Oscar-nominated actress Danielle Brooks is candidly confessing that she wasn’t sure about becoming a mother before she gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Freeya, in 2019.
The Color Purple and Orange is the New Black star spoke about the twists and turns of her journey to motherhood on the latest episode of the Pregnant Pause podcast.
Before meeting her husband, Dennis Gelin, in New York, Brooks told Pregnant Pause host Danielle Cadet that she had no desire to become a mother.
“I did not want children. I was one of those women who believed I was not going to be married and I was not going to have kids, and I was okay with that,” the 35-year-old Hollywood star confessed at the 11:40 minute mark. “And then I met my lovely husband… I was like, You know what? I actually think I could have this baby.”
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Brooks said she loved the way she and Gelin, whom she married in 2022, were aligned when it came to their parenting philosophies and long-term goals, but she was still on the fence about motherhood, until something unexpected happened. While performing the role of Sophia in the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple and juggling her famous role as the sassy Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson on Orange is the New Black, Brooks discovered she was pregnant.
Brooks Was Taking Accutane To Treat Acne At The Time Of Her First Pregnancy
At the time, she was undergoing treatment for severe acne with the powerful oral medication Accutane. Brooks recalled breaking down upon hearing the news, as women are strongly advised against getting pregnant while on Accutane. Even a single dose during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“You actually have to sign something saying that you will have an abortion if you get pregnant,” she revealed. “You have to show them two ways in which you will try not to get pregnant.”
But another breakthrough happened at that moment. Brooks realized that she truly did want to become a mother.
“I will never forget, when I saw that pregnancy test, I broke down, and it wasn’t out of fear. I broke down because I realized I wanted to be a mom. That option was no longer on the table, and it shocked the hell out of me,” she shared. “Because I had always been like, I don’t want to be a mother. I’m good, like, career, career, let me just, you know, be out here bodying TV, film, theater—all the things. And so the minute I saw that Clear, say, pregnant, it hit me. I said, ‘I’m supposed to be a mother. I want to be a mom.’”
She Later Welcomed Her Daughter Freeya In 2019
Sadly, Brooks had to have an abortion, which she said was “very difficult.” The actress held on to a lot of guilt for years, but God delivered the TV and film genius another pregnancy towards the end of her time filming on Orange is the New Black.
“We were excited,” Brooks said of the joy she and her husband felt after discovering the good news.
On Nov. 16, 2019, Brooks and Gelin welcomed Freeya into the world. She announced her daughter’s arrival on Instagram.
“11.16.19 â¤ï¸â¾â¤ï¸ She’s perfect,” the actress captioned a since-deleted photo of precious Freeya resting on her chest, according to PEOPLE..
Brooks told Cadet that she couldn’t have navigated the ups and downs of motherhood without help from her devoted husband.
“I had a great partner, which is what was important—most important to me—because he helped me through that time, and that was one of the reasons I said this is [it] because he’s showing up right, in the right way.”
Later on in the show, when Cadet asked the star about her thoughts on pregnancy being viewed as a “handicap” for women, Brooks said she used her own to slow down and reset, something she believes all hardworking moms should do.
“It’s okay to put your feet up, we NEED to put our feet up!,” she stressed. “I think it’s okay to be in that handicap for a little bit… We deserve it.”
Congrats to Danielle Brooks! Motherhood looks great on you!
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