Chrissy Teigen Is The Latest Victim Of The Celebrity Fake Pregnancy Conspiracy — The Dark Side Of This Fan Theory
Some people have too much time on their hands.
DFree / Jaguar PS / Mr Pics / Shutterstock Chrissy Teigen is the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that exists in the deepest corners of celebrity fandoms.
Avid fans of famous actors and musicians are guilty of advancing many theories that range from believable to downright absurd.
We've seen accusations of PR manipulations, fake relationships or even alleged attempts to cover up romances between stars — one such theory has run rampant in One Direction's fandom as, in spite of the band splitting up in 2015, fans still seek out clues that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are secretly dating.
But the fake pregnancy theories are among the cruelest of these theories. Rooted in misogynistic ideas that women use pregnancies to "trap" their partners, these theories paint women as liars and attempt to "debunk" their pregnancies — even after their children are born.
Chrissy Teigen is one of many celebrities accused of faking her pregnancy.
Teigen, who announced her pregnancy in early August after overcoming the devastating death of her newborn son in 2020, joins a list that includes Sophie Hunter, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Meghan Markle and Amber Heard — it should be noted that Heard has never claimed to have been pregnant yet critics still attempt to "prove" that her daughter was born via surrogate.
The specifics vary from celebrity to celebrity, but the concept is essentially the same across the board.
In the case of Beyonce, Kardashian and Markle, conspiracy theorists believe that they wore fake baby bumps. For Heard, they believe that her 1-year-old daughter was hired for publicity.
Benedict Cumberbatch's wife has been accused of having fake children.
For Sophie Hunter, fans believe she “trapped” her husband with fake pregnancies and children who are actually dolls.
In 2020, Kaitlyn Tiffany, a writer for the Atlantic, spoke with a conspiracy theorist who ran a Tumblr blog for years about Hunter. The theorist, who only went by her first name, Patty, claims that Hunter has been blackmailing Cumberbatch to stay in a “sham” marriage for years.
“Even if it’s only on Tumblr, I want her to know that she’s not getting away with it,” Patty told the Atlantic. “I want her to know that somebody knows what she’s doing.”
Patty claims that “sources” began approaching her with information about the couple. She also claims to know Hunter’s IP address, and that she was a former escort and used drugs to control Cumberbatch.
“Every time I start to question it, one of my sources comes to me or something happens and it kind of drags me back in,” Patti told the Atlantic. “I just kind of fell down the rabbit hole and haven’t really come out of it yet totally.”
Another prominent figure in the celebrity gossip space is an entertainment lawyer and blogger who goes by Enty.
He has run the gossip website Crazy Days and Nights since 2006 and regularly receives tips from his readers. He also produces a podcast for his Patreon supporters with at least 20 episodes per month.
Beyonce and Meghan Markle were both accused of using secret surrogates.
Enty also told the Atlantic some of his celebrity conspiracy theories. He said it was “pretty obvious” that Beyonce used a surrogate, and said it “didn’t make any sense” that Markle supposedly had a baby bump when she was just two months pregnant.
While he has “no opinion” on Hunter and Cumberbatch’s first two kids, he finds it odd that supposedly no one has seen their third child Finn, who was born in 2019.
Many of the celebrities involved in the conspiracies have outright denied the claims.
Beyonce called the rumors “stupid, ridiculous and false” through her publicist in October 2012. Kardashian also shot down the fake pregnancy claims by posting a pregnant, nude photo on Instagram.
Cumberbatch has also defended his family throughout the “scandal,” while also criticizing the people who pedaled such claims.
“There are people who believe that my wife is a P.R. stunt and my child is a P.R. stunt,” Cumberbatch told Vanity Fair in October 2016.
“I think really it’s to do with the idea that the ‘Internet’s boyfriend’ can’t actually belong to anyone else but the Internet. It’s impossible he belongs to anyone but me. And that’s what stalking is. That’s what obsessive, deluded, really scary behavior is.”
RELATED: Details Of The Fan Theory That Kylie Jenner Was Secretly Kim Kardashian’s Surrogate
Jonathan Alfano is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his content.