The Truth About Shay Mitchell's Pregnancy
Actress Shay Mitchell rose to fame playing Emily Fields on Freeform's Pretty Little Liars — a drama series surrounding four teenagers dealing with a murderous stalker after the disappearance of their friend — from 2010 to 2017. Since the show ended, Mitchell has starred in the Netflix series You and the horror movie The Possession of Hannah Grace, and she's been filming the Hulu series Dollface.
When the gorgeous former model isn't acting on screen, she's taking "Shaycations" around the world and sharing her travels with her over 24 million followers on Instagram. The actress loves traveling so much she even created a travel luggage collection called Béis.
The star can seemingly do it all, and, in 2019, she'll take on one of the biggest roles of her life: being a mom! In late June 2019, the stunner announced her pregnancy and confirmed her relationship with her boyfriend, and she's taking fans along on her pregnancy journey with her new YouTube series, Almost Ready. This is the truth about Shay Mitchell's pregnancy.
Was 2018 the best year of Shay Mitchell's life?
The year 2018 was a big one for Shay Mitchell. The actress starred in a feature film and a hit Netflix series, launched a travel baggage collection, and more. In a January 2019 YouTube video, Mitchell called 2018 "the BEST year" of her life. Over the course of 2018, the Pretty Little Liars alum did makeup tutorials with celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta, traveled to India, celebrated her birthday with a girls trip to Cabo, Mexico, and even went to China with her love, Matte Babel.
In a YouTube video called "China: Matte VS Shay" that was uploaded on Dec. 14, 2018, viewers got a glimpse into the playful relationship between Mitchell and her longtime love. The couple challenged each other to a food showdown while traveling in China — and each had a blast picking out food options that would gross out the other the most. Spoiler: Mitchell won the challenge!
The video gave Mitchell's fans a rare look into her very private relationship with Babel, and it was refreshing to see the actress let loose and be completely happy and comfortable with her man. The gorgeous twosome appear well-suited for one another, and it's easy to see why they are together!
The year was also filled with tragedy for Shay Mitchell
While 2018 was a big year for Shay Mitchell professionally, she was going through one of the most difficult times in her personal life. In a January 2019 Instagram story (via Elle), Mitchell reflected on the year, and the star opened up to fans about experiencing a miscarriage — something she dealt with privately.
In her post, Mitchell wrote, "We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life. And 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."
She continued, "The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams." Mitchell then showed an image of her sonogram and included a broken heart emoji. The actress ended the post by urging her fans to be compassionate to one another in 2019 because no one ever truly knows the hardships someone is going through.
Surprise! Shay Mitchell's having a baby!
Just six months after revealing the heartbreaking news of her miscarriage, Shay Mitchell shocked the world by announcing she was pregnant. On June 28, 2019, the soon-to-be mom made the announcement on Instagram by sharing a stunning topless photo showcasing her bare baby bump. In the caption, Mitchell joked, "Does this mean I'm allowed to drive in the car pool lane at all times now?"
The actress hid her pregnancy from the world for months as she waited for the right time to make the announcement. In a YouTube video posted on June 28, 2019, she said, "It didn't feel right to just put up a photo and be like, 'I'm pregnant,' and have people just think that everything has been peaches and rainbows."
This will be the first child for the actress — and the star is ready to be a mom. She stated in the caption for the same YouTube video, "I've learned so much about myself and parenthood over the past 6 months, and feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. It's going to be a wild ride."
Just who is Shay Mitchell's baby daddy?
Not only did Shay Mitchell surprise fans with a pregnancy announcement on June 28, 2019, but she also confirmed her relationship with boyfriend Matte Babel. Mitchell and Babel have been dating on the down-low for about two years and have kept their relationship quiet — until now. Babel –the father of Mitchell's unborn child — will likely be heavily featured in Mitchell's upcoming YouTube series, and it seems like fans are going to be seeing a lot more of her beau from this point on. While fans are happy Mitchell has found love, they want to know more. Who exactly is Babel?
According to Elle in June 2019, Babel is a former Entertainment Tonight host in Canada — Mitchell's birthplace — and the pair have been an item since 2017. Babel works with music entertainment management group DreamCrew, according to his Instagram.
While Babel had been romantically linked to Mitchell when she shared her miscarriage news, she did not confirm their relationship at the time. But in the trailer for the former Pretty Little Liars' star's new YouTube series, Babel can be seen smiling from ear to ear while holding Mitchell's belly.
Was it love at first sight for Shay Mitchell and Matte Babel?
When Shay Mitchell was shooting her 2018 horror film The Possession of Hannah Grace, she did an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada in January 2017. The Canadian actress was being interviewed by a handsome host who couldn't keep a smile off of his face the entire time. Who was the host? Mitchell's now-boyfriend, Matte Babel!
In the over two-minute YouTube video, Mitchell and Babel can be seen joking and teasing one another, and Mitchell cannot keep her hands off of the television host. In between their flirting, Mitchell takes Babel and ET Canada behind the scenes of her film — set in a morgue — and Babel quizzes her on the surgical equipment used in the scene. The chemistry between the pair is palpable through the screen, and it's clear the two are attracted to one another.
Entertainment Tonight reported in January 2017 that the pair were an item and that they spent the 2017 holidays together. Babel even reportedly brought Mitchell as his date to Drake's 30th birthday party. A source told ET, "They are serious and are having fun together." So, was it love at first sight? Mitchell's interview with Babel took place around the start of their relationship, so it's possible that was when their romance began.
Shay Mitchell's boyfriend said this about her pregnancy
Now that Shay Mitchell has revealed her pregnancy and her relationship, it seems as though nothing is off limits. Judging by the trailer to her YouTube docu-series, Almost Ready, fans will likely not only get an up close and personal look at her pregnancy journey, but viewers will also get introduced to her baby daddy, Matte Babel. At the time of this writing, he's even even spoke out about the pregnancy online.
After Mitchell made the big announcement on June 28, 2019, Babel posted his own message on social media. On June 29, 2019, Babel shared a touching black and white photo of a pregnant Mitchell on Instagram with the caption, "Watching the both of you grow over the past 6 months has been the most beautiful thing in the world. The strength, vulnerability and grace you've had during this pregnancy has left me in awe, you're going to be an incredible mom...We're lucky to have you, love you." With a sweet, heartfelt message like that, it's no wonder Mitchell is having a baby with Babel!
How does Shay Mitchell's Pretty Little Liars fam feel about the news?
When Shay Mitchell announced her pregnancy months after revealing she'd suffered a miscarriage, it seemed as though everyone on social media was overjoyed for the star. While many people expressed their happiness for Mitchell, no group is more excited for her baby news than her Pretty Little Liars co-stars!
Mitchell's former co-stars all took to the star's Instagram announcement to share their excitement about her pregnancy, as reported by People. Troian Bellisario, who played Spencer Hastings on their show, commented, "YAS queen," alongside heart-eyes emojis. Bellisario, who welcomed a daughter with husband and former Suits star Patrick Adams in October 2018, added, "I am so excited to be a mama with you and welcome this beautiful babe to the world!" Actress Janel Parrish, who played PLL's Mona Vanderwaal, wrote, "Congrats gorgeous!"
Sasha Pieterse, who portrayed Mitchell's on-screen love Alison DiLaurentis, shared Mitchell's baby announcement photo to her own Instagram Story, writing, "Stunning. Congratulations beautiful mama." Real-life BFF Ashley Benson, who played Hanna Marin on PLL, wrote, "I love you my girl. I can't wait," and Lucy Hale, known for her role on PLL as Aria Montgomery, also chimed in, writing, "Congrats Shay!!"
Shay Mitchell's taking fans along for the ride
Along with revealing her pregnancy on Instagram, Shay Mitchell also announced her new bi-weekly YouTube series, Almost Ready. In the series, which premieres on July 17, 2019, Mitchell will take her over 3.8 million subscribers along with her throughout the ups and downs of her pregnancy journey, and the series will presumably end with the birth of her first child.
In the trailer for the series, Mitchell said, "When you're in the public eye, there are some things you want to just keep a secret until you feel ready," adding, "This for me has been the hardest." She continued, "This is going to be really fun and awesome when I'm not trying to hide it anymore."
Raw, emotional, and honest, the former Pretty Little Liars star invited fans to see her in her most vulnerable state, and they'll get to observe Mitchell in the most stripped-down, intimate way possible. Viewers will watch Mitchell as she informs friends and family of the pregnancy news, see Mitchell become emotional about her changing body, and get a glimpse into her very private relationship with boyfriend Matte Babel.
Why Shay Mitchell is documenting her pregnancy
Shay Mitchell has lived a relatively private life, keeping her relationship out of the public eye and off of social media. So, it's surprising to have the actress open up and let the world into her life so intimately, as they will be able to follow her over the course of her pregnancy in Almost Ready.
The series will document the good and the bad of pregnancy, and, as viewers can tell from the trailer, emotions run high for the mom-to-be. From not feeling like herself to feeling lonely over keeping the pregnancy a secret, Mitchell is not holding back from showing fans what her real life looks like.
In the description for her YouTube video, Mitchell wrote, "It's exciting, difficult, emotional and amazing all at the same time." As reported by Deadline, Mitchell revealed, "I wanted to share my journey with more than just a photo." The You star couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret anymore — and what better way to let fans in on the news than by giving them an entire YouTube series?
Pregnancy hasn't been easy for Shay Mitchell
At the time of this writing, no one knows why Shay Mitchell kept her pregnancy a secret for so long, but, after she suffered a miscarriage in 2018, it's understandable why the mom-to-be remained cautious about sharing the news with the world. Now far past the point of keeping her baby bump under wraps, the actress is sharing the joys of her pregnancy — and admitting to the difficulties.
In the trailer for her upcoming YouTube series, Mitchell detailed how she kept her pregnancy a secret by wearing oversized sweaters, and she explained how hard the process was for her. "I think pregnancy is awesome for the most part," she shared. "But it's also really f**king lonely."
Thankfully, the secret is finally out and now Mitchell can share pregnancy updates, concerns, milestones, and, eventually, the birth of her first child, openly. Hopefully, we can get more baby updates on Mitchell's social media — and get to see her adorable baby as soon as they're born!
Creative ways Shay Mitchell hid her pregnancy
Hiding a pregnancy while in the public eye has to be a lot of work, and, for about six months, keeping mum about becoming a future mom was almost like a full-time job for Shay Mitchell. The livelihood of the star revolves around making public appearances at special events and awards shows, traveling to exotic locations while dressed in barely-there bikinis, and updating her millions of Instagram followers regularly. So, how did Mitchell keep her pregnancy a secret? She got creative!
While attending the Vanity Fair Oscars After Party in February 2019, Mitchell wore a stunning emerald green gown by Labourjoisie, as reported by PopSugar. The actress effectively hid her growing baby bump by wearing a belt around her waist. In March 2019, the star showed up to the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards wearing a platinum blonde wig and a metallic mini-dress with a matching oversized blazer.
As for keeping things a secret on social media, Mitchell refrained from sharing any full-body photos where a baby bump could be seen, and most of her posts were shot from the waist up — including this March 2019 YouTube video in which Mitchell is actually covering her belly with a bag.
Was Shay Mitchell dropping baby hints?
Before making her pregnancy announcement, Shay Mitchell made another big announcement just days prior: she was releasing diaper bags. The bags are an addition to her luggage collection Béis, which she launched in 2018. The constant traveler shared the product news in this June 2019 Instagram photo with the caption, "Coming soon... #béisbaby."
The photo showcased a chic black bag stuffed with diapers, bottles, pacifiers, and more. Without the added baby accessories, the bag is sleek and classic enough to be worn as an everyday personal handbag. One can only assume the post was a tease of something bigger on the horizon for the actress, and it was hard for fans not to wonder why Mitchell would be releasing a diaper bag in the first place. Of course, now it's obvious; the jetsetting actress will soon be a mom — and she and her baby will be able travel in style!
Shay Mitchell has a lot ahead of her
While the complete details about Shay Mitchell's pregnancy have yet to be revealed, it's clear that the expectant mom is "almost ready" for the big day. Fans will likely find out more about the exciting time in Mitchell's life over the coming months on her YouTube series.
As her pregnancy moves forward, it seems as though the model may be taking a babymoon before her due date. In July 2019, Mitchell shared her travels via her Instagram stories and included an Instagram photo of her vacation breakfast. The traveler has yet to reveal the location of her trip, but her followers will likely get a glimpse into the vacation in a future YouTube video.
With a new television series to film for Hulu, a successful luxury luggage collection, and a baby on the way with the man of her dreams, it's safe to say that 2019 is going to be Mitchell's best year yet.
Shay Mitchell's gender reveal: It's a... !!!
On July 4, 2019, Mitchell gifted fans with yet another big update on her pregnancy — a gender reveal! In a video on her channel, Mitchell decided to surprise Babel with the news, which was complicated by the fact that she didn't know the gender herself. The parents-to-be started the gender reveal video by calling their family and friends to tally up guesses on whether the baby was a boy or a girl. Girl won by a long shot — though both Mitchell and Babel revealed that they thought the baby was a boy.
Once the tally was complete, the gender reveal began — but it was no generic balloon pop. Enlisting the help of two friends who were in the know, what ensued next was a mock battle between a pink and a blue Power Ranger in their own backyard. The two combatants plunged into a fountain and briefly struggled to breathe when their masks filled with water, but in the end the pink Power Ranger came out victorious. That's right, folks — Shay Mitchell is having a girl! And it only took a little accidental waterboarding to share the news.