The 12 best, worst and weirdest attempts at hiding baby bumps on TV shows

Date May 19, 2016

Our jaws collectively dropped to floor when we found out earlier today that not only is Alexis Bledel a mom, but the Gilmore Girls star has been a mom since last fall. Talk about a well-hidden pregnancy!

While we’re certainly happy for the new mom and her hubby Vincent Kartheiser, we can’t help but wonder, would her pregnancy have been as well-concealed if she were still playing her character Rory Gilmore?

Celebs over the years have tried (and failed) to hide their bun in the oven while portraying non-pregnant characters on TV (here’s looking at you, Courteney Cox!). And while Hollywood’s seemingly endless list of cheap tricks and cover-up stints are sometimes clever, others are downright hilarious. From loose fitting clothing to useless props to binge-eating characters, here are some of the most memorable ways celebs have tried to hide their pregnancies on TV.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Kerry Washington was expecting her first child while filming Scandal, whereas her character, Olivia Pope, was not. The solution? Furniture and props! Apparently the couch wasn’t a good enough place to sit for Washington.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Ah, the infamous lamp trick! Washington hides her growing bump behind a large lamp shade.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Is sitting like that practical? Nope. Is it a genius way conceal Washington’s bump? Hell yes.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Scrubs are every celebs dream costume! Ellen Pompeo rocked hospital gear on Grey’s Anatomy until she (literally) grew out of them. Eventually her character, Meredith Grey, donated a part of her liver to give Pompeo some much needed baby R&R.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Pompeo wasn’t the only actress to try the baggy-chic look. Sarah Jessica Parker’s ever stylish character, Carrie Bradshaw, wore loose-fitting peasant tops to conceal her pregnant belly on Sex and the City

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Hey, at least she looked hot doing it!

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Who can forget when Courteney Cox was pregnant while filming season 10 of Friends? Since the writers couldn’t work the pregnancy into the series (seeing as her character, Monica Geller, was already unable to conceive), Cox also had to use clothing to camouflage the bump.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

What’s a director’s favourite way to conceal celeb baby bumps on TV? Props, duh! Here Julia Louis-Dreyfus is carrying an oversized present to conceal her tummy on Seinfeld.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Kelly Rutherford’s character, Lily Humphrey, used large designer handbags to conceal her bump on the set of Gossip Girl.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

Does this larger than life bouquet make me look pregnant? It sure does, Mishael Morgan. Morgan plays Hilary Curtis on The Young and the Restless.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

This is certainly an unusual scenario. Rather than dealing with January Jones’ pregnancy on Mad Men season 5, her character, Betty, was written as having gotten extremely fat.

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hiding pregnancy on tv

How I Met Your Mother star Alyson Hannigan took a similar route. In one episode Hannigan’s character, Lily Aldrin, shows off her bump after having eaten too many hot dogs in a contest.