Halle Bailey Says “There Was No Way in Hell” She Would Expose Her Pregnancy and Baby to the Media

Halle Bailey knows the importance of personal and professional boundaries. The actress and new mom spoke about her choice to keep her pregnancy and baby out of the spotlight while speaking at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards on Thursday.

“There was no way in hell I was going to share the biggest joy of my world with anyone,” Bailey said, adding that her son, Halo, “was my gift, he is the greatest blessing and I had no obligation to expose him, me or my family to that unyielding spotlight.”

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Bailey’s comments were met with rousing applause in the audience.

The Little Mermaid actress revealed Halo’s birth in a surprise announcement in January 2024, writing on Instagram that the baby was born sometime in 2023.

“Welcome to the world my halo the world is desperate to know you,” she added.

Beyond announcing the baby’s arrival, Bailey has kept mum about her life as a new mom — she and her boyfriend, rapper DDG, never announced they were expecting.

Bailey was one of several honorees at the Essence event this week, hosted at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. The organization also recognized Danielle Brooks, Kathryn Busby and Nkechi Okoro Carroll. The ceremony was hosted by Cliff “Method Man” Smith.

“The intersection of joy and justice is where community thrives,” said Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures, in a statement. “We don’t ever need to diminish our collective power and accomplishments; due to the work we are still doing to exist equitably. The past year tested this intersection within one of our most sacred cultural realms.” She added that “while parts of the incongruence have stabilized, there is still significant work to be done to create sustainable change.”

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