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Home / Entertainment

John Legend speaks out about losing son with wife Chrissy Teigen: ‘We felt powerless’

Bang Showbiz
24 Mar, 2023 08:47 PM3 mins to read

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Chrissy Teigen and John Legend with baby Jack, posted in a series of heartbreaking photos from her hospital bed. Photo / Instagrm

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend with baby Jack, posted in a series of heartbreaking photos from her hospital bed. Photo / Instagrm

John Legend insists it “made sense” for his wife Chrissy Teigen to detail the heartbreaking loss of their son on social media.

The couple were left devastated when they lost their son Jack 20 weeks into her pregnancy and Teigen opened up about their pain in a series of online posts, as well as a poignant essay which described her experience in hospital, and now Legend has defended her decision to share such intimate details of the tragedy.

Chrissy Teigen, a model and the wife of musician John Legend, has explained in a message to fans her decision to share intimate photos taken after suffering a miscarriage. Photo / Supplied
Chrissy Teigen, a model and the wife of musician John Legend, has explained in a message to fans her decision to share intimate photos taken after suffering a miscarriage. Photo / Supplied

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the singer explained the loss of Jack was tough on both of them. He said: “It’s hard because you feel - especially being the man in the relationship, not carrying the baby yourself - you feel this strong sense of grief but also this powerlessness, because you want to be there to protect, you want to be there to help, but you literally can’t do anything to really solve the core problem here.

“So it was just heartbreaking. We felt powerless, and it was a deep, deep grief. Deep challenge, deep pain ... We were able to get through it, but it was tough.”

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When asked about why they chose to be so open about the tragedy, Legend went on: “Honestly, us talking about it publicly created this sense of community because you start to realise how many other people have gone through it - and it’s way more than you think.

“People would send books, people would send flowers, people cared. It made a lot of people who didn’t usually talk about this publicly - or didn’t usually talk about it even among their larger friend groups - feel more comfortable talking about it, and feel like they weren’t alone in that situation.”

The All Of Me star added: “It was Chrissy’s idea to share it. And it was right in the heart of our grief, so it’s kind of courageous that she was even able to think about that.

“She’d been sharing her journey through pregnancy … When it started getting complicated and she had to be in bed rest and we were trying to save the pregnancy, she was sharing all that.

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“So it would have been weird to not share the outcome, ‘cause then it’s just like the baby just disappeared and there’s no explanation. So it made sense to share it, but it was still hard.”

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are parents to three children. Their youngest daughter Esti was born in January 2023.

Where to get help:

• 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)

• https://www.lifeline.org.nz/services/suicide-crisis-helpline

• YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633• NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7)

• KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)

• WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)

• DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 or TEXT 4202

• NATIONAL ANXIETY 24 HR HELPLINE: 0800 269 4389

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