Outrageous Ways Celebs Hid Their Pregnancies On-Screen
Sometimes actresses are so good at hiding their pregnancy that fans don’t even notice—until much later. Other times, the baby bump is hard to miss on screen. How many of these hidden baby bumps did you catch while watching your favorite shows and blockbuster movies?
Spoiler Alert: We’re revealing surprising celebrity pregnancy secrets from popular TV shows and Hollywood films.
From clever camera angles to smart wardrobe choices, directors use all kinds of tricks to keep pregnancies out of sight. Keep reading to see which actresses were actually expecting while filming—and how production teams covered it up.
Gal Gadot: “Wonder Woman”
During the filming of Wonder Woman (2017), Gal Gadot was pregnant. She said, “In close-up shots I looked like Wonder Woman. But in wide shots, I looked like Wonder Woman pregnant with Kermit the Frog!” Special effects and smart editing kept her superhero look intact.
Debra Messing: “Will & Grace”
Toward the end of the season, Debra Messing was 8 months pregnant. Instead of hiding it, the producers wrote her out of the final episodes. That’s one way to keep things simple!
Helena Bonham Carter: “Sweeny Todd”
In her first trimester, Helena Bonham Carter wore dark clothing and thick layers under her corset. The movie’s director, Tim Burton, used dramatic lighting to help hide her pregnancy.
Kristen Bell: “House of Lies”
Kristen Bell used props like large bags and briefcases to hide her growing belly. She even filmed a love scene while 7 months pregnant! Her co-star joked it was a “threesome” with the baby bump.
Kate Winslet: “Divergent”
While pregnant, Kate Winslet used a stunt double for action scenes. After giving birth, she came back and did the stunts herself. Talk about dedication!
Jane Leeves: “Frasier”
Jane’s character wasn’t pregnant, so the writers sent her to a “weight loss spa” in the story. This helped explain her absence from several episodes.
January Jones: “Mad Men”
In Season 5, January wore a fat suit and prosthetic makeup to hide her pregnancy. She had to arrive at 3 a.m. every day for over six hours of prep!
Lisa Kudrow: “Friends”
When Lisa was pregnant, her character Phoebe was too. She said the Friends cast always shared a hug before each show—pregnancy didn’t slow that down!
Claire Danes: “Homeland”
The Homeland team used CGI and smart editing to hide Claire’s baby bump. They didn’t write the pregnancy into the show at all.
Kerry Washington: “Scandal”
Kerry said it was hard to play Olivia Pope because her body was changing. She wore large coats and stood behind furniture to hide her bump.
Alyson Hannigan: “How I Met Your Mother”
Alyson wore baggy clothes and carried big purses to cover her pregnancy. In one fun scene, she wins a hot dog eating contest—belly and all!
Angela Kinsey: “The Office”
Angela wasn’t pregnant at the start of the season. After the writers’ strike, she came back visibly pregnant. Since her character wasn’t, they had to get creative to hide it fast!
Ellen Pompeo, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Ellen’s real-life pregnancy worked out smoothly with the show’s plot. The writers gave her character a break in the story, which allowed Ellen to take time off for maternity leave without disrupting the season.
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Amy credited her wardrobe and camera team for hiding her baby bump. “We’ve just been lucky,” she said. As her due date got closer, her co-star Aziz Ansari even joked that he would keep standing in front of her in every scene!
Jane Krakowski: “30 Rock”
Jane’s character Jenna wasn’t written to be a mom, so the show didn’t include her pregnancy in the storyline. The executive producer even joked, “No child should have Jenna Maroney for a mother.”
Ginnifer Goodwin: “Once Upon a Time”
When Ginnifer got pregnant, the writers got creative. Her character Snow White became pregnant, but her alter ego Mary Margaret didn’t. She wore oversized coats and loose clothes to hide her bump during those scenes.
Sarah Jessica Parker: “Sex and the City”
Carrie Bradshaw wasn’t written to be pregnant, so Sarah wore baggy clothes and smart styling was used to hide her pregnancy. The team kept her trendy look while adjusting for her growing belly.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: “Seinfeld”
While pregnant, Julia was offered a strange storyline—Elaine would just appear to “gain weight.” She didn’t like the idea, and thankfully, the writers dropped it. Her pregnancy stayed out of the show entirely.
Zooey Deschanel: “New Girl”
Instead of hiding Zooey’s pregnancy throughout a long season, the show’s final season was shortened to just 8 episodes. This smart move kept filming easier and let her focus on family.
Julie Bowen: “Modern Family”
Julie was pregnant with twins during her audition. “They kept calling me back and staring at my huge belly,” she said. She thought she wouldn’t get the role—but she did, and they filmed around her baby bump!
Kelly Rutherford: “Gossip Girl”
Kelly played a very fashionable mom and looked even more stylish during her pregnancy. She wore designer coats and handbags to hide her bump during Season 2.
Charisma Carpenter: “Angel”
Charisma’s pregnancy surprised the writers. “They had to quickly change the whole season,” she said. The storyline was rewritten last-minute to fit her new reality.
Phylicia Rashad: “The Cosby Show”
The team used funny and smart tricks to hide her pregnancy—like standing behind a giant stuffed bear and raising the kitchen counters. They even scooped out the bed mattress to hide her bump when her character stayed in bed with “back pain.”
Marcia Cross: “Desperate Housewives”
In Season 3, Marcia wore loose sweaters and was filmed from the chest up. But in Season 4, her character was actually pregnant—so she wore fake padded stomachs to match the storyline.
Lauren Lane: “The Nanny”
After giving birth, Lauren took time off. The writers explained her absence by saying her character had a breakdown and went to a psychiatric ward. It was a dark turn for a light comedy!
Lucille Ball: “I Love Lucy”
Lucille Ball was one of the first TV stars to show a pregnancy on screen. Back then, it was a big deal! The show changed history by writing her real pregnancy into the story.
Jessica Capshaw: “Grey’s Anatomy”
Jessica’s character was sent to Africa so the actress could go on maternity leave. When she got pregnant again, the show used camera angles and props to keep her bump hidden.
Jaime King: “Hart of Dixie”
Jaime filmed until the day before giving birth! She said, “I felt safer on set because I knew my cast and crew would help if anything happened.” She was back just six weeks later.
Jenna Fischer: “The Office”
Jenna found out she was pregnant while filming a Valentine’s Day episode where Pam and Jim conceive their baby. The timing was so perfect, the storyline matched real life!
Emily Blunt: “Into the Woods”
Her real pregnancy was written into Season 6, but some fans weren’t happy. They felt her character Brennan’s relationship with Booth moved too fast after just one night together.
Emily Deschanel: “Bones”
But not all fans were thrilled when her character became pregnant in Season 6, thinking that the baby sped up Brennan and Booth’s relationship—they went from sleeping together once to being in a full-out relationship.
Halle Berry: “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Halle’s role was shortened because of her pregnancy. “I was one of the first in and the first out,” she said. The crew adjusted the storyline for safety.
Bryce Dallas Howard: “Spider-Man 3”
Bryce found out she was pregnant just one week after filming ended. “Everything turned out fine,” she said. “But I wouldn’t recommend doing action scenes while pregnant.”
Penelope Cruz: “Pirates of the Caribbean”
Filming on a deserted island was tough. “There were no bathrooms, so I had to keep going into the water every 15 minutes,” she said. That day stayed in her memory!
Scarlett Johansson: “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
Director Joss Whedon said her pregnancy didn’t change the action scenes. “We scheduled around it and used stunt doubles,” he shared. Scarlett still had a big role.
Angelina Jolie: “The Changeling”
Angelina became pregnant during filming. “I was very emotional about children, and I think it triggered something in me,” she told the LA Times.
Courteney Cox: “Friends”
In the final episodes, Courteney’s pregnancy became more noticeable. Though she wore loose clothes and coats, fans could still tell something was different.
Alyssa Milano: “Mistresses”
The show didn’t include her pregnancy in the story. “My purses just kept getting bigger and bigger!” she joked. Bags and props were used to hide her growing belly.
Gillian Anderson: *The X-Files*
Gillian told her co-star before the producers. Some execs wanted her role recast, but the showrunner refused. Instead, they wrote a new storyline to keep her character in the series.
Rachel Bilson: “Hart of Dixie”
The writers were surprised by her pregnancy but used it as a creative opportunity. They added it to the plot, which made fans even more excited.
Michelle Pfeiffer: “Dangerous Minds”
Her bump was hidden with bulky sweaters and long skirts. She also held large objects in many scenes. The results were so good that most fans didn’t even notice.
Megan Boone: “The Blacklist”
The creators felt her pregnancy fit the show’s theme of identity. Instead of hiding it, they used it to develop the character and story.
America Ferrera: “Superstore”
Her co-stars guessed she was pregnant after she suddenly craved pancakes on set! Eventually, the news came out, and the show worked around it.
Alanna Masterson: “The Walking Dead”
Alanna was six months pregnant. The crew hid her belly behind props like plates and fences. Her character also disappeared for several episodes for a “supply run.”
Rosamund Pike: “Jack Reacher”
Rosamund praised Tom Cruise for supporting her. “Other stars might have said, ‘Get someone else, she’s pregnant!’” she said. But Cruise made her feel welcome and valued.
Leah Remini: “The King of Queens”
To cover her pregnancy, the show made her character lose her job and stay home, gaining weight. She wore baggy clothes and often sat behind couches in scenes.
Anna Paquin: “True Blood”
When she couldn’t wear tight shirts anymore, the costume team switched to “save the world” outfits. This matched her new storyline and helped hide the bump.
Candice King: “The Vampire Diaries”
Writers had to figure out how a vampire could get pregnant! Once they did, they added it to the story, and everything made sense.