It may be a new year, but old habits die hard, and that includes the unfortunate pattern of worrying about what’s going on with another woman’s body.
Singer and actress LeToya Luckett, who these days goes by LeToya Luckett-Coles since marrying Taleo Coles in 2024, found herself having to explain why she had a little bit of a tummy in a picture that she shared after someone assumed it was a baby bump.
She was posting photos of her Valentine’s Day fun with Coles, which included a trip to Las Vegas to see New Edition live, when a few people made comments about her stomach, including one who wrote, “Yes!!!!! Baby bump!”
“No man lol!” she replied. “Gonna pin this so we don’t have to revisit again. I ate dinner. After having kids. It’s called a fupa.”
She added, “Sorry to disappoint.”
Luckett would follow that up with a general comment, or plea, to all.
“lol y’all are too funny! With love, can we PLEASE stop assuming women are preggo because their stomach ain’t flat? Especially ones who’ve pushed out some kids. 😩🙃🫠 carry on 😬” she wrote.
Luckett also took thinks a step further, making it clear that people wouldn’t see her with an actual baby bump anytime soon.
“Too [sic] add: I can’t have anymore kids 🤷🏽♀️,” she said. “We will not be having anymore kids. Unless by surrogacy. We’re ok with that. Sorry to disappoint. Thanks for all the well wishes. 😘💕”
As a mother of two, I second the reality that sometimes that lower stomach area can be a doozy after having kids. That said, it’s not a crime to think it, but it’s definitely messy to ask or assume, out loud, that someone is pregnant. Moving right along…
As mentioned, Luckett married Coles last year. She has two children, from her marriage to Tommicus Walker, including daughter Gianna and son Tysun. When she opened up about her new relationship, pre-marriage, it was while appearing on The Tamron Hall Show and being asked about her Valentine’s Day plans in 2024. That’s when she gushed about Coles without identifying him just yet.
“I will say that, daily, I am spoiled with kindness, ” she said at the time. “I am spoiled with peace. I am spoiled with support. I am spoiled with consistency, love – and I had to give it to myself first – but the fact that God saw fit to put it in the form of a man, I won’t complain.”
In an exclusive with ESSENCE as she celebrated her wedding day, she said of their love, “I feel like our story is one of hope,” Luckett said. “For the single moms who might doubt that love and a blended family are possible, I hope our journey shows them that it’s never too late to find happiness and build something beautiful.”
