Tracee Ellis Ross is shutting down the latest pregnancy rumors surrounding her after a manipulated image sent social media into a frenzy.
The Black-ish star addressed the speculation during a candid appearance on the What Now? with Trevor Noah podcast, calling the situation “nuts” and questioning how the fabricated story gained so much traction online.
Tracee Ellis Ross Says Pregnancy Photo Was Fake
The rumors began circulating in June after a manipulated social media post appeared to show Ross holding a pregnancy test.
According to Ross, the image was especially bizarre because the body shown in the photo wasn’t even hers.
She explained that her own fans were among the first people to notice something was off, pointing out that the hands and nails in the image did not match hers.
“That shit was nuts,” Ross said. “I thought that was crazy. I was like, ‘What are you guys talking about?’”
The actress joked that she might have understood the confusion if someone had posted an actual photo of her with a “bloated tummy,” but the fabricated image left her baffled.
Tracee Ellis Ross Previously Denied Pregnancy Rumors
This isn’t the first time Ross has had to address speculation about being pregnant.
She previously denied the rumors during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she revealed that she had suddenly started receiving congratulatory text messages.
At first, Ross assumed people were congratulating her on her Broadway debut in Every Brilliant Thing.
Instead, she discovered that social media users believed she was expecting a baby.
Ross, who is 53, joked about the bizarre situation while also addressing the broader societal pressure women often face surrounding marriage and motherhood.
During her conversation with Trevor Noah, Ross and the comedian also discussed how misleading content can spread online.
Noah suggested that social media algorithms and clickbait incentives can help fabricated stories gain momentum, regardless of whether the information is accurate.
Ross ultimately questioned why someone would go to such lengths to create a fake pregnancy story about her, wondering whether it was simply a case of there being a “slow news day.”
Tracee Ellis Ross Keeps Focus on Her Career
While social media users were busy speculating about her personal life, Ross has continued to focus on her work.
The actress recently reunited with her Girlfriends castmates, who came out to support her during her Tony-nominated Broadway revival.