Halle Bailey is finally breaking her silence on a topic fans have been waiting months for her to address. As The Shade Room previously reported, in January, Bailey and DDG revealed they welcomed a son together.

Prior to this, the couple kept their pregnancy private.

RELATED: Congrats! Halle Bailey & DDG Reveal They’ve Welcomed Their First Child Together! (PHOTO)

Here’s What Halle Bailey Said

On Thursday, March 7, Halle Bailey and her sister Chloe Bailey appeared at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards.

 

According to USA Today, Halle was honored at the event with an award. During her acceptance speech, she reflected on the challenges of being a Black actor in Hollywood.

“During one of my proudest moments being cast as Ariel, that’s when I discovered two things about being Black in Hollywood. It can be unfair, and it can expose you to criticism just for being you,” she reportedly explained. “Not because you’re a bad actor or you’ve given a poor performance, but just because you look like you do.”

Additionally, Halle reflected on another challenge she recently faced, which was not only becoming a mother but hiding her pregnancy from the public.

“One of the biggest highlights of my life and, to be real, one of the biggest challenges too, cannot compare to the biggest joy of my life. And that was becoming a mom to my perfect little angel, Halo.,” she said while becoming emotional.

Halle went on to explain that the lessons she learned in life led her to a “place of protection,” which is what inspired her to initially keep her journey in motherhood private.

“There was no way in hell I was going to share the biggest joy of my world with anyone,” she continued. “Halo was my gift. He is the greatest blessing, and I had no obligation to expose him, me, or my family to that unyielding spotlight.”

According to USA Today, Halle went on to compare her pregnancy to Lauryn Hill and Beyoncé, who also waited until they felt the time was right to share the news with the world.

Check out a portion of Halle’s speech below.

 

The Actor’s Sister Chloe Bailey Also Weighed In

At the event, Chloe also weighed in on her sister’s private pregnancy. While speaking with TMZ, Bailey explained that keeping Halle’s secret was “not hard” at all.

As The Shade Room previously reported, Chloe opened up more about the life change while speaking with PEOPLE in January. At the time, Chloe told the outlet that her sister’s pregnancy was the “best-kept secret ever.”

She also shared how she helped Halle power through the speculation.

“We just ignore it. I would tell her, like, take social media off your phone, you know, I keep all her other secrets. So this was just another one in the books,” she said.

 

 

Amid Halle Bailey’s Revelation, DDG Has Been Facing Criticism

DDG didn’t pop out alongside Halle and Chloe for the recent. However, that hasn’t kept his name out of the headlines. According to HipHopDX, the new father has recently been criticized by social media.

The outlet reports that users have criticized him for holding his and Halle’s son with one arm.

According to the outlet, one social media user reportedly wrote:

“Bro holding the baby like a basketball”

While another added:

“Holding bro like a pile of books.”

However, DDG isn’t letting the critics get to him. On Thursday, March 7, he shared a message letting social media users know that him and Halo are “chillin.”