Justine Lupe is clearing the air regarding her previous statements that the cast and crew of Nobody Wants This were initially unaware she was pregnant while filming.
“Wanted to just make clear, because my words have (I’m sure with good intention) been cut up and rearranged into a misleading story a few times now ― I want to clarify that the cast and crew did know I was pregnant as soon as it was safe to share,” she wrote on Instagram this Sunday.
In case you missed it, Lupe had said in a Sept. 26 Instagram post that she’d attempted to keep her pregnancy a secret from the cast and crew of the Netflix comedy, until her skirt “ripped open in both the front and backsides on set at 2am,” which she implied showcased her growing belly.
“They had no idea I was pregnant and thought I was just rapidly falling apart,” Lupe wrote in that post.
This week, the “Succession” alum explained why she didn’t tell the crew she was pregnant at first.
“As women who have carried a baby know, there is a higher risk of miscarriage in the first few months of pregnancy so it’s emotionally risky to share too early,” she wrote. “I only care to make this clear because EVERY single person on this set made sure I was cozy and taken care of.”
Lupe also had kind words for her co-star Kristen Bell, as well as Netflix, the crew, and series creator Erin Foster ― who also happened to be pregnant during production ― for supporting her after finding out she was pregnant.
“We had a set with FOUR pregnant women!” Lupe wrote. “I say this all because there is a narrative that it’s a death sentence of sorts to become a mother in this industry. That your career will be over. That there isn’t room for us when we transition into this AWESOME new chapter of our lives. This new version of ourselves.”
In Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, Lupe plays Morgan, the sister of Bell’s character, Joanne. The show depicts a blooming romance between a rabbi (Adam Brody) and an agnostic sex podcaster (Bell).
Noting that it “seems silly to react to headlines being put out there,” Lupe wrapped up her message Sunday by explaining she felt it necessary to clarify her previous statements because “this set made me feel so safe creatively and interpersonally.”
“And I think it’s important for women to hear THIS narrative,” she added.
Fans and supporters of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum expressed praise and affection for her in the comments.
“I love this and you!!! It’s a superpower!! Love that you wrote this,” wrote Bad Monkey star Meredith Hagner.
Foster joked: “My only fear was that you stole my thunder as the newest pregnant person on set.”
“SO IMPORTANT to share a positive story of love and support,” another commenter wrote.
While appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Oct. 10, Lupe, who was more than five months pregnant while filming Nobody Wants This, recalled the moment she revealed her pregnancy to Bell.
“I told Kristen first,” Lupe said to Hudson, according to People. “I still remember she had invited me over to her house to work out together, which is LOL for a pregnant woman.”
Bell was sporting a “sheet mask” when Lupe broke the news to her, she said. “I still remember her just freaking out and running around with this mask on her face.”
The Snowfall star then got candid about the touching advice Bell shared with her about motherhood.
“It’s the most important thing, it’s the only thing — you can go anywhere in the world, you can have anything on your bucket list, but you’re about to go on the most special endeavour,” Lupe recalled Bell telling her.
