On 18 April, actor Ileana D’cruz took to Instagram to share that she’s expecting a child. While her friends and family took no time to flood the comments section with love and support, a section of people were too busy deducing who the father of her child is.
While some social media users are speculating about her past relationship, others are attacking D’Cruz’s unmarried status.
The actor’s mere pregnancy announcement has sparked a vile and sexist discourse online, with comments ranging from curiosity about her partner to calling her pregnancy a consequence of ‘pseudo-feminism’!
Take a look at some of the misogynist comments here.
(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)
The Barfi actor isn’t the first woman in the limelight to have her pregnancy news be picked apart and targeted by netizens.
Last year, Alia Bhatt was heavily trolled after announcing that she and Ranbir Kapoor are expecting a child.
From accusing Alia of ”trapping” Ranbir to poking fun at the duration between their marriage and their pregnancy, trolls pulled out all the stops with their sexist reactions to a major milestone.
If that wasn’t enough, even notable brands like Durex joined the bandwagon — using the couple’s pregnancy for clicks and shares in an inappropriate social media post.
Take a look:
In a promotional event for her 2022 film Darlings, Bhatt opened up about the hate brigade, stating that she expected negative reactions and that they “originate from a very stupid and shallow place.”
"I wasn’t surprised by the negative reactions nor was I bothered by them. I remember only the good things and there’s still so much love coming in. Why not focus on the positivity instead of focussing on a few nonsensical eyebrows?"Alia Bhatt, Actor
Priyanka Chopra was also subjected to similar online reactions, after she and husband Nick Jonas announced the birth of their child through surrogacy.
From joking about the age difference between her and Jonas to criticising their decision to seek a surrogate, the internet — yet again — made an unnecessary mockery about a woman’s pregnancy.
The crass discourse surrounding Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ surrogacy decision.
(Photo Courtesy: Instagram/Twitter)
While the Citadel actor remained silent throughout vicious social media attacks, she recently spoke up about the issue. Shutting down trolls who called her 'too busy to get pregnant', she revealed that she had medical complications.
"You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’ve been through. And just because I don’t want to make my medical history, or my daughter’s, public doesn’t give you the right to make up whatever the reasons were".Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Actor, in an interview
Whether a woman is unmarried, opting for a child through surrogacy or sharing that she’s expecting soon after her marriage, what’s clear is that the internet is going to bully and police their pregnancy if it doesn’t adhere to their archaic notion.
It’s high time people hiding behind their phone screens realise that moral policing strong female celebrities on social media does very little to deter the women.
It, in fact, goes a long way in exposing their own insular viewpoints about how a pregnancy should or should not be handled. But that is simply no one else’s business apart from the parent(s)’.
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