Zawe Ashton is pregnant and expecting her second baby with fiancé Tom Hiddleston.
Ashton, 40, confirmed the news to Vogue on Saturday, June 7, sharing stunning maternity photos with the outlet. The actress debuted her baby bump at the SXSW London festival premiere of The Life of Chuck that evening, dressed in a blue ruffled Emilia Wickstead gown and a matching cape.
“I feel really lucky to be working with someone that I know and who’s been such a champion of me at this sensitive red-carpet dressing moment,” Ashton said of her maternity look. “I feel like I’ll be very held on an evening where, as an expectant mother, you can feel a little bit exposed.”
She continued, “I think that every time you step onto a red carpet, there’s a really unique opportunity to express your authentic self, your individuality, your creativity, and celebrate where you are at that moment.”
Ashton has long been a fan of Wickstead’s designs.
“We met years ago at the British Fashion Awards when she dressed me and we attended together,” Ashton gushed to the outlet. “We had the most fabulous night and instantly felt like kindred spirits. We aligned so much on fashion and womanhood, and I’ve always loved her designs. They embody a seamless blend of classic and contemporary, and she’s also just an incredible craftsperson. You feel the level of detail that goes into every piece when you wear them.”
Wickstead, 42, noted to Vogue that designing a bump-hugging gown for Ashton is “especially meaningful and full circle.”
“Zawe wore a soft pink gown from us during her last pregnancy — quietly glowing, with a little secret only she knew,” the British designer explained. “Now, to celebrate her second in this beautiful blue from our pre-fall collection, and to share it with the world, feels like a sweet continuation of that story. I’m so honored to be part of it.”
She added, “Zawe is also such a vibrant, clever and special friend and muse of the brand—she’s been wearing Emilia Wickstead for years, and I love being part of her journey.”
Ashton and Hiddleston, 44, have been engaged since 2022. They welcomed their first child that same year.
“Tom and Zawe are loving being new parents and are filled with joy,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “They have been having the struggles of new parents and aren’t sleeping much but are thrilled.”
The two Marvel actors have not publicly revealed their firstborn’s sex and gender, but have found that parenthood profoundly changed their outlook on life.
“I think I probably knew it would, but I could never have imagined how deeply it would until it happened. And yeah, it’s before and after,” Hiddleston said on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in November 2023.
