If you thought Jade Thirlwall was hiding a pregnancy, why would you rush to the comments to expose h

Jade Thirlwall – AKA the people's princess and all-round hun – has shut down pregnancy rumours in spectacular fashion.

The Little Mix alumni, 30, recently wore a strapless tangerine gown, with matching elbow-length gloves, electric eyeshadow, and a deep orange bag to a wedding celebration. After sharing the look on Instagram, fans rushed to the comments to share their adoration for Jade's style – “Is there a colour you don’t look good in???” one asked.

Sadly, some ‘fans’ decided to engage in a bit of underhand body-shaming by speculating on the whether or not Jade is pregnant – why are we literally never surprised? One wrote “Stunning but 🤔 am I too suspicious with the positioning of the bag every time??” while another lectured “C'mon Jade […] You know how social media works. You know by placing a bag in front your stomach will get people speculating”, and another simply opted for “Some one's pregnant.”

While the vast majority of comments were supportive, it's worrying that there's still so much energy for speculating over women's bodies and reproductive choices. Jade quickly shut down the rumour mill, commenting, “It appears you can’t put a bag in front of your body without people speculating you’re pregnant lol." before clarifying that she's not pregnant.

“But if it were me and I wasn’t sure,” she continued, “I wouldn’t spend time commenting on someones body when you have no idea what that person’s circumstances might be 🤷🏽‍♀️.”

Jade Thirlwall is the latest in a long line of famous women who've felt compelled to shut down gossip about their bodies, specifically pregnancy rumours.

Back in 2022, Kourtney Kardashian bore the brunt of such speculation when she attended the Grammys with her partner Travis Barker. Kourtney later reflected on the rumours in an episode of The Kardashians, telling her mum Kris Jenner, “Every single person on social media is always like, 'Kourtney's pregnant,' […] 'Kourtney's gained so much weight.' And I'm like, it's so rude to comment on people when you have no idea what they're actually going through.”

Similarly, Hailey Bieber reportedly commented “I'm not pregnant leave me alone” on an Instagram post of her wearing a flowing gown at the 2022 Grammy with the caption “Is a little #Belieber on the way?”

So far, so icky. Still, it's worth exploring the social mechanics behind the scrutiny of potential celebrity pregnancies. Famous people are rarely famous for their artistry alone – we're all trained to be invested in their love lives, scandals, and yes, ever-growing families. Our obsession with celebrities' private lives may feel intrusive at times, but it also pays their bills. Where do we draw the line?

For some, the intrusion is just part of the fun. Instead of celebrating someone's pregnancy on their terms – whether on a magazine cover or via Instagram announcement – we're desperate to beat them to it. We want to be the ones who ‘called it’. In doing so, we end up inadvertently monitoring famous women's bodies for any signs of pregnancy, which inevitably contributes to a society in which body-shaming is the norm.

Pregnancy rumours are often started to explain a famous women's supposed weight gain, even if that ‘weight gain’ refers only to a photo where their stomach isn't concave. When Kourtney Kardashian underwent IVF treatment – a time when it's totally normal to gain some weight – photos of her on various red carpets were incessantly scrutinised for evidence of a potential pregnancy. It didn't occur to many people that she might just have put on some weight. In a society where sexism still reigns supreme, pregnancy is the only acceptable explanation for weight gain.

In Jade's case, the rumours stemmed from the placement of her bag, rather than the appearance of her body, which – if you think about it – is even more unhinged. If you suspect a woman is hiding her pregnancy, why would you rush to the comments to out her?

If you ask me, it all comes back to control. This urge to expose a celebrity's pregnancy without their consent fits seamlessly into a society with precarious reproductive rights. And at the heart of matter? A deep entitlement to know the private inner-workings of women's bodies, whether it's monitoring their weight or assessing their reproductive decisions.

For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.

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