10 Celebrities Who Have Shared Their Experiences With Miscarriage

The journey toward parenthood can be one of the happiest and most amazing experiences, but it doesn’t always come so easy for some women.

There are so many terms that come with pregnancy and infertility, it can be overwhelming. Going through a miscarriage is one sensitive struggle, and it’s the most common form of pregnancy loss. Since everyone’s road and experience is different, one thing that’s certain is that sharing stories can help women (and couples).

Here are some celebrities that have openly shared their experience with miscarriage, infertility and having a rainbow baby in hopes to let others know that they’re not alone.

How common are miscarriages in Canada?

A lot of times the reasons for miscarriages are not known, however it usually happens within the first eight weeks of pregnancy. Simply put, a miscarriage usually means the fetus was not developing properly. In Canada, 15 to 20 per cent of pregnancies result in miscarriage and around 15 per cent of couples have problems with infertility.

According to the National Post, a study involving women in Canada and the United States found that early miscarriages happen often in the summer, while up to 26 per cent of pregnancy loss occurs in the US.

What is a rainbow baby?

The term rainbow baby (AKA miracle baby) is used to describe a healthy baby born after a pregnancy loss. The name comes from the idea of a rainbow appearing in the sky after a dark, turbulent storm.

It’s an emotional time for parents and can come with a lot of anxiety, especially with remembering and grieving the previous loss. But, in the end, rainbow babies are special, treasured reminders.

Chrissy Teigen

In 2020, cookbook author and model Chrissy Teigen revealed in an Instagram post that she suffered a devastating pregnancy loss with her and husband John Legend’s would-be third baby Jack. In 2022, she revealed that the loss was actually due to a life-saving abortion. “It became very clear around halfway through that he would not survive, and that I wouldn’t either without any medical intervention,” she said. Although it took her a couple of years to come to terms with what it actually was.

“I told the world we had a miscarriage, the world agreed we had a miscarriage, all the headlines said it was a miscarriage. And I became really frustrated that I didn’t, in the first place, say what it was, and I felt silly that it had taken me over a year to actually understand…”

This year, Teigen had joyful news, as the couple welcomed their newborn rainbow baby Esti Maxine Stephens.

Meghan Markle

The Duchess experienced pregnancy loss in July 2020 when her and Prince Harry’s son Archie was just one year old. In December that same year, Markle publicly revealed her story in an essay she penned for The New York Times. The Duchess of Sussex said she felt a sharp cramp after changing Archie’s diaper.

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she wrote.

Prince Harry also opened up about that moment in his memoir Spare. After racing to the hospital, “the doctor walked into the room, I didn’t hear one word she said, I just watched her face, her body language. I already knew. We both did,” he writes.

A year later, the couple welcomed their rainbow baby Lilibet, born in June 2021.

Whitney Port

The Hills alum and designer Whitney Port has openly shared her experiences with miscarriages in the past. After the first pregnancy loss she experienced, the reality star took to Instagram to share that she “felt everything from shock to sadness to relief, which then led to guilt for feeling that relief. Whether or not people feel the same way as me or not. They are my personal emotions that are the result from my own journey.”

At the beginning of 2021, Port shared that she was pregnant again after she suffered through two miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy in a video on her YouTube channel. However, she ultimately lost the baby.

Since experiencing her pregnancy loss, Port has made it a point to be open about her pregnancy journey with her fans.

Beyonce at the Lion King premiere — Getty Images

Beyoncé

In her 2013 documentary Life is But a Dream, the multiple-Grammy winner revealed her previous heartbreak of suffering a miscarriage before having daughter Blue Ivy. “Being pregnant was very much like falling in love,” she said about her first pregnancy. “You are so open. You are so overjoyed. There’s no words that can express having a baby growing inside of you, so of course you want to scream it out and tell everyone.”

Before she was able to share the good news, Beyoncé unfortunately had complications in the early stages. Now, the singer and husband Jay-Z are parents to Blue Ivy and twins Sir and Rumi.

Jessie J

When Jessie J shared her miscarriage experience, the singer was very vulnerable, posting a lengthy, emotional caption detailing what happened after she went for her third scan.

“I want to be honest and true and not hide what I’m feeling. I deserve that. I want to be as myself as I can be in this moment. Not just for the audience but for myself and my little baby that did its best,” she shared. The singer revealed how she decided to have a baby on her own, how the feeling of being pregnant is a “miracle in itself” and how she wanted to go public with her experience because thousands of women around the world are feeling the same.

A year later, the “Price Tag” singer revealed the happy news that she is pregnant.

Carrie Underwood

Country music superstar Carrie Underwood revealed that she suffered through three miscarriages by 2018 before welcoming her second son and rainbow baby, Jacob. In 2020, Underwood admitted that the tragic losses reminded her that she can’t “be in control” of everything. Sharing her feelings publicly helped her feel like a “weight has been lifted” off her shoulders and that she is in fact not alone.

Shay Mitchell

Before the birth of her second baby, Shay Mitchell reportedly took to her Instagram stories to share that she experienced a pregnancy loss in 2018. The Pretty Little Liars alum announced that she decided to share her story to encourage compassion on social media, as well as to gain an understanding that people only share a fraction of what they’re going through personally.

“Sometimes it’s easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity. Having so many people follow me on Instagram and read my posts is both incredibly humbling and hugely uplifting,” she wrote.

Christina Perri

The singer shared that her previous late-term pregnancy loss of her second daughter, Rosie, may have been a result of a blood-clotting disorder she was diagnosed with. Since then, she has made it her mission to raise awareness for pregnant women with the same disorder. Perri consulted with her OB-GYN Dr. Mary Kerr regarding the blood-clotting disorder. According to Kerr, ninety percent of miscarriages are due to a spontaneous genetic error that leaves 10 per cent caused by something like a blood disorder.

Perri hopes to continue to help other women avoid the anguish she experienced by raising awareness about a blood test that can detect disorders like the one she has.

Halsey

Halsey is no stranger to being open about her journey with parenthood. In 2016, Halsey candidly shared with The Rolling Stone that the singer unfortunately suffered a miscarriage right before a show. The musician has also previously shared their battle with endometriosis, where they reflected on their experiences and helped raise awareness.

On July 14, 2021, the “Without Me” singer and boyfriend Alev Aydin welcomed their rainbow baby.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Who says men can’t grieve and experience pain surrounding pregnancy loss? Cristiano Ronaldo opened up about the heartbreaking loss of one his twins, just after birth. His other twin daughter, Bella Esmeralda, survived. Ronaldo shared how he and his partner Georgina Rodriguez made sure to let their other kids understand the tragic situation. In an interview, the soccer player said it was necessary to just be honest.