Entertainment
Beautiful people making beautiful babies: That's certainly an apt description for singer John Legend and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen. The beautiful couple became parents earlier this year, welcoming their daughter Luna Simone Legend on April 14. Legend and Teigen faced a barrage of unsolicited advice and criticism from strangers on the internet who have no problem telling two famous people how to raise their new baby. Teigen bore the brunt of mom shaming online, but her hubby stepped up to the plate like whoa, with four awesome moments when John Legend called out mom shaming for what it is.
It's bad enough how challenging it is for new parents to adjust to life with their newborn. Any parent out there is keenly aware of the hazing that comes with new parenthood, especially in those first few disorienting weeks. Before you know it, people come out of the woodwork to offer their oh so "helpful" parenting advice, but much of the time, it's couched with judgment and directed mostly at moms. Mom shaming sucks — and Legend isn't having any of it. I'm not surprised, given that Legend is a proud feminist himself. Here's how Legend dropped the mic on mom shaming.
He's Proud Of His Wife
Even before baby Luna arrived, Legend already had to fend off critics of his wife and mama-to-be. In February, Teigen revealed to People that they selected their baby's gender through IVF. "Not only am I having a girl," she said, "but I picked the girl from her little embryo." The internet was quick to swoop down on Teigen for sharing that they took advantage of being able to select their baby's gender through their unique situation. Legend was quick to point out that it doesn't matter whether or not they picked their child's gender. The important thing was that Teigen opened up about their infertility struggles so candidly.
He Laughs At The Haters
On the day after Mothers' Day, correspondent Desi Lydic delivered an amazing Daily Show segment on mom shaming, even using Teigen and Legend as examples of parents who have to put up with it:
You’re worried about the quality of John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s child care? It’s not like they’re getting their nanny off Craigslist. They’re rich celebrities. They could get Mary Poppins to watch their baby, as in literally call Julie Andrews, get her to come out of retirement to babysit in character as Mary Poppins.
Legend tweeted his support for Lydic's segment, joking that they "only have Mary Poppins on the weekends." He's able to call out mom shaming for what it is while still maintaining a sense of humor about it all.
"There's No Dad Shaming"
Perhaps the most controversial of all their moments as new parents was when Teigen and Legend went out to dinner after Luna was born. In typical, sexist, mom shaming fashion, the internet was up in arms about how Teigen left her baby "alone" — but people didn't have any of the same criticisms for Legend. In perhaps his most triumphant moment speaking out about mom shaming, Legend tweeted, "Funny there's no dad-shaming." Oh man — how can you not swoon for Legend's brand of blunt feminism?
"Say It To Me, Too"
In an interview with The Today Show, Legend took his thoughts on mom shaming to the airwaves. Building off of his tweet, Legend told those who would bash Teigen that they should bash him too, since they went out together as a couple. And besides — Luna was (and still is) in good hands. Legend went on to justify their night out — but not like he had to anyway: "You know, every once in a while, you have to take care of yourselves as a couple."
Preach.
