Tony Award-winning singer and actress, Laura Benanti recounted a distressing incident that occurred during one of her live performances.
“On Monday, April 3rd, I performed on stage for 2000 people while having a miscarriage,” she wrote on social media. “I knew it was happening. It started slowly the night before.”
Benanti went on to explain that the experience was not her first encounter with a miscarriage, indicating that she had been through it before, saying that she is “not a stranger to the pain and emptiness of losing a pregnancy. It is a path I have walked before, hand in hand with my husband. But this time we walked it alongside some of the kindest, most loving humans I will ever have the honor to share space with,” she added.
In 2015, Benanti wrote an essay for the Huffington Post addressing the societal taboo surrounding miscarriage in women. Having experienced a previous pregnancy loss, she likened the topic to being the “Voldemort” of women’s issues.
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Continuing on, the actress expressed her gratitude towards the audience and the people working behind the scenes who made the show possible, delivering a heartfelt message.
“Thank you to everyone in that audience for the grace your presence allowed. For lifting me out of my grief for that Holy hour. Thank you to my band for holding me, unconditionally, in your hearts, and to the crew for working so hard to make me as comfortable as possible. Thank you to my friends and fellow performers for rallying around me and so graciously accommodating my changing needs. Thank you to the extraordinary producers and their teams who could give a masterclass on how to handle a personal emergency with empathy and compassion.”
Benanti continued speaking, “Thank you to my remarkable Mother-in-law and Father-in-law for shielding Ella from the reality of this experience and giving her the time of her life while ‘Mama’s back hurt’. Thank you to that little soul for choosing me as your home, even for a short time.”
“Patrick and I are so grateful for the family that we have, and the miracle of our two little girls. One carried by me and one carried by an angel on earth. My husband and I are heartbroken but we will move through this together as we, and so many others, have done before.”
Concluding her open letter, the Broadway star expressed a sense of hope, “I share all of this, not to garner sympathy or attention, but to remind the many people and families who have and will suffer in this way that there is no shame in this kind of loss. That you are not alone. And to remind myself as well. 🤍. My hand in yours, Laura.”
In an Instagram post shared during the summer, the actress revealed that she and her husband, Patrick Brown, have two children named Ella and Louisa. Additionally, she referred to her daughters as “rainbow babies” in the post, which means they were born after the loss of a previous pregnancy. In July 2022, the couple announced the birth of their youngest daughter, who was born through a surrogate.