Blast From the Past: Our Favorite Pregnant Celebrities From the 2000s
Nostalgia for the years surrounding Y2K is a funny thing: The heyday of boy bands and teen slasher movies often doesn’t feel that far gone (especially for the millennial crowd). Until, that is, something happens that shocks you into realizing the year 2000 was actually two decades ago. It could be referencing a Friends joke to your high school-aged babysitter and realizing she has never seen the show (true story), or finding your old CD collection and having one of your kids ask “what are those?” (true story, again). Or, you could come across a picture of one of your favorite celebrities—and then realize it is actually said celeb’s child. (We’re looking at you, Ava Phillippe.) But since reminiscing is much more fun than feeling old, let’s take a walk down memory lane to when some of our favorite celebrities were pregnant at the turn of the millennium.
By 2007, the world had watched Christina Aguilera evolve from teen pop queen (the “Genie in a Bottle” years) to rebellious artist (hello, “Dirrrty”) to bluesy power vocalist (enter the “Ain’t No Other Man” era). And as her music matured, so did her personal life: Aguilera married marketing executive Jordan Bratman in 2005 and revealed she was pregnant two years later—in the middle of a world tour, no less. After commemorating her pregnancy by posing with her bare bump on the cover of Marie Claire, she gave birth to her son, Max Liron, in January 2008.
The evidence that J. Lo is a goddess amongst mere mortals has been mounting over her three-decade career. But if we were an attorney and needed to convince a jury of doubters of this fact, we’d simply direct them to take a look back to the winter of 2007, when she made carrying twins (with ex-husband Marc Anthony) look both glamorous and effortless, two things that pregnancy—especially with multiples—is often not. The defense rests its case.
The coupledom of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe was peak 2000s. After watching them steam up the screen in Cruel Intentions, it came as zero surprise that these sweethearts were making babies IRL: First, daughter Ava in 1999, followed by a son (the pregnancy pictured here), Deacon, in 2003. And while Reese and Ryan are no longer together, all one needs to do is take a look at their clones—or rather, grown children—to be transported right back to the red carpets of the 2000s.
Today, Jessica Alba is practically synonymous with all things baby (thanks to her brainchild, The Honest Company)—but back in the early 2000s, the actress was known for kicking a** and taking names on screen in Dark Angel and Fantastic Four. It was starring as the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four franchise that would ultimately lead Alba to marriage and motherhood; she met now-husband Cash Warren on set and announced her pregnancy with first daughter, Haven, back in 2007.
Carrie Bradshaw may never have had a baby during Sex and the City’s run, but Sarah Jessica Parker certainly did: In 2002, the series’ fifth season was cut to eight episodes to accommodate for SJP’s pregnancy with son James.
Britney took fans on a roller coaster of shocks and surprises in the early 2000s: There was her 55-hour Vegas marriage and annulment in 2004 to Jason Allen Alexander. Eight months later, she threw a surprise wedding to new love, Kevin Federline. Seven months after that, the couple announced their pregnancy with their first son—and a new reality show that would chronicle their love story, Britney and Kevin: Chaotic. Also chaotic? These red carpet outfits back in the summer of 2005.
The year 2006 was a major one for Rachel Weisz: Not only was she nominated for several awards for playing a pregnant activist in The Constant Gardener, but she was also pregnant herself with then-fiancé Darren Aronofsky (which she revealed on the Tonight Show, NBD). She hit the awards circuit that year looking radiant while expecting—and picked up an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award before welcoming her son that spring.
The early 2000s are not exactly known as a great time for fashion (may over-tweezed eyebrows and low-rise jeans rest in peace), but Jennifer Garner still managed to look chic at the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards—and with a baby bump, no less. That recently-married, first-pregnancy glow (Garner had just wed Ben Affleck that summer) certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Heidi Klum is one of those pregnant women you want to hate, but you just can’t because they are so damn charming. (The Project Runway host even made her farewell to fired contestants, “Auf wiedersehen,” sound sweet.) Case in point: You’d never be able to tell from this photo, but Heidi Klum is six months pregnant with her third child here (her second with then-husband Seal).
Years before Bryce Dallas Howard was shocked by a yard full of commodes in The Help, she received the surprise of a lifetime when she found out she was pregnant just seven days after her 2006 wedding to actor Seth Gabel.
It’s spring of 2004. Friends has just ended, and as if our emotions aren’t raw enough from Rachel getting off the plane, Courteney Cox goes and has a baby girl in real life a month later—and makes Jennifer Aniston the godmother. Cue ALL THE FEELS.
Let us take a moment to fully appreciate Gwen Stefani’s iconic pregnancy fashion back in 2006: Bold red lip, fierce animal print gown, mixed metal bangles, sleek chignon. (No leggings or messy bun spotted here.) And keeping with Stefani and then-husband Gavin Rossdale’s cool AF vibes, the duo gave their first son a name fit for a rock star: Kingston James Macgregor Rossdale.
Plus, more from The Bump:
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