Rapper Da Brat is expecting her first child: ‘Seeing a Black queer woman pregnant brings me joy’
Da Brat and wife Jesseca DuPart announce pregnant with first child. (Instagram/Da Brat/Getty)
American rapper Da Brat has announced she is expecting her first child with wife Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart after suffering a heartbreaking miscarriage.
Da Brat, 48, shared the exciting news in an exclusive with People, telling them: “I never thought I was going to have kids, I just thought it wasn’t in the cards for me.”
Now 18 weeks pregnant, the hit “Funkdafied” rapper admitted that “[I thought] because I didn’t get pregnant earlier on in life, then it just wasn’t going to happen for me.”
It was meeting her wife Jesseca, 41, that opened her up to the idea: “I started looking at life so differently. I was like, I want a little me with you. Something special from the both of us that we can share and raise and love unconditionally.”
Jesseca and Da Brat tied the knot in an extravagant wedding last February.
The beloved rapper’s wife has three children from a previous marriage, which helped inform her decision about who was going to carry the baby.
Initially, De Brat wasn’t keen on the idea: “I was like, nothing’s gonna come out of me!”
But despite her initial reluctance, Jesseca said that she was eventually able to convince her wife. “We had a little tug-o-war in the beginning…but I felt like she should have the experience. She is so nurturing”.
Both of them also opened up about the complications they faced during the IVF process, including Jesseca’s health issues following egg retrieval.
Da Brat, meanwhile, had to undergo major surgery to remove fibroids and polyps before the embryo transfer.
In an episode of their reality show Brat Loves Judy last year, they shared the beginning of their fertility journey, with Da Brat opening up about their fibroids.
“It’s not what I was expecting,” she said about first hearing the news, “I’m disappointed. I’ve been so excited I’m gonna have on in the oven and carry a baby and experience motherhood and feeling what it feels like inside me.”
Da Brat also revealed to People that since the episode, the pair have suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage.
“I had never been so excited about something that I didn’t even know I wanted,” she continued. “I fell in love with the idea and then it was all snatched away from me”.
But they tried again, and happily, Da Brat is now into her second trimester.
“I’m always sleepy,” she joked. “It’s crazy! Everything makes me cry. If someone wins American Idol, I cry. I’m like, I’m tougher than that!”
What are the reactions to Da Brat’s pregnancy?
The pregnancy has caused a stir on the internet, with many social media trolls bombarding Da Brat with cruel comments suggesting that she shouldn’t be carrying a baby because she is masculine-presenting.
Although people have previously labelled Da Brat a stud, which refers to a “butch woman or non-binary person who is Black or Latinx”, the rapper has said in previous interviews: “I’m just Brat.”
While trolls have tried to undermine the announcement by pushing harmful tropes about being “the man” in the relationship or spouting homophobic lines, many have also defended the rapper and shared their happiness at the news.
“It’s so weird how many people display pure ignorance on social media,” one fan commented on her Instagram post. “It doesn’t matter if she was the stud or fem in the relationship. They made this decision and do not need the approval of any fan on here.”
“Seeing a Black Queer Woman pregnant at 48 just brings me joy. Cause it’s that reminder to so many it’s not too late. Only you know what you can handle. Stop letting other people dictate your life’s timeline,” another wrote.
“DaBrat being pregnant means so much to me. Like, her being queer, more masc presenting, older, came out later in life, found love later in life, BLACK!!! Like this is very very dope for me to hear about as a Black Dyke!” another added.
After Da Baby and Jesseca revealed the news to Talk show presenter Sherri Shepherd live on air, we also saw a lot of wholesome joy.
Congratulations Da Brat and Jesseca!
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