Teenage actress Keisha Castle-Hughes made to feel guilty over pregnancy

Seventeen-year-old actress Keisha Castle-Hughes recently opened up to New Zealand’s Sunday program about how she feels the press is trying to make her feel guilty for becoming pregnant so young. Keisha said the public media controversy over her pregnancy has made her feel sad, discouraged, and like she shouldn’t be happy at all. Although she admits the pregnancy was unplanned, Keisha said,

It hurts because in a time where it’s usually a huge celebration…Instead of feeling, ‘Wow, I’m having a baby and this is amazing,’ I felt like I had to hide it, and I felt like it was bad for me to be happy about it.

She said she has also been scared by paparazzi hiding in the bushes outside her house, wanting to capture the first photo of her baby bump, although her boyfriend of four years, Bradley Hull, 19, has been able to avoid photographers a lot easier. He almost never gets photographed, she says. When asked about how Bradley reacted to the news of the pregnancy, Keisha said he is a man of few words. She laughed,

His response was, ‘Oh yeah? Oh yeah, okay.’

Keisha is due with a baby girl at the end of the month. She said that that although initially she did not want children, now with all the hormones racing around, she wants 10!

Source: Nine MSN – You can watch the video here.

Thanks to CBB readers Aline, Louise and Jess.

Comments

I am glad she said it was unplanned because I didn’t know whether it was or not. I thought it was unplanned as well. I am also happy to hear she is having a girl
I think that will be a bit easier on her having a girl as she is so young, what do you think would a little boy be harder?
Anyway, don’t like the look and sound of her boyfriend sorry… Besides she isn’t THAT young. She is 17, not like 14. And as people already said, she does have money so that is a bit less stress.

- Sophie on April 22nd, 2007

Keisha is such a great girl. Pregnancy in teen age is a very hard thing, I know it from my own experience. I gave birth to my daughter when I was only 16, and I get a lot of support from my family. When they found out that I was pregnant they were trying to make this situation easier for me. I wasn’t treated like a teenager anymore, from that time I was a woman. No one from my family made me feel guilty because of my young age because they knew that it was very difficult for me.

- lena on April 22nd, 2007

Poor Keisha!! people can be so ignorant sometimes!! Just look at the reaction towards beautiful Suri Cruise!! exactly how people showed how dumb they are when it comes to genetics, and how things can pop up GENERATIONS later, is the same way the (american) public has been ignorant about cultural differences.

we pride ourselves on being a very tolerant society, but in reality, we still have A LOT of work to do!

- MuffThumb on April 22nd, 2007

Keisha has a great personality and maturity beyond her years. I can’t wait to see the baby!

- Heavenly_hibiscus on April 22nd, 2007

I find the comment about the sex of her baby a bit ridiculous. What does it matter? Why would that make any difference in it being easy or not? I had a my BOYS at 19 an 20 and they are easier than my friend’s girls.

- Liza on April 22nd, 2007

Ever since Whale Rider, I have had an enormous amount of love for this girl. So she’s a pregnant teenager? So, What? She’s not the first one…I can assure you.lol. I just wish her tons of love and luck in her life. With Me, Keisha can really do no wrong.:)

- Melissa on April 22nd, 2007

Aww, I’m sorry the world is so judgemental. We don’t even know Keisha. That said, I wish her happiness and prosperity.

My birth mother was 27 when she had me, and still apparently felt unable to care for a child, because she gave me up for adoption. It’s not so much about age as it is maturity and responsibility. At this point, too, I’d probably trade a 17-year-old mother for the adoptive family I ended up with.

- nona on April 22nd, 2007

What the AMERICAN public think is irrelevant here regarding her interview, what she’s talking about is what New Zealanders think – she has been home throughout her pregnancy and will have her baby in NZ. I don’t understand why the first poster ‘doesn’t like the look of the boyfriend’ – what exactly are you expecting the average 19 year old male to look like ?

- lanie on April 22nd, 2007

I think ppl should just leave her & her bf alone. Yes she is young to be having her first baby, but I thought I was young when I had mine, & I was 20! Then I meet a grl who had her first baby at 14!! And she was a wonderful mother! Yes, NZ has a problem of having very young mothers, & alot of them shouldn’t be, but I think we should be giving Keisha, & especially her partner, credit for deciding to keep & love their lil bby. I said especially her partner, because there are far too many men who abandon pregnant women & their unborn offspring. they should b taking responsibility. after all, the mother can’t just say, nah, I dnt wanna do this, so why should the man get to? And Even if she doesnt want the baby, the only other options are adoption or abortion, both would leave horrendous pain & life long issues to deal with. So I think Bradley is a good young man for sticking by Keisha, I hope they will make great parents & have alot of love and support. And I really wana say shame on everybody who thought keisha was the best thing since sliced bread when she was in whale rider, etc, & then turn against her & ridicule her because shes now having a baby at 17. Grow up! She’s probably more mature than you are!

- jat on April 22nd, 2007

Things happen and you just have to go with the flow. I can understand how it’s got to be hard for her considering where she lives it’s not unnormal for a young girl to bear a child so young but in America it’s something that’s frowned upon. She seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders and fortunately for her she’s capable of financially supporting a child. She’ll be fine but it does make me wonder how this will effect her acting career in the states…if she even plans on continuing with it.

- J.M. on April 22nd, 2007

maturity does not come with an age.my best friend is 25 & 4mths preg with an unplanned kid-her bf is 47 n has made it clear he doesn’t want it(coz he already has 2 teenage kids of his own).my friend got preg @ 18 but aborted at her then-19yo bf’s request & lived to regret it.swore she’d never go thru that again, and with this man,she’s just moved out of their house coz she can’t cope atm. moral of the story-huge kudos to bradley for sticking by his girl. that is more than most guys that age would do. good luck to him & keisha.

- ang on April 22nd, 2007

When I was visiting other websites and I read the things people were saying about her I wanted to cry for her. It’s just crazy how mean people can be. This reminded me of when I was pregnant with my son in 2004 I got pregnant at 16 and had my son at 17. My friends talked bad about me, people that didn’t even know me talked bad about me. I felt alone, I felt like my son was a bad accident like everyone else was calling him. Now i’m 19 and i’m happy I had my son. I am a LPN, I have a house, and a car. I am in college to be a Doctor and all those people that talked trash about me don’t have nothing to say now. So I believe Keisha will be a great mother. I know if I can do it she can also.

- Ty on April 22nd, 2007

I also feel really bad for her.

- Liza on April 22nd, 2007

jat: Not all adoptive experiences involve horrendous pain. There are good adoption experiences and bad ones, they’re not all alike.

- Grace on April 22nd, 2007

I feel sad for her but like she said a baby is a happy occasion so that’s how she should feel. forget what other people say because it doesn’t matter. it’s her life and she’ll be 18 soon and will officially be an adult.

- Lola on April 23rd, 2007

‘His response was ‘Oh yeah? Oh yeah, okay.’

Haha, my boyfriend said exactly the same thing!! And then he asked if I wanted to watch a movie.

- Rose on April 23rd, 2007

People are going to judge you no matter what, she better grow a backbone if she is going to be a teen mom. I am 24 years old and pregnant with my first baby, I get people judging me all of the time. I graduated from college, I have been married for two years and my baby was 100% planned. People think I look too young so they give me dirty looks or stare at me not even knowing my situation. I let it roll of my back though, but maybe Keisha is still learning how to do that. Good luck to her and her family, they are going to need a lot of support considering they are young parents.

- Jen on April 23rd, 2007

to everyone who keeps saying that it isnt unusual to have kids young in New Zealand: that isn’t true!!! it is no more common or accepted in new zealand than it is anywhere else. we have like the third highest teen pregnancy rate after the US and Britain or something similar. this isnt he norm!! it does happen however and keisha has a loving family and boyfriend and i wish her and bradley all the best.

- sarah on April 24th, 2007

Jen – well, she IS pregnant… all those hormones are likely to play havoc with her emotions at the moment. Besides, some of the things I’ve seen people write are horrible, and go beyond bashing her and start bashing the baby as well. If she’s read or heard any of it, it’s probably upset her even more as a parent with the basic urge to protect her new unborn child.

- Kat on April 24th, 2007

I appreciate the posters who shared their
own stories.

I used to work at a pregnancy counselling
center. I have a lot of respect for young
women who experience unplanned pregnancy
and choose life for the child. Of course, it
is easier to parent with the strong family
support that Keisha has. My hat is off to
Keisha and her family-and other single
parents out there.

- KarenC on April 24th, 2007

I feel so bad for Keisha, she is a very mature girl for her age and people are going around bashing her AND her baby. If it was me, I would not be taking it very well. She is happy and the baby will be in a loving family… THATS ALL THAT MATTERS! Age is nothing, if the baby is taken care of an loved there is no point to worry about anything else.
Congrats to Bradly and Keisha, I hope you have a healthy baby girl!

- Cassandra on April 25th, 2007

I Was Really Hoping that She Would Give Birth Today…. Today is my birthday and I For One Am proud And Happy for her…

- A.V. on April 25th, 2007

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it at all. I hate how people are judging her and being mean… a baby’s a great thing and she is financially secure and her and her boyfriend have been going out for long enough… so why should it matter what age she is?
My friend had her daughter when she was fourteen years old and her baby is just little over a year now and she is so dedicated and so responsible now I don’t even recognise her from the girl I first met. But she’s a great person and an even greater mother.

- Gemma on April 27th, 2007

according to the NZ Womans Weekly Keisha had her baby girl last week. no name or stats or even a date yet.

- sarah on April 29th, 2007

Congratulation Keisha on the new baby Girl beautiful name.. Felicity-Amore

- wendy ward on April 30th, 2007