Jennifer Love Hewitt is flaunting a baby bump—but hold up, it’s not quite what you think. On the latest episode of ABC’s 9-1-1, her character Maddie Buckley is expecting baby number two with Chimney Han. Now, TV has a long history of sneaking actual pregnancies into storylines, like a secret handshake between real life and the script. But is JLH really sporting a bump or just playing dress-up with some Hollywood magic?
With Mercury dancing through curious Gemini right now, it’s the perfect cosmic moment to question what’s real and what’s smoke and mirrors—because trust me, not every on-screen pregnancy is a genuine glow-up. And when Jensen’s got her telling us, “I’m too tired” to add baby number four, you wonder if the real energy is going into those prosthetic abs instead of midnight feedings. So, is it baby fever or clever prop work making the rounds on 9-1-1? Let’s dig in before the credits roll.
LEARN MOREReading Time: 3 minutes
Jennifer Love Hewitt is pregnant … on TV.
During one of the latest episodes of ABC’s 9-1-1, Maddie Buckley was pregnant.
The character and Chimney Han are expecting their second child together.
Sometimes, TV writes real-life pregnancies to accommodate a pregnant actor. Is that what happened here?
9-1-1 viewers already know that Maddie Buckley and Chimney Han have already welcomed one child.
They are now expecting another.
Jennifer Love Hewitt portrays Buckley. Kenneth Choi portrays Han.
Obviously, no one believes that Choi would be the father. But … is JLH’s baby bump legit?
After viewers observed how natural Hewitt’s pregnant body appeared on screen on Season 8, Episode 16, they wondered if it was truly a prosthetic.
Additionally, they pointed out how Hewitt’s wardrobe earlier in the season included plaid shirts and sweatpants. Both articles of clothing are natural choices for concealing a pregnancy early on.
If an actor tells production that they’re pregnant, wardrobe might accommodate them until scripts can be rewritten to factor in the pregnancy — when a show goes that route.
Not all of them do.
There is precedent for Hewitt’s real-life pregnancy coinciding with her 9-1-1 character’s.
However, as Hewitt has previously explained, that was merely a coincidence.
This time, to the best of our knowledge, she is not pregnant in real life.
In fact, she spoke on this topic just a few months ago … which was much closer to when this episode, “The Last Alarm,” likely filmed.
In late 2024, Hewitt specifically addressed speculation that she might be pregnant.
Speaking to Us Weekly at the time, she stated: “No, I can do one real one and one fake one, people.”
Hewitt emphasized: “I am not pregnant again. I am too tired.” She then affirmed:
“I have three children, I’m good.”
Presumably, Hewitt and Brian Hallisay would also need to do serious brainstorming about A-names.
11-year-old Autumn, 9-year-old Atticus, and 3-year-old Aidan have good names.
What if Baby #4 got a sub-par name? Better to not risk it.
Besides, several years ago, Hewitt stated that she was “pretty sure” that three would be enough.
In the meantime, she can just wear a very realistic prosthetic baby bump when she’s working.