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Welcome to 2024, when it’s (sarcasm incoming) apparently still considered acceptable, at least by some people, to speculate about whether someone is pregnant. Except, as we know, this is *never* actually acceptable — regardless of the year, the time, the place…and yes, even if the person you’re speculating about happens to be an A-list celebrity.
Recently, both Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift have been victims of pregnancy speculation.
As we all know, speculating about whether someone is pregnant isn’t just about a single comment; it’s so much deeper than that. It’s an issue that’s often linked to body-shaming, it can seriously hurt someone who is dealing with fertility issues, and sometimes, pregnancy speculation can make someone who actually is expecting feel pressured to reveal their news before they’re ready to do so. And that’s not even an exhaustive list of all the reasons pregnancy speculation is so offensive, invasive, and potentially painful.
The bad news here? People still clearly haven’t caught on to that, which is evident from the way people are questioning whether both of these stars are expecting. The good news? Both Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift are using their massive influence to speak up against pregnancy speculation…and hopefully alert more people to how problematic it truly is.
It started when Gaga was spotted attending her sister’s wedding, and people began wondering if the star was expecting based on photos from the event. Gaga took to TikTok to set the record straight: She posted a clip of herself with text that reads “not pregnant”, while also directing followers to register to vote. In handling the way she did, Gaga clearly took the high road (she would have been well within her rights to offer up some choice words to the people who have been commenting on her body). She even managed to use the moment for good.
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Gaga also called upon lyrics from another A-lister to clear up the rumors, writing: “not pregnant, just down bad cryin at the gym”. This is, of course, a reference to Taylor Swift’s lyrics off of her latest album.
Speaking of Taylor Swift, she chimed in here as well “Can we all agree that it's invasive & irresponsible to comment on a woman’s body,” Swift commented on the video. “Gaga doesn’t owe anyone an explanation & neither does any woman.”
Swift is no stranger to pregnancy speculation herself. She’s faced it throughout her career — most recently, people have been circulating a photo of Swift performing on her tour to speculate that she may be pregnant as well. It’s beyond absurd that people feel entitled to do this, and Swift’s comment so perfectly defends Gaga against her own speculation, while also making a point about the type of commentary Swift has personally been facing as well.
Let’s get one thing straight: There are countless reasons why someone’s body may look “different” than it typically does, and pregnancy is just one of those reasons. A woman’s body can, quite literally, change overnight thanks to things like bloating, what you’ve eaten and where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Bodies change. It’s what they do. No one has a right to comment on these changes.
We feel a real societal sense of ownership over women’s bodies, especially when those women are in the public eye, like Gaga and Swift. But we have to remember that these people, regardless of how famous they are, are still people. They’re humans, and their bodies will change and look different from different angles, just like anyone else’s. And they’re not fair game for body comments or pregnancy speculations just because they’re famous.
Swift is not the only person who has come to Gaga’s defense and slammed the invasive pregnancy speculation she (and so many other famous women) are receiving. According to People, Gaga’s makeup artist weighed in here as well, writing on X: “Honestly, it’s really sad that she had to address this because people were commenting about her body, people should not be allowed to comment on other people’s body, fans have been saying for years that’s she was pregnant, just because how she looks in certain outfits. Why spread a rumor about somebody that you care about or love? It does affect people’s mental health, people should not be body shaming people or assuming they are pregnant when they aren’t! Even if she was pregnant, it’s none of your business to know at all. Why are people obsessed with her being pregnant or not?? I don’t get it.”
Mic drop.
Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and mom of twins. She's written for outlets like Parents, MarieClaire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Motherly, and many others. In her (admittedly limited!) free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family.