Ciara, Rihanna, And 6 Other Celebrities Who Announced Pregnancies In 2023
Congratulations are in order for Ciara and her husband, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. The couple recently announced they were expecting their third child on social media days after the singer released her new track "How We Roll" featuring Chris Brown. Ciara and Russell share a daughter Sienna Wilson,6, and a three-year-old son Win Wilson. The "Level Up" vocalist also has a 9-year-old son, Future Zahir Wilburn, with rapper Future.
In the pair's respective posts, Ciara is seen posing in what appears to be a form-fitting bodysuit, displaying her baby bump, and dancing to one of the verses in "How We Roll. The verse said, "You look at me like that again, we make another kid. You my heart, I'm your rib."
Since then, Ciara and Russell's loved ones and fans have been celebrating the exciting news by sending well wishes to the happy couple.
But the Wilsons aren’t the only ones who are expecting. Here’s a list of other celebrities who have announced their pregnancies and or welcomed their little ones this year
Sanya Richards-Ross
Real Housewives of Atlanta star and Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross and her husband, former football player Aaron Ross, announced they were expecting their second child together last month after uploading various images from theirPeople magazine photoshoot.
In the post, the 38-year-old opened up about the struggles she and Ross faced before her second pregnancy and how excited everyone is for the new addition's arrival in December, including the couple's son Aaron Ross Jr.
"Some things happen in our lives to remind us that there are no guarantees. To go from not being sure if I wanted to have another baby, to deciding that I was ready and suffering a miscarriage, which was one of the toughest experiences in my life,” she wrote.
"God knew my heart, and I feel blessed to have another opportunity to be a Mommi. This gift is for all of us… but I'm most excited to make Deucey a big brother. He prays for his sister/brother every night. My heart and belly are so full. Thanks for all the love today. Ross party of 4 loading….. I'm taking you all on the journey, so hang on for the ride!"
Uzo Aduba
Next on the list is actress Uzo Aduba. In June, the Orange is the New Black star revealed that she and her husband of almost three years, director Robert Sweeting were expecting their first child together in an Instagram post that featured a video and a touching caption.
In the clip, Aduba is holding up a miniature onesie and saying "tada" as the camera pans to her face. In addition to the video, the 42-year-old disclosed how happy the pair were to "enter this new chapter."
"What a blessing," she said. "My husband Robert and I are so happy to enter this next chapter together as parents. I am beyond excited. I get to be someone's Mommy! I know as the three of us continue to grow, our only, ONLY goal will be to love you, little one. My goodness. Look what God has done."
Chanel Iman
Model and actress Chanel Iman and her fiancé NFL star Davon Godchaux announced that their blended family of five was expanding in May by sharing intimate moments from the couple's photoshoot on Instagram, which included the star's growing belly.
Alongside the images, the 32-year-old wrote the caption, "Our family is growing, and we are so excited to meet our new little one." Weeks following the announcement, the pair shared during their gender reveal that they were expecting a baby girl.
This latest addition will be Iman's third daughter while Godchaux's first—the Dope star shares two daughters, Cali and Cassie Shepard, with her ex-husband Sterling Shepard. At the same time, Godchaux has a son from a previous relationship.
Serena Williams
Tennis legend Serena Williams and her husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, stole the show during the 2023 Met Gala in May after the couple arrived with the 41-year-old’s baby bump on display.
In addition to Williams' red carpet appearance, the star confirmed the news on her Instagram page by including other images from the night.
"Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala," she said.
Months later, Williams and Ohanian shared at their gender reveal party that they are expecting a second daughter. The couple shares a 5-year-old daughter Alexis Ohanian Jr.
Da Brat
Rapper and reality television star Da Brat announced that she and her wife, Jessica Harris-Dupart, were expecting their first child together in February during an interview with People Magazine.
Prior to Da Brat's pregnancy, which occurred with an anonymous sperm donor that the couple selected, she had a miscarriage. At the same time, Harris-Dupart, who has three children from a previous relationship, experienced health complications, including blood clots during an "egg retrieval procedure" for the in vitro fertilization process.
According to Cleveland Clinic, the purpose of the egg retrieval procedure is to manually combine them with the sperm and place the fertilized egg in the embryo in hopes it "implants itself into the uterine wall" so that a pregnancy can occur.
On July 6, Da Brat and the Kaleidoscope Hair Care CEO would become the proud parents of a healthy baby boy named True Legend Harris-Dupart.
Rihanna
The sixth person on the list is singer and mogul Rihanna.
The 35-year-old, who shares a one-year-old son Rza Mayers with longtime boyfriend Rakim "A$AP Rocky" Mayers, stunned the world during her highly-anticipated Super Bowl performance in February, where she flaunted her growing belly in a red jumpsuit and sang a melody of her hits.
Since the jaw-dropping announcement, Rihanna has showcased her baby bump in various appearances and modeling projects.
Naomi Osaka
Tennis star Naomi Osaka revealed that she and her boyfriend, rapper Cordae Dunston were expecting their first child at the top of the year after taking a break from the sport.
The 25-year-old shared the news on various social media platforms, including Instagram and Twitter, alongside a photo of her ultrasound. In addition to her official statement, which listed her pregnancy as one reason for her tennis absence, Osaka shared how excited she was to become a mother.
"The past few years have been interesting, to say the least, but I find that it's the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game l've dedicated my life to. I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure," she wrote.
"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing l'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom' haha. 2023 will be a year that'll be full of lessons for me and I hope I'll see you guys in the start of the next one cause l'll be at Aus 2024. Love you all infinitely."
Fast forward to July 11, Osaka and Dunston welcomed a baby girl.
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Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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Meet The Black Woman Behind Cynthia Erivo's 'Wicked' Nails
Almost two weeks later, Wicked is still on everyone's lips. The high-grossing film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, as their characters, tell a story about race and acceptance. However, what has captured audiences on and off the screen are Cynthia's and Ariana's looks as they play on their characters' styles.
Ariana, like her character Glinda, is often dressed in pink, and Cynthia, much like Elphaba, is covered in green. But what also has many people talking is the British actress' nails. Her nails are often long, blingy, and, of course, green. Many TikTok girlies are even doing their own versions of Elphaba's nails. But there's one person to thank for the green nail mania: Shea Osei.
The London-based nail artist has been working with the Wicked actress since she was 16 and shared all the tea on her epic nail styles with Unbothered UK.
Here what she said.
Shea On Elphaba's Nails Being The First Thing We See Before Seeing The Character
I was ecstatic. I was happy. It was just great to see my craft, my artistry just out there, not just nationally but globally.
Shea On Elphaba's Nails Representing Her Character Development
When we started with the first [nail] look, we chose nice, subtle green ombre nails that show who she is but a calm, chilled-out version of Elphaba. As she grew into herself, became more confident, and found herself, she was more like, yes, this is me, I’m Elphaba, I am who I am, and her nails became more daring. In the salon scene, when she had a transformation, her nails were, one, longer and two, they were more daring. There are many close-ups of Elphaba’s hands in the film, where you see her nails, and you see the difference in what they were [at the start of the film], so I feel like that helps to tell the story.
Shea On Elphaba's Nails Representing Black Womanhood
Yes, it was 100%. And I feel like, yes, the nails represented Black womanhood but also just being yourself. I just feel like the nails represented Cynthia as if to say, ‘I'm Black and I can be a Black witch’. This is who I am. And also, I can have braids and they can be done in any kind of way and can still be styled however is needed. I think we saw, if I'm correct, three or four different braid styles in the movie. Sim Camps, who styled the braids, did an amazing job — there would be mornings when she would be making sure the braids were intact and looked amazing on camera. So, yeah, definitely the braids were an ode to Black culture and the nails were 100% like, yes, we're doing it.
Shea On Seeing The Fan Recreation On TikTok
Yes, I have! If you are going to the salon and you want to recreate Elphaba's nails and let's say, you're going for the nails after the salon scene, where she just gets a fresh set, I would say ask for a plain black base and then ask if they have green foils to stick it on top to give that green effect. Then apply a shiny top coat. And it looks insane! The green ombre is more complicated with colours mixed to give it a green earthy colour.
Shea On The Importance Of Expressing Yourself Through Nail Art, Despite Some Criticism
We love it and don't want anyone to change. Let's look at athletes such as Flo-Jo, remember her nails? Now we have ShaCarri Richardson and her nails are always long and she's always got nice designs [on them]. It’s also Black people, not only Black women — because if you look at athletes that are men that make sure they get their nails painted as well. A$AP Rocky gets his nails painted. It's just so good to see that our culture is so colourful and also so inviting. It’s not only Black people that can have these kinds of nails, anyone can have them. I’m glad we can be the inspiration to everybody and they can draw bits of our culture and add it to theirs.
I like the fact that Cynthia is able to go out of there into the world and still be authentically herself. She hasn't changed for anything or anyone. This is how I am. I like my nails like this, my nail techs love doing my nails like this.
I'm over the moon that Cynthia can go out and still have her nails how she wants to. [Cynthia’s nails] has been a topic this entire Wicked press tour. Everyone will ask Cynthia about her nails in every interview and I love that. I love it because that's who she is. And if you see her you'll see that she's always got her nails done and she’s always got some banging heels on. Even on her down days, she’s always dressed. That's just how she is.
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