Celebrity pregnancies have become the internet’s latest conspiracy theory, and Hilary Swank is now caught in the crossfire.
After the 52-year-old Oscar winner announced she was expecting her third child on Wednesday, October 14, some netizens zeroed in on her newly revealed baby bump.
Many even claimed it looked suspiciously similar to Anne Hathaway’s, reigniting bizarre speculation about the actresses’ pregnancies.
Highlights
- Hilary Swank, 52, sparked a bizarre debate after debuting her baby bump just a day after announcing her second pregnancy.
- Netizens compared the actress’s bump to Anne Hathaway’s, claiming it looked “fake” and “unnatural.”
- Swank pushed back against criticism of older mothers, recalling the hurtful remark a woman once made about her age.
“Hollywood really has a unique talent for making pregnancy look hideous…” one person wrote.
Netizens compared Hilary Swank’s baby bump to Anne Hathaway’s as they revived the bizarre “fake bump” conspiracy
Following the pregnancy announcement, Hilary Swank publicly debuted her baby bump in New York City on Thursday, October 15.
The actress was photographed leaving a taping of The Drew Barrymore Show at CBS Studios, where she appeared in a white cropped tank top, loose jeans, and a colorful knitted cardigan.
But instead of celebrating the news, some social media users began comparing her bump to Anne Hathaway’s, who faced intense scrutiny after appearing at the Los Angeles premiere of The End of Oak Street in August.
“Looks like Anne Hathaways bump….same shape. Lol,” one person wrote.
“That has to be a borrower bump from Anne Hathaway FFS,” another joked.
“As someone who's currently pregnant its so obvious to tell when it's fake,” a third commenter claimed.
“Recent video of AH laughing at a premier with her cast mates shows just how fake. A real bump moves a lot with a laugh. Changes shape, etc. [Swank's] just… sat there,” another wrote.
Someone else added, “It does look kinda odd... they're all just trolling us.”
The 52-year-old star announced her second pregnancy with a playful family video that hinted at a December arrival
The comments echo the conspiracy theories surrounding Hathaway, 43, whose maternity look sparked online claims that her baby bump looked “fake” and “unnatural.”
Anne responded to the speculation with a playful Instagram post featuring an image of herself captioned, “Fake hair, real bump,” making it clear she wasn't pretending to be pregnant.
The two-time Oscar winner announced on Wednesday that she and her husband, Philip Schneider, were expecting their third child.
Swank shared a creative video featuring herself, Schneider, and their 3-year-old twins, Aya and Ohm, dancing in the dark with glow sticks attached to their clothes.
The lights made the family look like glowing stick figures, with the final reveal showing a tiny baby outline over Swank’s belly.
The clip was set to Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.
“A lot of people have been asking what project I'm doing next, this one releases in December,” Swank captioned the post.
The actress, who welcomed her twins in 2023 at 48, appeared in high spirits at her first public appearance after sharing the news.
But Swank’s age soon also became a talking point, with some commenters questioning whether it was fair to have another child at 52.
“Fake bump, and she's buying a surrogate baby. Pretty sure it's a moon bump,” one viewer commented online
“At 52, I was a grandparent. I'm grateful we had our children young... First one born at 22 and my fourth and last one at 30. I couldn't imagine being pregnant at 52,” one person wrote.
Another commenter said, “I’m 51 and 7 years into menopause. I have a 25 year old and a 21 year old I’m not a grandma yet. My body hurts just looking at her pregnant lol.”
“Selfish. That kid will just be graduating high school and she’ll be a senior citizen at 70!” a third commented.
“She’ll be at their graduation in a walker,” another wrote, while someone else said, “Just because you can doesn't mean you should.”
Swank addressed the backlash during her appearance on Drew Barrymore’s podcast, where she spoke about the different expectations society places on mothers and fathers.
“There’s a lot of backlash women get for having children older but not men, which is interesting,” she said.
Barrymore agreed, pointing out that men can become fathers well into their 80s without facing the same scrutiny.
Hilary also recalled an encounter with a woman who had confronted her after she welcomed her twins at age 48.
“How dare you? You’re too old,” the woman had allegedly told her.
The woman explained that her own father had been her favorite person but passed away when she was in her early 20s, an experience she described as devastating.
Swank addressed the criticism older mothers face and recalled being told she was “too old” to have children
The P.S. I Love You star said she could relate to the grief because her own father had also passed away.
However, she viewed the woman's concern differently.
“I would rather be born and have that person that was my favorite person and experience that than not at all,” she said.
Some fans congratulated Swank and pushed back against the judgment surrounding her age and pregnancy.
“I’m glad she’s showing the world that at 52, your life is not over, as society tries to make us feel,” one supporter wrote.
“Congratulations!! Age shouldn’t be a factor! Ever. We never know the future…” another commented.
While pregnancy later in life is possible, it can carry additional health risks for both the mother and baby.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), older expectant mothers face a higher risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and preeclampsia.
The risk of miscarriage and stillbirth also increases with age.
Moreover, babies born to older mothers are more likely to be born prematurely or have chromosomal conditions, including Down syndrome.
However, these risks vary with age and individual health, and many women have healthy pregnancies later in life with appropriate medical care.
“Pregnant at 52… that's a new fear unlocked for me!” one social media user reacted
