Jenna Dewan Playfully Remarks That The Rookie ‘Gave Up’ on Concealing Her Baby Bump
Jenna Dewan joined the ranks of “actresses who concealed their pregnancies on set” during her third pregnancy in 2024, which presented quite the challenge for the costume team of The Rookie.
“Oh my god, I got so big by the end that they just tucked me under the covers in bed because I think they all gave up,” Dewan, 44, shared with Us Weekly on February 19, while attending the LA Art Show Opening Night in Los Angeles.
While portraying firefighter Bailey Nune on The Rookie, Dewan reminisced about hiding “behind counters” and sporting a “lot of crossbody bags” during the filming of season 6 of the ABC series.
“There were plenty of Amazon packages being carried around or plants. I remember… a lot of it took place in the car,” Dewan remarked. “Honestly, the wardrobe department deserves an Emmy just for that. I kept growing and growing, and [they found] creative ways to set up scenes.”
Dewan announced her pregnancy with her third child, her second with fiancé Steve Kazee, in January 2024. By March of that year, she shared that dressing on set felt like a “workout of sorts,” posting Instagram videos from her trailer to showcase her expanding baby bump.
“I felt so relieved whenever I was in a fitting, and we’d put on a sweater or a shirt and it would result in gasps of ‘OMG! You can’t even tell!’” Dewan said of the experience to Us. “It was refreshing not to depend on purses and boxes and plants; when the sweater felt concealing, it was nice to discover easy-to-wear outfits.”
Dewan noted that “sometimes it would work,” but at other times, they had to be more innovative. She humorously added, “Depending on how much breakfast I had, it was a real balancing act.”
Dewan completed season 6 while pregnant, giving birth to her daughter Rhiannon in June 2024. (She and Kazee, 49, also have a son, Callum, 4. Dewan shares her eldest child, daughter Everly, 11, with ex-husband Channing Tatum.)
After welcoming Rhiannon, Dewan took about two months off before filming for season 7 of The Rookie. Although she no longer had to conceal her baby bump, Dewan faced new challenges as a new mom on set.
“It was a juggling act; she was 7 almost 8 weeks old, and I brought her to set,” Dewan recounted, praising the producers and creators for being “incredible” and providing her with breaks to nurse.
She shared that she timed her breaks “around turnarounds and scenes, where I could breastfeed, or they would bring Rhiannon to me so I could nurse her.”
Despite the occasional chaos, Dewan mentioned they all managed to make it work. “When you’re in the moment, you don’t really recognize it; you’re just doing your best,” she reflected. “Afterwards, you wonder, ‘How did I manage that?’”
Dewan explained to Us that her return to work didn’t feel rushed, and she was prepared to be back on set.
“There’s a part of me that feels that returning to work helps activate your mind positively after having a baby,” she elaborated. “It helps lift the brain fog and gradually helps you feel like yourself again.”
The actress noted that she was “able to have hair and makeup done and get back into character,” expressing that she felt “fortunate” to bring Rhiannon along with her on set.
“Having her close by is a luxury I know many women might not experience, and I’m grateful for that; it definitely helped me transition back,” Dewan shared, admitting, “There [were] days when I was exhausted, but fortunately, being part of an ensemble cast meant I wasn’t in every scene daily, so I got ample breaks.”
The Rookie airs on ABC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Sienna Leone
