The on-screen storyline involves Maddie, a 911 dispatcher, preparing to welcome her second child with firefighter Howard "Chimney" Han (played by Kenneth Choi). The intimate moments shared between the couple on screen, paired with Maddie's visibly growing belly, have left viewers wondering whether the pregnancy is purely scripted — or rooted in reality.
Fan Speculation Sparks Online Frenzy
Following the episode’s premiere, social media platforms lit up with curiosity. On X (formerly known as Twitter), one user wrote, “I feel like Jennifer Love Hewitt is always pregnant on these shows. She looks good pregnant though.” The comment quickly gained traction, with many chiming in with similar thoughts.
Another viewer declared, “When Jennifer Love Hewitt is pregnant on 9-1-1, that means she’s pregnant in real life.” That sentiment echoed across Reddit and Instagram, where fans examined everything from her wardrobe to her recent public appearances for signs of a baby bump.
Over on Reddit’s r/911FOX subreddit, a 2022 thread titled “Is Jennifer Love Hewitt pregnant?” was revived, with users analyzing past episodes and promotional appearances. Some Redditors pointed out that in previous seasons, the actress often wore loose sweatpants, oversized shirts, or strategically placed props that some interpreted as attempts to conceal a real-life pregnancy.
One user wrote, “It seems like they’ve been hiding her being pregnant for like 3 seasons now.” Another responded, “Or maybe she just likes comfortable clothes and isn't a size zero anymore.” While some commenters speculated about a possible pregnancy, others argued that her appearance was being misinterpreted and that the show’s wardrobe choices were more about character comfort than concealment.
Instagram wasn’t much different. On a June 2024 post where Hewitt shared a sweet Father’s Day tribute to her husband, actor Brian Hallisay, one follower asked bluntly, “Are you expecting again?” Another commented under a 9-1-1 promo, “Maddie’s pregnant, so is JLH?!”
Jennifer Love Hewitt Addresses the Rumors
Despite the rising curiosity, Jennifer Love Hewitt has already put the rumors to rest. In a candid interview with Us Weekly published in November 2024, the actress tackled the speculation head-on. She shared that she had been bombarded with messages from friends and family who had seen the show and assumed she was expecting in real life.
Laughing off the rumors, Hewitt said, “No, I can do one real one and one fake one, people. I am not pregnant.”
She further explained that portraying a pregnant woman on-screen can often blur the lines for viewers. Given her history of being pregnant during filming — she welcomed her third child in 2021 — fans have grown accustomed to associating her character’s pregnancies with her real life. However, Hewitt made it clear that Maddie’s current pregnancy is purely fictional.
The Actress's Real-Life Journey with Motherhood
Jennifer Love Hewitt is already a proud mother of three children with husband Brian Hallisay. The couple, who met while working on the show The Client List, married in 2013 and have kept much of their family life private.
In September 2021, Hewitt gave birth to their third child, a baby boy named Aidan James. She has often shared snippets of her motherhood journey on social media, from birthday cakes to heartfelt tributes and the occasional parenting anecdote. Though she maintains a relatively low profile, her fans are always eager to see her updates and often read between the lines of her posts for possible announcements.
That tendency to interpret social media posts as hidden messages may have contributed to the renewed pregnancy rumors this year. But for now, Hewitt seems focused on her family, her role on 9-1-1, and shutting down gossip when necessary.
Why Fans Keep Making the Same Assumption
There’s a long history of fans confusing on-screen pregnancies with real-life ones, especially in long-running television dramas. For an actor like Jennifer Love Hewitt, who has portrayed multiple pregnancies on television and has also experienced them in real life during filming, the lines are easy to blur.
Moreover, 9-1-1 has featured Maddie’s pregnancies as significant turning points in her character arc. The emotional depth Hewitt brings to those scenes — from the tender to the traumatic — further convinces viewers that she might be drawing from personal experience. Add to that the very physical, visual nature of pregnancy, and it’s easy to see why fans are constantly speculating.
In Hewitt’s case, the rumors may also be fueled by the fact that she tends to keep her public appearances minimal and prefers more natural, everyday looks in her off-screen life. When she does post, her photos often focus on her children, daily life, or work — rarely glamorized or styled to draw attention.
The Power of Parasocial Connections
At the heart of these recurring pregnancy rumors lies the parasocial relationship between celebrities and their audiences. For long-time fans of 9-1-1 or even her earlier shows like Ghost Whisperer or Party of Five, Jennifer Love Hewitt feels familiar — like a friend you’ve watched grow up and build a life.
When fans see her portraying a mother again on-screen, it taps into that emotional connection. They begin to speculate, project, and imagine what her real life must be like — even when the truth is far less dramatic than fiction.
Conclusion: Just an On-Screen Pregnancy This Time
So, is Jennifer Love Hewitt pregnant in real life? The answer is no.
Though 9-1-1 viewers are currently watching her character Maddie Buckley prepare for baby number two, it’s all part of the storyline. Jennifer Love Hewitt herself has confirmed that she is not expecting and that the pregnancy is fictional.
Still, the fascination continues — a testament to how convincing her performances are and how invested fans have become in her life, both on-screen and off.