LION BABE's Jillian Hervey Shares Why She Kept Her Pregnancy & Her Relationship Private
Jillian Hervey is a new mommy! The singer recently gave birth to a baby boy with her partner and LION BABE bandmate Lucas Goodman after keeping it a secret for nine months. Jillian spoke with Essence about her decision to keep the pregnancy and her relationship with Lucas under wraps.
“My personal life, like my creative life, is sacred, but coming from the upbringing I have had, I never wanted to overshare,” she said. “Lucas and I have always valued our privacy and up until this point have never spoken of our relationship. There is an endless connection in the words I write, images we create, and music we make, that invites you into our personal life. Although we are in the age of sharing everything, I am far more old-school and prefer to make sure that I have a life full of experiences that are just for me/us.”
And while privacy is important to the couple, they do acknowledge what it would mean to their fans to share the special moment in their lives. “I also think pregnancy always invites opinions, and as soon as I found out, I knew that I had a lot of thoughts of my own about what was going on, and didn’t want to add additional pressure to what I was already creating in my own mind,” she said.
“Our LION BABE world does feel like a family though, so that is why it now feels appropriate. This is a huge milestone filled with love in our lives, and we didn’t want to start another year of creating, without our fans, community, and supporters knowing that this miracle had just occurred.”
Jillian’s mom, Vanessa Williams, is also overjoyed with being a grandmother. The veteran actress gushed over her daughter and grandchild on her Instagram page.
“So proud to welcome my beautiful daughter @lionbabe into the wonderful, challenging, and most rewarding role in life …motherhood, she wrote. “I’m always here to support, advise and babysit at any moment ☀️ And of course the amazing father @astroraw who has been by Jillian’s side since the beginning with support, love, and endless creativity.”
Jillian isn’t the first celebrity to hide her pregnancy. Here are some other famous faces who kept their baby news a secret until the time was right.
Samira Wiley
The day after Mother’s Day, Orange is the New Black star Samira Wiley revealed that her wife had given birth to their first child. Sharing a cute photo of their baby on Instagram, she captioned the post, “Happy 1st Mother’s Day to my beautiful wife, who four weeks ago today after laboring for almost 3 days gave birth to our first child—our gorgeous daughter, George.💜”
She added, “Welcome to the world, babygirl. We love you and we thank you for giving us the best 1st Mother’s Day two ladies could ask for.
George Elizabeth
4.11.2021 💜”
Viola Davis
Viola Davis’ The Help co-star Octavia Spencer actually spilled the beans about the actress becoming a mother during the 2011 ELLE Women in Hollywood. Viola and her husband Julius Tennon adopted their daughter Genesis and the actress spoke about her love for her baby girl in an Instyle interview.
“I always tell Genesis she was born from my heart, not my belly,” she said. “There are so many ways to mother rather than to carry a child in your body. So many children need parents, and so many of us want to mother. Know that you will experience motherhood to the full extent.”
Naomi Campbell
In May 2021, Naomi Campbell shocked everyone after revealing she is now a new mother via Instagram. She shared an adorable photo of the baby’s feet with a touching caption.
"A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother," she wrote. "So honoured to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you, my angel. There is no greater love."
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union had a tough and long journey to motherhood. After several unsuccessful attempts at trying to get pregnant naturally and with IVF treatments, she decided to go the surrogacy route. In 2018, Gabrielle and Dwyane Wade welcomed their daughter Kaavia James Union Wade and while the family seem to be happy, there was a time when the actress questioned what her bond with her daughter would be like. Writing in her memoir, You Got Anything Stronger?, she shared.
“I was so worried that maybe she’s not gonna love me as much because I didn’t birth her. Maybe she’s not gonna respect me as much because I didn’t birth her. Maybe he’s not ever going to be able to love me fully, completely, because I wasn’t able to do this and I’ll never know.”
Featured image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Lincoln Center
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
6 Spring Events To Boost Your Professional And Social Networks
When spring arrives, we all want to be outside, looking fabulous, and back to socializing. And now is the perfect time to add a few great events to your calendar to get you through the quarter in order to make new friends, build new partnerships, and talk new opportunities to level up.
Spring is a high season for networking and social events for Black women, with many organizations and event entrepreneurs booking prime locations and offering dynamic experiences that you can maximize in whatever way possible. Write down your goals, and get out there. Start with a few of these events between now and the start of summer:
New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival, April 23 - May 3
The New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival is a 10-day event held over two weekends, bringing together thousands of musicians, craftspeople, and food lovers to share in common threads of culture in the heart of New Orleans. You'll get to enjoy works by artisans local to Louisiana as well as from across the U.S. and around the world.
Black Food Truck Festival, April 26-28
Hosted in Charleston, S.C., the Black Food Truck Festival includes an opening party, access to more than two dozen food truck vendors, and a time to workout with other attendees. Charleston has long been known as a Southern foodie destination, with global recognition due to James Beard-awarded chefs heading popular restaurants there and a renewed focus on Gullah and Geechee culture and food in the region. And what better conversation ice-breaker than to talk about food with a new acquaintance?
Black Women's Mental Health Conference, May 4
Hosted by New York University, this is a one-day event to tackle issues of mental wellness and health that uniquely affect Black women and girls. The keynote speaker for this year is Kim Young, MSW, LCSW, founder of Dope Black Social Worker® and host of the podcast Revolutionary Hoodrat, and leading licensed professionals in the field will offer their insights and share their experiences. And, of course, no college-led event is without time blocked specifically for networking.
Strength of a Woman Festival, May 11-12
Anything with Mary J. Blige headlining or leading is a win, especially if we're talking about women's empowerment and enjoyment. This event will be held in New York City, and beyond the performances from some of our favorites like Muni Long, Jill Scott, and The Clark Sisters, there will be a Gospel Brunch. And even if you're not able to attend or concerts aren't your thing, just being in the city during that time will mean you're bound to run into plenty of other women to network with at local bars and restaurants nearby.
Carefree Black Girl Cookout, May 4
Held in the Queen City, Charlotte, N.C., this is a day festival amplifying the voices and brands of Black women entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives. There will be vendors, glam and beauty bars, and complimentary meals for the first hour (according to the platform's website). They're hosting another cookout in Philadelphia on May 25.
Black Women Leading Live, May 13-16
Touted as an “intimate retreat + conference,” this Virginia Beach, VA event will be held on a resort and is offering a professional development experience led by Laura Knights, founder of the Black Woman Leading® program and podcast. It’s an ideal fit if you’re a mid-level or senior professional, as the topics and approach are set to cater to those levels of career experience, with coaches and speakers pouring into attendees with a holistic approach.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by PIKSEL/Getty Images
