Celebrity News
Before getting married and becoming a mother, Danielle Brooks was just fine focusing on her career.
“I did not want children,” Brooks shared on the first episode of Pregnant Pause, a new podcast for Black women at the intersection of motherhood and ambition. “I was one of those women who believed I was not gonna be married and I was not gonna have kids, and I was ok with that.”
But after meeting her now husband Dennis Gelin, The Color Purpleactress had second thoughts about building a family. And one moment in particular rocked her world and changed her mind.
While playing the role of Sophia in The Color Purple on Broadway and playing Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, Brooks shared she struggled with severe acne and decided to get on Accutane. However, because it is a potent teratogen, meaning it can cause significant harm to a developing fetus, experts warn the retinoid medication should never be taken during pregnancy due to the high risk of severe birth defects. When Brooks found out she was pregnant while taking the medication she realized she did, in fact, want a child.
“I will never forget, when I saw that pregnancy test, I broke down,” she said. “And it wasn’t out of fear. I broke down because I realized I wanted to be a mom, and that option was no longer on the table in this moment. And it shocked the hell out of me.”
Brooks eventually had her daughter Freeya in November 2019, and got married in 2022. Today she juggles her career with being a wife and mother and got real on how hard it can be but how necessary it is to pull back at times.
“There are moments in motherhood, in marriage, in life that you need stillness,” she said. “And I’m learning that that is ok and beautiful.”
Watch her full interview on the Pregnant Pause Podcast here, or listen to the episode on Apple, Spotify, iHeart or where you listen to podcasts.
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