It’s only been a few days since Blake Lively appeared on a red carpet at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit event. In addition to looking stunning, the mom of three sported a baby bump, indicating she and Ryan Reynolds are expecting their fourth child together. Lively further confirmed the news on social media, sharing sweet pics from her home life. But she also used the opportunity to talk about a platform that is near and dear to her: children’s privacy.
The triple threat of mom, actress, and businesswoman (she has her own line of non-alcoholic mixers under the Betty Buzz label) shared looks at herself in swimwears, including an adorable red swimsuit with cutouts on the side. She also shared moments from her personal life with her loved ones. (Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift make an appearance in those if you click through the photo dump.)
Her post even caught the eye of other celebrity mom Reese Witherspoon, who commented on the relatable last photo in the bunch, noting “Last one is 💯! So happy for y’all!.”
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are already the proud parents of three daughters: James, Inez and Betty. Privacy has been a big deal for the couple in the past. While the names of their first two daughters were released to the public, they kept the name Betty under wraps for ages until Taylor Swift outed the Reynolds’ daughter’s name in a Folklore song. Seemingly with their permission of course, as Lively later posted a lovely tribute to Swift over the album.
Meanwhile, the Age of Adeline actress does believe the privacy of young folk is something to be taken seriously. She’s part of a fact of celebrity moms who really feel this way. Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry and others have worked to introduce legislation to keep professional photographers for photographing their kids on the street. Katherine Schwarzenegger hides her daughters’ faces when sharing photos from her home life; other actresses including Gigi Hadid have followed suit.
The actress clarified in the text of her post that plenty of media respects the privacy of herself and her children. But she feels those who ignore or don’t stick with a “No Kids Policy” do more harm than good.
Here are photos of me pregnant in real life so the 11 guys waiting outside my home for a 🦄 sighting will leave me alone. You freak me and my kids out. Thanks to everyone else for all the love and respect and for continuing to unfollow accounts and publications who share photos of children. You have all the power against them. And thank you to the media who have a ‘No Kids Policy.’ You all make all the difference.
Ultimately, having a baby is always a big time for any family. Whether or not you are a celebrity, the last thing a family needs is more stress added to their plates while awaiting an impending arrival. While most moms don’t have to worry about paparazzi following them around on a daily basis, this niche issue is one that clearly impacts lives in Hollywood, and when celebrities are open about their experiences it can shine a spotlight and highlight things everyday folk probably aren’t thinking about much.
Meanwhile, we’ll keep you updated regarding Blake Lively’s pregnancy journey–when she’s feeling like sharing about it. Though selfishly, here’s hoping this won’t mean we’ll have to wait too long before work gets moving on A Simple Favor 2 with Anna Kendrick.