Jessica Biel is opening up about what the last year of her life has been like, including her so-called "secret" pregnancy.
The actress appeared on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, where she talked parenting. She and husband Justin Timberlake welcomed their second child, son Phineas, in the middle of stay-at-home orders in July 2020. They didn't confirm his birth until January 2021, but that wasn't always the plan.
Behind the scenes, there was also a tense period when it seemed Jessica would be alone in the hospital for the birth. Thankfully, restrictions allowed for birth partners to attend.
Jessica Biel is opening up about her second baby boy and how his secret birth was never meant to be a secret. Jessica and Justin Timberlake welcomed son Phineas in July 2020, but didn't confirm his birth until January 2021. He joins the couple's older son, 6-year-old Silas.
During her appearance on Armchair Expert, Jessica explained the couple went to Montana during the health crisis and her pregnancy just happened to play out there.
"I had, like, a secret COVID baby," she joked.
"It wasn't like it [was] supposed to be a secret. It was just COVID happened and then I went to Montana with my family and never left."
Like many expectant parents, Jessica was nervous about the ever-changing guidelines for who could and could not be present during delivery. Birth partners were just starting to be allowed again when she and Justin welcomed Phineas.
"There was a moment there that there was nobody allowed at all and I was really getting nervous about that situation," she shared.
"But yes, he was allowed. I think if I had to be there alone, that would have been horrible. I would have been really scared."
With a 6-year-old and an almost 1-year-old, Jessica finds herself home a lot.
"I'm spending a lot of time at home on Zooms in my apartment," she said. "Hanging with my baby, changing diapers, doing nap time."
Jessica and Justin found the adjustment to being parents of more than one a challenge, as many parents do.
"Someone said to me, 'Two is like having a thousand.' And that's exactly what it feels like," she noted.
"The balance of everything is very different and super hard."
At the same time, she's enjoying getting to know her older kid as he comes into his own. "I mean, it's amazing. It's so interesting. It's so funny," she said.
"The conversations I'm having now with my 6-year-old is so cool. Like, he's a real person saying the funniest stuff and he's so sensitive and tender. It's just so interesting to see that part of it happen and the little one is just cute as hell."
When it comes to her sons getting involved in creative fields when they get older, Jessica has mixed feelings.
"My knee-jerk reaction is 'Oh God, no. Please no,'" she said.
"But then I look at these kids and I'm like, 'Oh [expletive] they're probably going to be musical. What are we going to do? Like, not let them play the piano or not let them take a voice lesson if that's their passion?'"
"I don't want to be that parent to stifle a dream," she continued.
"But man, if my kid would just be like, 'Let's go learn about corn in Iowa.'[I'd be like], 'Great.' I would so much rather them be an engineer or something."
