Exclusive

John Legend "So Proud" of Chrissy Teigen For Going Public About Postpartum Depression: "Really Powerful"

Grammy-winner praises wife for opening up about her suffering

By Marc Malkin Mar 15, 2017 7:10 AMTags
Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, WGN Americas Underground ScreeningRachel Murray/Getty Images for WGN America

Chrissy Teigen isn't alone in her battle with postpartum depression.

The supermodel's husband John Legend was by her side when she didn't know what was wrong and remained there when she decided to go public with her experience with an essay in the latest issue of Glamour magazine.

"I'm so proud of her," Legend told me last night at The Hollywood Reporter's Most Powerful Stylist dinner co-hosted by Jimmy Choo at The Ponte restaurant. "She showed me the drafts when she was writing it and I knew it would mean a lot to a lot of women for them to see that. By acknowledging the pain that she's going through, in doing that she also acknowledges the pain that a lot of women go through after they have a child. A lot of people don't want to talk about it. A lot of people feel alone when they're going through it and for her to let people know that they're not alone, I think was really powerful."

photos
Chrissy Teigen & John Legend's Daughter Luna Is Living Her Best Life
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

In the essay, Teigen, 31, described the excruciating pain—both physical and emotional—that struck her soon after giving birth to their daughter Luna.

Her general practitioner diagnosed her with postpartum.

"John sat next to me. I looked at my doctor, and my eyes welled up because I was so tired of being in pain. Of sleeping on the couch. Of waking up throughout the night. Of throwing up. Of taking things out on the wrong people. Of not enjoying life. Of not seeing my friends. Of not having the energy to take my baby for a stroll," she wrote. "My doctor pulled out a book and started listing symptoms. And I was like, 'Yep, yep, yep.' I got my diagnosis: postpartum depression and anxiety. (The anxiety explains some of my physical symptoms.)"

Teigen began taking an anti-depressant and opening up to friends and family. "Like anyone, with PPD or without, I have really good days and bad days. I will say, though, right now, all of the really bad days—the days that used to be all my days—are gone," she wrote.

Legend, 38, offered advice for other husbands who may also have wives suffering from postpartum depression.

"You have to be present. You have to be compassionate. You have to understand what the reasons for them feeling what they're feeling are," he said. "I think once you know the reasons. I think you can be more helpful in identifying what they're going through."