Quelling the criticism. Michelle Branch defended her decision to dress up as Jesus’ pregnant mother, Mary, on Sunday, October 31.
When the singer, 38, first posted a photo of her outfit via Instagram, she wrote, “I swear, I didn’t sleep with anyone.” In the social media upload, the Arizona native cradled her baby bump in a white dress, a blue shawl and a crown of stars.
While many of the songwriter’s followers voiced their support for the costume, calling it “brilliant” and “genius,” others were upset. “So sorry to see you mock her. Personally I consider it disrespectful. Farewell!” one user wrote, while another added, “This is blasphemy.”
The Grammy winner subsequently posted an “update” to the caption, writing, “For those of you offended, chill out. I was raised Catholic, I meant it as no disrespect. She’s the patron saint of expectant mothers and safe childbirth and I thought it would be the perfect costume for pregnant me to waddle around in. I dressed up as St. Rose of Lima for her feast day in Catholic school I don’t see how dressing up as Mary for Halloween is any different.”
The “Are You Happy Now?” singer debuted her comfy costume one month after announcing that she and husband Patrick Carney are expecting baby No. 2 after previously suffering a miscarriage.
“You know you’re pregnant when…” Branch captioned an August Instagram photo of scones. “Woke up to a picture my friend Sonya sent of scones she was eating in England and I immediately had to hop out of bed and make a batch myself. @officerpatrickcarney was my hero (as usual) and went to the market in search of double cream. Couldn’t be more excited (and nervous! Hello, pregnancy after miscarriage anyone?!) to announce baby Carney is coming early 2022!”
The Black Keys member, 41, posted an ultrasound photo the following month in an announcement of his own. “Turns out you can get pregnant from a toilet seat,” he joked in October. “Carmel and Carpet are getting a buddy next year.”
The drummer and Branch started dating in 2015, getting engaged two years later. The pair welcomed son Rhys, now 3, in August 2018, getting married in April of the following year. (Branch is also the mom of Owen, 16, whom she shares with ex-husband Teddy Landau.)
In December 2020, the “Leave the Pieces” singer told her Instagram followers that she was “limping to the finish line” of 2020 after experiencing a pregnancy loss.
“Just when we were rounding third and heading home (A baseball metaphor?! I know.) 2020 was like, ‘Nah, I ain’t done yet,’” Branch wrote at the time. “December decided to really finish us off with a bang! No, literally. A bomb went off in downtown Nashville yesterday. And to further twist a dagger in my heart, I experienced my first miscarriage (ugh! Motherf–ker!). But alas, between the crying and binge eating of Christmas cookies, I decided to put on lipstick and a dress. We drank champagne alllll day. Made an incredible meal and sang Christmas songs snuggled up by a roaring fire. Five more days until 2021.”