During a week where Halle Bailey should be making headlines over the fact that she’d been selected as Glamour’s Woman of the Year 2023 Gen-Z Gamechanger, unfortunately, she’s become the talk of the timelines due to unfounded pregnancy rumors.
For context, these rumors had been swirling since the summer. But thanks to new photos from paparazzi, published by TMZ on Tuesday, fresh talk of the “Angel” singer potentially toting a new bundle of joy were reignited. The talks were further exacerbated on Wednesday when a quote about becoming a mom and being married was misattributed to Bailey—even though it was actually a pull quote from an interview the outlet did with former Little Mix member Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
And while The Little Mermaid star has yet to respond directly to those rumors, during her acceptance speech at Glamour’s Woman of the Year Awards 2023, she admitted that she realized being a young woman in the limelight comes with a certain challenges and scrutiny.
“It’s been an adjustment to live my life under the scrutiny of that spotlight, but in the age of social media in some way, we all live under that same scrutiny — from our bodies, what our bodies look like from what we wear to who we love to the things we care about, it’s all open to scrutiny,” she said in part.
“So here’s my honest advice: Turn it off when you need to find inner peace, OK. But also, live your life for you. Don’t waste time living it for social media. Everyone has an opinion, but the only opinion that matters is your own, and you already know deep down what’s right for you,” she concluded.
Later, recapping the event in a tweet to X/Twitter, she added in part: “Being a young woman in the spotlight is definitely not for the weak.. but because of God, my loved ones and mentors I am able to face the world everyday with my head held high.”
Meanwhile her boyfriend, rapper/YouTuber DDG, is somewhat responding to the online talk. Taking an indirect yet not so subtle jab at those online who have been alleging that Bailey got “pregnant by a bum,” the rapper changed his bio on X/Twitter to now read: “Rich Bum.” What’s more is that he also posted photos of him and Bailey together at Glamour’s event with the caption: “Worried about me so much, they forgot to live their own lives. FOCUS.”
I can’t believe in the year of our Lord 2023, people are still floating around pregnancy rumors. Have we not learned our lesson about making assumptions over people’s bodies and health? If—and this is a big if—Bailey is carrying a bundle of joy, she should announce it when she’s ready and not feel pressured to share personal news just to assuage the feelings of others. Having a child—no matter who it’s with—is a personal and private matter regardless of who’s carrying. Bailey should be extended some grace to walk out this part of her journey as she sees fit.