Hashtag: #NotCool. Riverdale star Lili Reinhart was scanning Twitter when she noticed fans were speculating that she is pregnant with her boyfriend Cole Sprouse’s baby.
“UMMMMM IS BETTY PREGNANT?” asked one person, referring to Reinhart’s character on the CW drama. “IM ACTUALLY FREAKING OUT.”
Added another: “I KNEW IT. @lilireinhart is pregnant.”
The 21-year-old actress shut down the rumors — and turned the situation into a teachable moment — via Instagram Stories on Monday, May 28. “It’s unfortunate that one unflattering photo of my stomach circulating the internet causes hundreds of people to think that I’m pregnant. Nope. Not pregnant. This is just my body,” wrote Reinhart. “This is just my body. And sometimes I’m bloated. Sometimes an unflattering photo is taken of me. Sometimes I go through periods of time where I gain weight.”
She continued: “My body is something I will NEVER apologize for. My body will constantly go through change. And so will yours. And that’s fine. So let’s not put so much time and effort into caring about a stranger’s figure.”
Camila Mendes, who costars with Reinhart and Sprouse, 25, on Riverdale, offered words of encouragement on her own Instagram Stories.
“I feel bloated 24/7, my weight fluctuates constantly, it comes with being a woman and should be celebrated, not criticized,” wrote Mendes. The 23-year-old noted that she suffers from her own self-criticism but “wasn’t sure” if she could handle hearing it from others. “Seeing somebody as beautiful as lili respond to public scrutiny by preaching and practicing self love is all it takes for me to overcome that fear,” she stated. “Let’s continue inspiring women to love their bodies.”
Reinhardt and Sprouse made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2018 Met Gala in New York City on May 7. She and the former Disney star were first linked in July 2017 after they were spotted kissing during a cast appearance in San Diego. In April, they enjoyed a getaway to Mexico.
Neither have spoken publicly about their romance, however. “It’s called a private life for a reason — it’s mine and it’s special and sacred,” Reinhart explained during an interview with Seventeen magazine in April. “My relationships are between me and whomever I’m with, not between me and the world.”