‘AGT’ Judges Criticized for Pregnancy-Themed April Fools’ Joke
Howie Mandel via Instagram Reading Time: 2 minutes
America’s Got Talent judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara have faced criticism for their April Fools’ Day joke from over the weekend. The trio pretended that Klum was pregnant, sparking backlash from a number of people who called the prank insensitive.
AGT Judges Share Pregnancy-Themed April Fools’ Day Joke
For April Fools’ Day, Mandel posted a photo of Klum supposedly showing off her baby bump, as Vergara bent down to kiss it. The picture seems to have been taken backstage while the three judges were filming the upcoming new season of AGT.
“Congratulations. @heidiklum Co-workers @sofiavergara and I are the first know,” Mandel wrote in the post’s caption, adding the hashtag #agt.
According to The Mirror, Vergara reposted the photo to her own account, joking, “I’m going to be an aunt.” Meanwhile, Klum shared a photo of Mandel showing off a baby bump of his own, with the model bending down to kiss it.
Not everyone found the prank funny. A number of people commented on Mandel’s post criticizing the stunt for being insensitive to people who have struggled with having children of their own.
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Some Fans Criticized the Judges’ Prank
“Very tacky to post something like this while there are so many struggling with infertility,” Instagram user @jodycm commented on Mandel’s post pretending Klum was pregnant. Meanwhile, user @fairladyki said the joke was “in poor taste.”
Another fan, @marthamargots, wasn’t sure if it was a joke, writing, “If Heidi is really pregnant, I’m very happy for her and Tom, but if it was just a joke, I don’t think it’s so great that people make such a joke because there are many women who want a child and it doesn’t work out.”
However, there were also plenty of people who saw no problem with the judges’ prank, including those who have dealt with fertility issues themselves. As user @maddijablonski wrote, “I struggled with 5 years of infertility, several losses along the way and ultimately fertility treatment to have a successful live birth. Pregnancy jokes don’t offend me … guess I’m the odd one out. Don’t speak for all of us.”
