Julia Stiles Speaks Out About Mom Shaming After She's Criticized for the Way She Held Her Baby
When new mom Julia Stiles posted what she thought was a sweet photo of herself and her newborn, she was not prepared to face an onslaught of comments from mommy shamers.
The actress, who welcomed son Strummer Newcomb in October, took to Instagram on Friday to shut down the critics who accused her of improperly putting her 5-week-old child in a baby carrier after she shared a photo on social media the previous day.
“It was brought to my attention that in the previous photo I am not holding my baby correctly. Wow, I didn’t expect that,” Stiles said about the reactions from fellow parents.
“What was supposed to be a shout out of products I like suddenly becomes an invitation to comment on my baby, and my ability as a mother. That’s the internet for you, the carnivorous plant from Little Shop of Horrors, ” the mother of one continued.
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“I was trying to keep as much of my son’s image private, including, I guess, his little feet. And it was just a photo taken at home, not how I normally carry him around. Thanks for the concern, anyway,” she added.
“Yes, Mothers, always read the safety instructions. But also, Instagrammers: instead of writing snarky comments about a 5-week-old, try dancing around your living room to a Clash record. It’s way more fun,” Stiles said along with a photo of the British punk band.
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Stiles and husband Preston J. Cook welcomed Strummer, their first child, on Oct. 20, in New York City. The actress announced her baby boy’s arrival with a sweet photo of his tiny hand wrapped around an adult thumb.
The couple’s son made his debut about a month after his parents tied the knot in what Stiles jokingly described as a “shotgun wedding” on Instagram, sharing a photo of her new husband’s hand on her baby bump. She and Cook met on the set of 2015’s Go with Me, where Cook worked as a camera assistant, and was engaged on Christmas Eve that same year.
