Halle Bailey reveals why she shut out social media for 'sacred and beautiful' pregnancy
Halle Bailey finally offered fans an inside look into her pregnancy and explained why she decided to keep it private, weeks after welcoming her first child with rapper DDG.
The 23-year-old singer-actor said that keeping her pregnancy from the internet and fans for months allowed her to ensure she had a "beautiful, private, healthy time in my journey."
The "Little Mermaid" and "Color Purple" star thanked her supporters in a series of Snapchat Q&As (reposted on YouTube by Thevoice4dapplreacts) for understanding that she wanted "to wait to share something this sacred and beautiful."
Read more: Halle Bailey welcomes first baby with rapper DDG after two years of dating and drama
In another Snapchat clip, Bailey said she did her best to stay off social media as she prepared to welcome her son, and that she was well aware that some of her fans knew she was expecting. "That's great that you know but I'm just gonna chill," she added.
Bailey and DDG (real name Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr.) first sparked pregnancy rumors in September 2023. Page Six reported that the "Do It" singer stayed away from the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards "so she would not be photographed" and that she was "mindful" about hugging certain peers.
And after months of posting seemingly baby-bumpless photos and videos in the fall, Bailey announced on Jan. 6 that she and DDG, 26, welcomed their baby boy — confirming what fans already knew.
"the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son.. welcome to the world my halo 🥰👼🏽 ✨,”Bailey captioned her Instagram announcement. “The world is desperate to know you 😉🤣♥️.”
Earlier this week, Bailey also channeled her recent films in a short clip of her maternity photo shoot shared Monday to her Instagram account. The moody clip, Bailey's first post since announcing baby Halo's arrival, shows the singer wearing two baby-bump-bearing outfits as she swims and poses underwater.
"🧜🏽♀️missing my belly already 💜but i obviously had to do underwater pics 😉," Bailey captioned her video.
Read more: Halle Bailey describes her relationship with DDG: 'This is my first deep, deep, real love'
Monday's post was the first time Bailey publicly shared photos of her baby bump — and the comments were divided. Stars including Cynthia Erivo, Gabrielle Union and expectant mother Kali Uchis were among the people cheering on Bailey for sharing pieces of her pregnancy. Supportive fans also expressed their excitement for new music.
"Yessss !!!!!!!," Uchis wrote.
"Beautiful xx," Erivo commented.
Other Instagram users, however, weren't as moved. A handful of followers criticized Bailey for staying quiet about her pregnancy.
"Lmao don't share it now," commented one follower.
“What’s the point of sharing it now? Like I don’t get it,” said another Instagram user.
“Girl we do not care anymore,” said a third follower.
While Bailey stayed mum before the arrival of baby Halo, "Famous" rapper DDG was on the defense about the rumors. Less than a week before Bailey broke the baby news, DDG told fans on Snapchat that he and his girlfriend were not expecting a child.
Read more: 'The Little Mermaid' left Halle Bailey 'tired' and 'isolated.' And she thanked God for it
"I don't know why people is so invested in what I got going on or what we got going on. Mind your business,” he said, Us reported. "Go outside. Touch some grass. Go do a cartwheel in the backyard or something. It's weird. I genuinely don't be understanding."
Days after, he told his fans otherwise, releasing a YouTube vlog titled: "I'm A Dad Now..."
In the 14-minute video, DDG reflected on entering fatherhood, bragged about his newborn son's looks, acknowledged that he trolled his fans and addressed months of speculation.
"A lot of y'all should quit your jobs and start looking into detective work," he said, "'cause y'all [would] do pretty good at it."
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.