Leave Mariah Carey's Uterus Alone

On this site, we joke about the Unsolicited Uterus Updates in the tabloids and on gossip sites, but the truth is that prying about the status of a woman’s womb — famous or not — is really inappropriate.

Mariah Carey has endured pregnancy rumors for years. in 2008, she refused to drink champagne on Ellen, which started a frenzy of with-child whispers. Lately, the speculation gotten out of control. In early May, a tabloid reported that the singer had been spotted leaving a fertility clinic; in late May Mariah dropped out of a Tyler Perry film, fueling the bump-watch patrol. By June the rumor was that she was carrying twins. Through all of this, Mariah herself has said very little, and her husband, Nick Cannon, insists:”When my wife feels like talking about whatever she wants to talk about, you will hear it directly from her.”

Of course, that doesn’t stop the rumor mill from churning out new stories; the latest is that Mariah — who performed in Brazil last week — is four months along. Gossips are prying so deep into Mariah’s uterus that they sourced a dress she wore as coming from maternity store A Pea In The Pod.

Why would a grown woman who thrives on sharing the minutiae of her life — she’s Tweeted about chipped nails, curling iron burns and her puppies — not want to announce that she’s pregnant? Easy: Because it’s her body. And she doesn’t owe anyone any explanations. Whether she’s undergoing IVF or not, the contents of her uterus are her business and hers alone — and the same should be true for all women.

Though it’s been done for thousands of years, carrying a fetus is a delicate condition. Anything can happen. There are no guarantees. Her publicist says that Mariah’s not talking about being knocked up because she’s “superstitious,” which may be true, but keeping it to yourself makes a hell of a lot of sense. My (now-deceased) father was an OB/Gyn, and lead me to believe that you shouldn’t really tell anyone you’re expecting, name the kid or buy furniture, until after the baby is born. Extreme, maybe, but consider that it came from someone who often had the painful task of announcing a stillborn to couples who’d set up an elaborate nursery.

But truly, what it comes down to is this: We live in a society in which a woman’s body is up for discussion. It’s become acceptable to gab about whether a woman, famous or not, looks fat, or too thin, or old, or pregnant. In all instances, it’s not our business. Mariah has a right to privacy; it’s time to stand up for the Empancipation of Mimi.

EXCLUSIVE: Mariah Carey Four Months Pregnant [Radar Online]
Is She or Isn’t She? Mariah Carey Sports Maternity Wear [People]