Sean Lowe took to his blog Thursday to defend his wife from backlash following an April Fool’s joke that drew criticism for going too far.
On Wednesday, Catherine Guidici posted an Instagram photo that appeared to show her pregnant, but in reality was her just pushing out her stomach as far as possible.
The joke didn’t land, with criticism soon flowing in that she was being insensitive to women struggling to get pregnant. Lowe said this was the furthest thing from the truth, saying the joke was in response to his wife constantly being told she looks pregnant.
“We understand that many of these people have no ill intent and are genuinely just hoping that we’re pregnant because they want to see us start our family, and we totally get that,” Lowe wrote on his blog. “But at the same time, it would be really tough for any woman to hear that ‘she looks pregnant’ on a daily basis when she’s not.”
Lowe said his wife was not trying to be disrespectful to those women struggling with fertility.
“If you know anything about Catherine or have followed her for any length of time, then you know that she is one of the most caring, compassionate people you will ever meet,” he said. “If you are one of those who are struggling with fertility, I promise Catherine’s heart breaks for you.”
After she received hundreds of negative comments on April Fool’s Day, Guidici posted a clarification on Instagram:
“About my earlier post, it was intended to be lighthearted and fun and certainly not insensitive,” she wrote. “My heart goes out to all the women struggling with fertility.”