Last July, after a hit TV show, countless films roles, one major celebrity marriage and divorce, a secret second wedding and endless reports on imaginary "baby bumps," Jennifer Aniston finally spoke out in an op-ed on Huffington Post. "For the record," she wrote,"I am not pregnant. What I am is fed up. I'm fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of "journalism," the "First Amendment" and 'celebrity news.'"
In the past couple of weeks, sources as varied as The Daily Mail, Life and Style and New York Magazine have postulated on whether Amal Clooney is pregnant…with twins. It seems a Dolce & Gabbana shift dress is what really did her in yesterday, causing a new storm of articles proclaiming George Clooney is going to be a father. These stories are accompanied by zoom-in shots of the human rights' attorney's midsection and photos of her from this past summer in a yellow cropped top and low slung jeans for comparative purposes—photos that are there to be scrutinized and studied.
In November, Amal Clooney gave the keynote speech at the Texas Conference for Women where she urged "everyday acts of feminism," saying, "The worst thing that we can do as women is not stand up for each other, and this is something we can practice every day, no matter where we are and what we do—women sticking up for other women, choosing to protect and celebrate each other instead of competing or criticizing one another."
In September, Clooney brought a case against ISIS, representing Nadia Murad, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and an ISIS survivor. That same month, Clooney gave a damning speech at the United Nations for its failure to react to the crimes committed by Isis against the Yazidi community.
That's correct, Amal Clooney is fighting ISIS—and yet nearly the first full page of google terms under her name currently shows stories speculating on pregnancy rumors (the other top piece is about her wedding gown). Clearly, Amal Clooney is a highly intelligent, highly educated, accomplished, stylish and beautiful woman—the kind of woman we want our daughters to emulate. Let's not diminish her to a probable baby bump.
As Aniston continued in her first-person essay, "If I am some kind of symbol to some people out there, then clearly I am an example of the lens through which we, as a society, view our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, female friends and colleagues. The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing."
If Amal Clooney announces that she is going to have a child we wish her well—but in the meantime, we won't be studying her body as we make conjectures on her maternity status.
Kerry Pieri is Harper's Bazaar's Digital Fashion/Features Director. Kerry oversees the fashion vertical for BAZAAR.com, including launching digital covers, styling celebrity features, and managing recurring features including Brand Watch and My Life in Three Looks. In addition, Kerry edits the “best of” each season, from shoes to bags, denim and coats, and is consistently looking for shifts in the fashion realm to lend a voice. Kerry formerly served as the Editorial Director of StyleCaster.com and as a producer at Full Frontal Fashion. She lives in New York with her husband Steve, and baby girl Lila Sky.
