Was Gina Rodriguez Pregnant While Filming ‘Not Dead Yet’?
Updated March 19 2023, 3:11 p.m. ET
The new supernatural sitcom starring Jane the Virgin alum Gina Rodriguez is here. On Feb. 8, 2023, Not Dead Yet premiered on ABC and became the network’s most-watched comedy debut in recent years. Featuring big names such as Hannah Simone (New Girl) and Lauren Ash (Superstore) and an abundance of celebrity guest stars, the book-based series is as good as it gets.
However, if Gina Rodriguez’s character Nell Serrano looks slightly different to you, there’s a reason for that. The 38-year-old actress was pregnant while filming Season 1 of the series. Read on for more details!
Gina Rodriguez became pregnant right before filming for ‘Not Dead Yet.’
In July 2022, the actor revealed that she and her husband, Joe LoCicero were expecting their first child together. However, the timing of Gina’s pregnancy took them both by surprise. When speaking with People, the Jane the Virgin alum revealed that her first pregnancy was unplanned but that she and Joe couldn’t have been happier. However, Gina discovered she was pregnant before filming her new ABC sitcom Not Dead Yet.
"It's my first time experiencing this, and they've been so loving and supportive of me, you know, accidentally getting pregnant right before the show started," the actress said of the series cast and crew at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in January. "Me and my husband are obviously very excited about it, but it definitely wasn't planned."
The ‘Not Dead Yet’ creators helped Gina Rodriguez hide her baby bump in clever ways.
After Gina discovered she and Joe would become first-time parents, she was worried about how her pregnancy would impact her new show. Fortunately, the showrunners offered their unconditional support. "You're pregnant, you're a miracle,” Gina recalled one of them saying. “Just live in it and we'll figure it out."
Showrunners David Windsor and Casey Johnson weren’t the only Not Dead Yet crew reassuring Gina. She revealed to People that executive producer Dean Holland did everything in his power to ensure Gina had a positive experience on set.
"So he helped all the directors come up with very creative ways to either cover the belly, whether it was costumes or my cubicle, or a plant or refrigerator," the Not Dead Yet lead explained.
Gina Rodriguez joked about whether her baby or the ‘Not Dead Yet’ premiere would come first.
On Jan. 25, Gina Rodriguez shared an Instagram slideshow highlighting a few of the things she’s done in the final weeks of her first pregnancy. “Just a few things I’ve been doing while 40-plus weeks pregnant,” the expecting mother wrote in her caption. “#notdeadyet #notUnpregnantYet #StopAskingMyDueDate Lets take some bets on what comes first, the TV show or the baby?!?!?”
Not Dead Yet premiered on Feb. 8, and Gina's agent revealed on March 19 that the couple had welcomed a baby boy. They didn't specify the birth date, so the new ABC sitcom very well could have come first. Congrats to Gina and Joe!
New Not Dead Yet episodes air on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. EST on ABC.
