Justin Bieber sparked a backlash after joking he is expecting his first child as part of an April Fools’ Day prank.
Bieber, 25, was condemned for the “disgusting” post which claimed his wife Hailey Baldwin is pregnant.
He shared a picture of a sonogram on April 1 before posting another of Baldwin cradling her stomach at a doctor’s surgery, which he captioned: “If U thought it was April Fools.”
He later confirmed it was a prank with a picture of a dog in the centre of a sonogram. “Wait omg is that a,,, APRIL FOOLS,” he wrote.
Fans struggled to understand why he would pull the prank as they opened up about personal struggles with fertility, branding his post “disgusting” and a “classless act”.
One user commented: “These jokes aren’t funny... do you understand how many families have to deal with infertility and loss of pregnancy? Shame on you.”
Another wrote: “Honestly people would die to become parents, I hate the ‘I’m pregnant’ April Fools. Let’s hope you and your wife aren’t infertile so you don’t feel the heartbreak of not being able to carry your own child. Just coming from a place of experience.”
A third posted: “And when I thought I couldn’t hate you more. Congrats on being a piece of s***. Faking a pregnancy announcement is not funny. Some women can’t get pregnant.”
He was also condemned by The Miscarriage Association who said he should be more sensitive to issues affecting those trying to get pregnant, or those who are dealing with a loss.
Spokesperson Ruth Bender Atik told Standard Online: “I don’t suppose Justin thought for a moment that it might cause upset. Hopefully, any comments that are made will make him more aware of the sensitivities of pregnancy loss and infertility.”
Bieber later apologised for the “insensitive” post, telling his 107 million Instagram foillowers he will “take responsibility and say sorry to people who were offended".
“I truly don't want anyone to be hurt by a prank.. it's like when I shoved cake in my little sisters face for her birthday expecting her to laugh but she cried,” he said.
“You sometimes just don't know what will hurt someone's feelings not to compare pregnancy with cake in the face but it's just to paint the picture of not knowing what will offend.”
Bieber and Baldwin tied the knot last year. It was recently reported that he is “ready to be a dad”.
