Her Hidden Pregnancy Was Right Out of a TV Plot

How did Eva Mendes hide her pregnancy for so long? Apparently, it has involved a carefully positioned Birkin bag, among many other props. Mendes is not the first actress to attempt to conceal her pregnancy from the media, and she's certainly not the first to get creative in the undertaking. TV fashion designers have almost made an art form out of concealing their stars' pregnancies when it doesn't line up with the show's plot. Maybe Mendes's took a page out of their playbook. Big coats, large objects, overstuffed grocery bags with a requisite baguette sticking out of the top, and carefully positioned furniture are often involved.

So shout-out to Mendes, who managed to keep her pregnancy a secret from the hungry media for, allegedly, seven months. Her main tactic was avoiding the paparazzi as much as possible, which is probably wise, considering the ridiculous measures actresses have taken in real life and in fiction to conceal a bump. If she ever wants to hide another baby bump in the future, here are some of the most creative and hilarious ways that TV characters have done so in the past.

The Cosby Show

Phylicia Rashad was pregnant during Season 3, so they tried to keep Clair Huxtable hidden.

Sex and the City

Carrie Bradshaw's quirky fashion covered Sarah Jessica Parker's pregnancy. The clip shows all the creative ways they covered the bump.

Mad Men

The infamous Fat Betty came about because January Jones was pregnant.

Seinfeld

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was pregnant on Seasons 3 and 8 of Seinfeld. Note how she covers her stomach with a purse in this scene.

Scandal

The ABC hit got creative hiding Kerry Washington's pregnancy.

30 Rock

And in fictional baby news, Elizabeth Banks as Avery Jessup used seasonal props and poinsettias to conceal her bump on her fake news show.

Images: NBC, Iamrogersterling/Tumblr, ABC