Being pregnant is a roller coaster in more ways than one — and we're not just talking about emotions. Not only is it a time to prepare for your entire life to change (even if you're not a first-time mom, adding another member to your family always turns everything upside down), but it's also a time when your body is constantly changing. After all, it involves growing an entire human, so it makes sense that you're going to gain a little weight and look a little different, both during the process and after it.
And though celebrity pregnancy is often glamorized, when it comes down to it, our favorite stars are going through the same changes the rest of us are — and they're having to cope with the reality of what their postpartum body looks like after they give birth (though many of them do have access to resources the rest of us could only dream of, like fancy personal trainers). The idea that new moms should "snap back" immediately after giving birth is so real, and famous moms face that, too — their bodies are often under a microscope as a hazard of the job.
We've seen so many celebrities deal with body-shaming after pregnancy, even though it's totally unfair and something that no mom should ever face. Some of them have the perfect attitudes about their changing bodies, though — and the best comebacks ever.
Kelly Clarkson
In the months after giving birth to her daughter, River Rose, in 2014, Kelly Clarkson took massive fire for not dropping the weight as quickly as some would have liked. British TV personality Katie Hopkins thought it was important to call her a "chunky monkey."
"There are just some people who are born skinny and with a great metabolism — that is not me," Kelly told Redbook at the time.
Alyssa Milano
So-called comedian Jay Mohr went on the radio to belittle Alyssa Milano. "It seems like she had a baby and said, 'I don't really give a sh–' — I read it on her gut." But Alyssa had the perfect response, via Twitter. "So sorry you felt the need to fat-shame me. Be well and God bless. Please send my love to your beautiful wife." Killing 'em with kindness.
Hilary Duff
In 2017, Hilary Duff took to Instagram to share an unedited photo of herself holding her oldest child, Luca, and let the haters know what she thought about the comments they'd been making about her body.
"Since websites and magazines love to share 'celeb flaws' — well I have them!" she wrote. "My body has given me the greatest gift of my life, Luca, 5 years ago. I'm turning 30 in September, and my body is healthy and gets me where I need to go. Ladies, let's be proud of what we've got and stop wasting precious time in the day wishing we were different, better, and unflawed. You guys (you know who you are!) already know how to ruin a good time, and now you are body-shamers as well."
Jennifer Garner
After having three kids, Jennifer Garner told Ellen DeGeneres that she is constantly being congratulated on being pregnant again. "I am not pregnant, but I have had three kids and there is a bump. And it will be my baby bump. And let's just settle in and get used to it. It's not going anywhere. I have a bump. Its name is Violet, Sam, Sera."
Jenna Fischer
It did not go unnoticed that The Office star Jenna Fischer did not lose her baby weight immediately after having her first child, and as she said in an interview with Celebuzz, she believed that the expectation to do so is "unnatural."
"There's so much pressure on you as a new mom that the last thing you need to have hanging over your head is some expectation of what your body is supposed to look like," she said. "I actually think that the scrutiny of new mothers' bodies has gotten out of control."
Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian's pregnancies dominated tabloids, but harshest criticism came from then-boyfriend Scott Disick. Fans of Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami saw him make her cry with his insistent comments about her weight and complaints that she was focused on the kids when she should be focused on losing weight.
Later, Scott apologized, but not without Kourtney first telling him directly how it hurt her feelings. "It's frustrating," she told him. "I wish I had people around me who were supportive. At least you know now it hurts me. I don't want to hear any more weight comments."
Patricia Arquette
Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette was starring on her CBS show Medium when she welcomed daughter Harlow. When the show's producers suggested that she needed to lose weight before going back on camera, she was incredulous. "I said, 'Why? This [character] is a mother of three.' I'm sick of that image everywhere."
Kristen Bell
Ever since becoming a mom to two daughters with husband Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell has been open about her parenthood experience, including the way her body has changed after giving birth twice. Shrugging off criticism about her post-baby weight, she told Redbook, "I am not a woman whose self-worth comes from her dress size." Plain and simple.
Lily Allen
British TV personality Katie Hopkins had something to say about singer Lily Allen after she had a baby. "She was removing herself from the spotlight because she wanted to be a mother and that largely involved gaining two stone and looking pretty hideous," she said.
Lily — who lost a child before having two successful pregnancies — responded, saying that she ate emotionally after her first pregnancy and then put on weight after being on bedrest for a total of 20 months to keep her kids healthy, and she was totally fine with it.
Debra Messing
When she hadn't lost all of her pregnancy weight by her baby's first birthday, Debra Messing was subject to rumors that she was pregnant again. She told Redbook that her response was, "Nope — I'm just fat! I'm not one of those girls who can lose all that weight in six weeks, and by the way, who are those people?"
Keira Knightley
While talking to Harper's Bazaar in 2017, Keira Knightley revealed that she was unwilling to tolerate snap-back talk, especially while trying to raise a daughter with a positive body image.
"The pressure put on women, particularly in certain magazines — you know, 'How did she get her body back?'" she said. "I think that's just revolting. I think, personally, the whole way that we're viewing women and the way that we build them up and pick them apart is really frightening. Particularly now, being the mother of a girl, and you think, 'How do you navigate that?' And I don't have the answer.
Kylie Jenner
In 2020, Kylie Jenner caught wind of someone on Instagram commenting that she "looked better" in a throwback photo that had been taken three years earlier — before she'd ever been pregnant with her first child, Stormi. Kylie simply replied, "I birthed a baby."
Rihanna
Since Rihanna gave birth to her first child in May 2022, her body has been the subject of a lot of criticism on Twitter. But before she even delivered her son in the first place, she was sure to let people know where she stood on the subject of her changing body.
"My body is doing incredible things right now, and I'm not going to be ashamed of that," she told Vogue.
Ashley Graham
After giving birth to three kids (including her twins), Ashley Graham has been all about body positivity — and she didn't let slide an Instagram comment about her stretch marks potentially hurting her career.
"Gosh, still hope I have a career with my stretch marks," she fired back, adding eye roll emojis.
Chrissy Teigen
Shortly after giving birth to her second child, Miles, Chrissy Teigen caught a tweet from someone who asked if she was pregnant again. Not one to let a comment like that go, Chrissy responded with a tweet of her own, writing, "I just had a baby, but thank you for being soooo respectful."
Anne Hathaway
During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Anne Hathaway revealed that she'd been body-shamed by a personal trainer while going to the gym postpartum. He approached her to ask her if she was "trying to lose the baby weight," and she had the perfect response at the ready.
"No," she told him. "It's a little bit too soon to worry about weight. I'm just trying to regain my strength."
