Chrissy Teigen has defended herself against critics of her sharing her miscarriage journey online, and thanked fans for notes and messages sent to her as she grieved.
Teigen posted pictures on social media on October 1 after giving birth to a stillborn son Jack. After several days of labour, she said the doctors informed her and husband John Legend with whom she shares two children Luna and Miles that it was time to 'say goodbye'. At this point she said she "absolutely knew I needed to share this story".
"I had asked my mom and John to take pictures, no matter how uncomfortable it was. I explained to a very hesitant John that I needed them, and that I did NOT want to have to ever ask. That he just had to do it. He hated it. I could tell. It didn’t make sense to him at the time. But I knew I needed to know of this moment forever," she wrote on a post on
Teigen said she wanted to share the photos to help others who have experienced losing a child.
"I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos. How little I care that it’s something you wouldn’t have done. I lived it, I chose to do it, and more than anything, these photos aren’t for anyone but the people who have lived this or are curious enough to wonder what something like this is like. These photos are only for the people who need them. The thoughts of others do not matter to me."
She also thanked fans saying the couple's floors have been covered in "flowers of kindness".
"Notes have flooded in and have each been read with our own teary eyes. Social media messages from strangers have consumed my days, most starting with, “you probably won’t read this, but…”. I can assure you, I did. Many shared incredible personal experiences, some shared books and poems. I wanted to thank everyone."
"People say an experience like this creates a hole in your heart. A hole was certainly made, but it was filled with the love of something I loved so much. It doesn’t feel empty, this space. It feels full."
Teigen said she was motivated to share her story after making news of her pregnancy public.
"I feel bad our grief was so public because I made the joy so public. I was excited to share our news with the world. Stories leading up to this had been chronicled for all. It’s hard to look at them now. I was so positive it would be okay. I feel bad that I made you all feel bad. I always will."
Teigen's post was met with thousands of retweets, shares and comments, including from mothers sharing their own stories of grief.
