancy happened right in the middle of the shooting of the series, Scandal, in which she played the main character. This unforeseen event forced producers to reduce the number of episodes to hide the actress’s pregnancy that couldn’t fit the schedule of the series. Currently, her daughter, Isabelle, is 7 years old.

8. Kristen Bell in House of Lies

The star of the House of Lies TV series, Kristen Bell, was about 6 months pregnant with her first daughter when the second season of the show was about to be shot. In order to actually film some episodes, the producers had to hire a body double for the scenes in which Bell would have had to show her belly. Her first daughter, Lincoln Bell, is now 8 years old.

9. Cobie Smulders in How I Met Your Mother

https://embed.gettyimages.com/embed/165393821?et=bak9FYxCS1h09phHhjaOIg&tld=no&sig=Dn2XqspeN4ZcyicTRn-p4kc5RF_6Op1Vray794hTe00=&caption=true&ver=1

Actress Cobie Smulders brought her character, Robin, to millions of small screens thanks to the sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. After fellow actress Alyson Hannigan told the show-runners that she was pregnant, Cobie Smulders discovered that she was also pregnant and told the producers who had to camouflage both of their pregnancies. To disguise Smulders’ belly, producers asked the costume designers to use garments and objects that could hide her abdomen, and they had the character remain seated for most of the scenes that she appeared in. In May 2009, the actress gave birth to her daughter, Shaelyn.

10. Madonna in Evita

Madonna, also known as the Queen of Pop, made the controversial 1996 film in which she played the wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Domingo Perón, Eva Perón. However, Madonna was pregnant with her daughter, Lourdes Leon, back then. It was because of this that the crew of Evita cleverly used costumes and camera shots so that it was not noticeable that Madonna was pregnant with her eldest daughter who is now 24 years old.

11. Lisa Kudrow in Friends

When Lisa Kudrow played Phoebe Buffay on one of the most famous sitcoms, Friends, she became pregnant. This was right about when they started filming the fourth season. The producers decided to include her pregnancy in the story by having Phoebe lend her womb to her brother to conceive triplets because he and his wife couldn’t have kids on their own. Today, her only son, Julian, is 23 years old.

What is your favorite family series? What do you think of women who work while pregnant?

Preview photo credit Friends / Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, and, co-producerlisakudrow / Instagram

I Found a Christmas Gift in My Husband’s Closet, but It Had His Mistress’s Name on It – So I Switched It to Get Revenge

Finding a hidden Christmas gift is supposed to bring excitement and joy — but what if the tag reveals a name that shatters your trust? One woman’s discovery turned heartbreak into a bold act of revenge that’s equal parts shocking and satisfying.

Two days before Christmas, I found a hidden gift box in my husband’s closet meant for his mistress. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I planned the “perfect” surprise instead, one they’d never forget.

I never thought I’d be the type of woman who’d get creative with payback, but life has a way of surprising you. Just like finding that little red gift box in my husband’s closet surprised me. Now, sitting here with a glass of wine, I can’t help but smile at how perfectly my Christmas surprise turned out.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

The first sign something was wrong came a month before Christmas. Jimmy started working late… really late. The kind of late that makes you wonder if your husband’s office actually has a bed hidden somewhere.

Then, one day, out of the blue, he was already home. Weird.

“Hey, you’re home early! I took half a day off today. Headache. So, how was the meeting with the client” his voice echoed from the kitchen as I walked through our front door at 7 p.m. These days, that counts as early.

I dropped my keys in the ceramic bowl we’d bought on our honeymoon. “Yeah, the meeting was fine.”

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

The house felt empty despite the Christmas decorations I’d put up — the garland along the stairs, the wreaths on every door, and the giant tree in our living room that I’d decorated alone while Jimmy worked another late night.

“I made pasta,” he called out. “Want some?”

“Already ate.” I headed upstairs, my footsteps heavy on the wooden stairs. “Got a headache. Think I’ll turn in early.”

A woman ascending upstairs | Source: Midjourney

A woman ascending upstairs | Source: Midjourney

That night, I lay awake listening to Jimmy’s steady breathing beside me, wondering when exactly we’d become strangers who shared a bed. Five years of marriage, no kids yet. We’d been “waiting for the right time.”

Now, I wondered if there’d ever be one.

My mom had warned me about marrying young. “You’re only 23, Alina,” she’d said. “What’s the rush?”

But I’d been so sure. Jimmy was different. He was special. He was… well, currently getting a text at 2 a.m. that made his phone light up the darkness of our bedroom.

A man using a smartphone in his bedroom | Source: Midjourney

A man using a smartphone in his bedroom | Source: Midjourney

Two days before Christmas, I finally tackled Jimmy’s disaster of a home office and then started cleaning his closet. Between the messy clothes, tangled charging cables, and abandoned gym gear, something caught my eye.

It was a red gift box tucked behind some of his winter coats.

My heart skipped. Maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe he’d planned a surprise. Maybe all those late nights were just him working hard to afford something special for me.

Then I saw the note attached with a pristine silver ribbon: “LOVE YOU, JULIE!”

Here’s the heartbreaker: My name IS NOT JULIE!

A red gift box | Source: Midjourney

A red gift box | Source: Midjourney

The world didn’t stop spinning. My hands didn’t shake. Instead, a strange calm washed over me as I opened the box to find a diamond necklace — the exact one I’d shown him months ago during our anniversary dinner.

“Look how beautiful that is,” I’d said, pointing to the jewelry store window.

“Too expensive,” he’d replied, barely glancing up from his phone.

Apparently not too expensive for Julie, though!

A heartbroken woman holding a red gift box | Source: Midjourney

A heartbroken woman holding a red gift box | Source: Midjourney

I pulled out my phone and dialed Mark, my furniture-fixing friend from college. “Remember when you said you owe me for helping with your divorce paperwork? Time to cash in that favor.”

“Alina? Everything okay?”

“Not really. How good are you at modifying gift boxes?”

Mark’s workshop smelled like sawdust and revenge when I visited. He whistled as he examined the box. “You sure about this, Alina? Once we modify it, we can’t—”

“Absolutely.” I handed him a small canister that contained my secret recipe for revenge. “Make it count.”

A woman holding a small canister | Source: Midjourney

A woman holding a small canister | Source: Midjourney

“It’ll trigger the moment anyone lifts the lid more than an inch.” He demonstrated the mechanism with careful hands. “Spring-loaded, just like you asked. It will hit everything within a three-foot radius. Industrial grade stuff.”

I smiled, imagining the scene. “Perfect!”

“Want to tell me who it’s for?”

“Let’s just say someone’s getting an extra special Christmas surprise this year.”

A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney

A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney

That evening, I returned the gift box to its hiding spot, right where Jimmy would expect to find it. Now came the hard part… waiting.

Christmas morning dawned bright and cold. I’d always loved the magic, anticipation, and joy of Christmas. This year, I felt a different kind of anticipation as I watched from the kitchen while Jimmy grabbed his coat, the red box poorly hidden under his arm.

“Heading to the office, hun?” I asked sweetly, stirring my coffee. “On Christmas?”

A man smiling against the backdrop of Christmas decorations | Source: Midjourney

A man smiling against the backdrop of Christmas decorations | Source: Midjourney

“Just for an hour,” he mumbled, not meeting my eyes. “Emergency client meeting, sugar.”

“Of course. Don’t work too hard.”

He smiled and left. I grabbed my car keys and followed him to Honey Bunz, our favorite restaurant.

Through the window, I saw her. JULIE. My husband’s mistress. She had that perfectly styled blonde hair, red lipstick, and a designer outfit. Everything I didn’t have.

A young woman smiling in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney

A young woman smiling in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney

Julie bounced in her seat like a kid on Christmas morning as Jimmy approached. “Awww, Jim, darling! You shouldn’t have!” She clapped her hands together, drawing stares from nearby tables.

“Anything for you, sweetheart.” Jimmy’s voice carried through the window he’d forgotten to close completely. He slid into the booth across from her, presenting the glittery box with a flourish. “I picked it out for you, my love.”

“Oh my god, is it…?” Julie’s eyes widened as she grabbed the box. “The diamond necklace from La Enchanted Diamonds? The one I showed you last month? The diamond ring from Botswana?”

An excited woman holding a glittery gift box | Source: Midjourney

An excited woman holding a glittery gift box | Source: Midjourney

“Open it and see, sugar.” Jimmy leaned forward, grinning like a fool.

“I’m trying. The knot seems a bit too tight,” Julie said.

“Let me help you,” Jimmy rose from his chair and approached her as they untied the ribbon.

“Three…” I whispered, my phone steady and recording. “Two… one…”

SPLAT!

The explosion of green paint was magnificent. Julie’s scream hit a note I didn’t think was humanly possible. “MY HAIR! MY DRESS!” She jumped up, paint dripping down her face like melted ice cream. “JIMMY, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?”

A startled woman shrieking | Source: Midjourney

A startled woman shrieking | Source: Midjourney

Jimmy stood frozen, mouth open, green paint dripping from his nose. “I… I don’t…”

“Is this some kind of joke?” Julie shrieked, wiping paint from her eyes. “Do you think this is funny, you MORON?”

An elderly woman at the next table snorted into her mimosa. “Well, I think it’s hilarious!”

“Someone get this on video!” a teenage boy called out.

“Already trending!” another responded, typing furiously on his phone.

A shocked man with his face covered in green paint | Source: Midjourney

A shocked man with his face covered in green paint | Source: Midjourney

Julie grabbed her ruined designer purse. “I look like the Grinch threw up on me! This dress cost more than your monthly salary, you idiot!”

“Julie, baby, wait—” Jimmy stood up, spreading green paint everywhere.

“Don’t ‘baby’ me! I’m done being your dirty little suprise!” She stormed toward the door, leaving green footprints in her wake. “And by the way? Your wife’s way too good for you!”

You got that right, sister!

A furious woman | Source: Midjourney

A furious woman | Source: Midjourney

I barely made it home before Jimmy burst through the door, his face and expensive suit covered in bright green paint.

“What happened to you?” I gasped, fighting to keep my expression concerned. “You look like the Grinch!”

“Some… some kids with paint balloons,” he sputtered. “They were targeting everyone outside my office.”

“On Christmas? How awful!” I reached for the manila envelope on the counter. “Oh, by the way, these came for you today. Consider it my Christmas gift, DARLING!”

A woman holding a manila envelope | Source: Midjourney

A woman holding a manila envelope | Source: Midjourney

Jimmy’s paint-streaked fingers trembled as he opened the envelope. His eyes widened at the divorce papers inside.

“WHAT?” He looked up, anxiety dawning on his green face.

“Merry Christmas, darling.” I pulled the diamond necklace out of my pocket. “By the way, your taste in jewelry has improved since our anniversary. Poor Julie. She missed out on this!”

A woman holding a diamond necklace | Source: Midjourney

A woman holding a diamond necklace | Source: Midjourney

“You… you swi—”

“Yep! I switched the gift box you’d so lovingly hidden for your sweet mistress! How was the surprise? Liked it?”

“Alina, honey, let me explain. You don’t understand!” He stepped forward. “Julie means nothing to me! She was a mistake!”

“A mistake?” I laughed. “A mistake is forgetting to buy milk. A mistake is mixing whites with colors in the laundry. Buying your mistress the exact necklace your wife wanted? That’s betrayal.”

A man gaping in shock | Source: Midjourney

A man gaping in shock | Source: Midjourney

“We can fix this!” He reached for me with paint-stained hands. “I’ll do anything! Counseling, therapy, whatever you want!”

“What I want?” I stepped back. “I wanted a faithful husband. I wanted the man I married. Instead, I got a liar who can’t even come up with a decent excuse for being caught. ‘Kids with paint balloons?’ Really?”

“Baby, please,” Jimmy stepped forward, green paint dripping onto our pristine floors. “It was nothing serious. Julie was just… she didn’t mean anything. We never—”

“Save it.” I held up my hand. “I’ve heard all the excuses. ‘She’s just a friend.’ ‘We’re just colleagues.’ ‘Those late nights were just work.’ Do you know what the worst part is? I actually believed you for a while.”

An angry woman yelling | Source: Midjourney

An angry woman yelling | Source: Midjourney

“Don’t do this. Please. I’m sorry.”

I laughed. “You know what’s funny? I spent months thinking I wasn’t enough. That I needed to be prettier, smarter, and better somehow. But standing here looking at you covered in paint, I realize you’re the one who was never enough.”

“Give me another chance.”

“No.” I grabbed my packed suitcase from behind the couch. “But thanks for the necklace. Consider it my consolation prize. Oh, and Jimmy? Green really isn’t your color.”

As I drove away, I caught one last glimpse of Jimmy in my rearview mirror, a pathetic green figure standing in our driveway. My phone buzzed with notifications. Apparently, someone had posted the paint incident online. The video was already going viral.

A woman driving a car | Source: Unsplash

A woman driving a car | Source: Unsplash

The last I heard, Julie dumped him following the paint incident that made rounds at the law firm where they worked. She couldn’t handle being known as ‘the green mistress.

Jimmy tried dating apps for a while, but it’s hard to find matches when you’re infamous as “the green Christmas cheater.”

Me? I’m doing just fine. The necklace looks beautiful with everything I wear. Every time it catches the light, I smile, remembering my special Christmas payback: the day I wrapped up my marriage with a bow and a whole lot of green paint.

A cheerful woman wearing a diamond necklace | Source: Midjourney

A cheerful woman wearing a diamond necklace | Source: Midjourney

Here’s another story: I mourned my dead wife for 23 years after she died in a plane crash. But fate had arranged for one more meeting with her.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

Related Posts

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*