From the outside, Shay Mitchell seemed to have it all last year.
But behind the scenes, the “Pretty Little Liars” actress experienced a devastating miscarriage. Mitchell revealed her sad news in a lengthy Instagram story on Tuesday, along with a photo of a sonogram with a broken heart emoji.
“The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams,” she wrote, thanking Instagram followers for their support.
She ended her Instagram message on an uplifting note, urging followers to show each other compassion, empathy and patience.
“In the spirit of the new year, I think that we need to remember that we are all on this journey together — in good times and bad — and to remind ourselves that we seldom really know or understand the struggles and hardships that other people are going through,” Mitchell wrote.
Other celebrities, including singer Halsey, have come forward with their own, personal stories about miscarriage. In 2016, Halsey (real name Ashley Nicolette Frangipane) told Rolling Stone about miscarrying right before she was due to go on stage and perform.
“I’m like, ‘I have to cancel this show!’ And everyone’s kind of like, ‘Well, it’s Vevo LIFT, and it’s 3 million impressions, so ...’ No one knew what to do,” Halsey said.
The singer revealed that after cleaning up all the blood, she took two Percocet painkillers and sent her assistant out for adult diapers.
“It’s the angriest performance that I’ve ever done in my life,” Halsey said. “That was the moment of my life where I thought to myself, ‘I don’t feel like a fucking human being anymore.’”