Surprise: Shay Mitchell is pregnant.
On Friday, June 28, the Pretty Little Liars actress revealed on Instagram that she's expecting her first child with boyfriend Matte Babel, having kept it a secret from the public eye for at least six months "Does this mean I’m allowed to drive in the car pool lane at all times now?" she wrote in the caption of a photo of herself with her baby bump.
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But the reveal didn't stop there—Mitchell also posted a YouTube video about the news titled "Guess Who's Preggers."
"There is something in the oven and it's not my pizza!!!" the 32-year-old wrote in the video description. "WOW... It's kind of surreal processing the fact that another human is growing inside of you. It's exciting, nerve-racking, difficult and emotional all at the same time."
She continued, "Everyone waits for the right time to make the announcement and for me it wasn't until I couldn't hide it anymore and was tired of wearing over sized sweatshirts. We're beyond excited and looking forward to starting a family. I've learned so much about myself and parenthood over the past 6 months, and feel like I haven't even scratched the surface! It's going to be a wild ride!!"
In the video, Mitchell gives a behind-the-scenes look at how and why she kept her pregnancy quiet. "When you're in the public eye there are some things you want to just keep a secret until you feel ready," she explained. "This, for me, has been the hardest."
Earlier this year, Mitchell opened up about the miscarriage she had in 2018. “We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life,” she wrote on Instagram Story at the time. “And sometimes it's easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity. Having so many people follow me on Instagram and read my posts is both incredibly humbling and hugely uplifting. The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams."
In her YouTube video, Mitchell teased that she'll give a full look at her pregnancy journey in a new series called Almost Ready, which premieres July 17.
"It didn't feel right to just put up a photo and be like, 'I'm pregnant!' and have people just think that everything's been peaches and rainbows," she said in the video. "This is real life and I want people to come along with me on this journey in real time."
Congrats to Mitchell—we can't wait to follow along with her new series.
