Actress Kalki Koechlin recently shared her surprise at the public reaction and outdated terminology used when she announced her pregnancy with daughter Sappho in 2020, while not yet married to her partner, Guy Hershberg.
“Out of Wedlock”: An Outdated Term?
Koechlin candidly recalled the judgment she faced regarding her pregnancy. Many people, she noted, repeatedly used the term “out of wedlock.”
She found the phrase perplexing and joked about it belonging to an 18th-century Shakespearean play, questioning its relevance in contemporary society.
Living Together, Loving Life
Kalki emphasized that she and Guy Hershberg had been in a long-term, committed relationship, living together for years before Sappho’s arrival.
For them, having a baby was a natural progression of their partnership. She pointed out the normalcy of such occurrences in relationships where partners live together.
Koechlin expressed concern about society’s tendency to ignore these realities, despite a large population, suggesting a disconnect between public perception and actual life.
Navigating Personal Paths
While acknowledging some past family pressure to marry, Kalki stated it never significantly swayed her decisions. She was previously married to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, divorcing in 2015.
The couple, Kalki and Guy, later casually announced their marriage and are now raising their daughter in Goa, embracing their own timeline for family life.
Other Voices: Neha Dhupia’s Story
Kalki’s experience resonates with that of other public figures. Actress Neha Dhupia also shared her journey of an unplanned pregnancy with Angad Bedi before their marriage in 2018.
Dhupia described that period as “chaos,” revealing she fainted in front of Kunal Kemmu, which led her to confide in Soha Ali Khan first about the pregnancy.
She admitted it was easier to share such personal news with close friends rather than parents. Dhupia also spoke about facing questions regarding the authenticity of their relationship after the pregnancy, but affirmed that everything worked out exactly as it should have.
- Kalki Koechlin was surprised by the “out of wedlock” label for her pregnancy.
- She believes modern society should normalize long-term, cohabiting relationships that lead to family.
- Neha Dhupia also shared her challenges with an unplanned pregnancy before marriage, highlighting similar societal pressures.
These celebrity anecdotes shed light on the evolving perceptions of relationships and family structures, challenging traditional norms in the public eye.
