TikTok sleuths predicted Kylie Jenner's reported second pregnancy based on her nail polish, outfits, and a mysterious Instagram account
- People, TMZ, and Page Six reported Friday that Kylie Jenner is pregnant.
- According to the outlets, she and Travis Scott are expecting their second child.
- Among Kardashian fans, speculation about the pregnancy started weeks ago.
Kylie Jenner is reportedly pregnant again, which would confirm what fans have speculated for weeks.
People, TMZ, Page Six, and other outlets are reporting that the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sister is expecting her second child with Travis Scott. The two have reunited for dates in recent weeks after an extended separation; despite breaking up, they co-parent Stormi Webster, who turned 3 in February.
But for weeks before the tabloids reported the news, Kardashian sleuths on the "r/KUTWK" subreddit had been scouring Jenner's Instagram feed for pregnancy clues. Some of those theories seeped into discussions on Twitter and TikTok, like apparent discrepancies in the nail polish Jenner wore in different photos.
The clues, at first, seemed far-fetched. But Friday's news appeared to support the conclusion of fan theories, which were fueled by the fact that Jenner hid her first pregnancy until after she gave birth, despite appearing to tease fans with occasional hidden pregnancy references.
Page Six and TMZ noted that pregnancy rumors also arose earlier this summer after Jenner wore baggy clothes and ordered sushi with avocado but without fish. The FDA recommends pregnant people avoid eating raw fish due to a risk of listeria contamination.
Despite the popular theories, which also spread on Instagram, an unnamed source told TMZ that Jenner was early on in her pregnancy - possibly earlier than 10 weeks - suggesting that speculation around Jenner's photos occurred too early for physical signs of pregnancy to show.
Jenner's nails played a key role in the speculation
Since Jenner changes her nail design and color so frequently, her manicures, shown on Instagram, act as markers of specific time periods - and served as a major clue for internet sleuths.
The evidence:
- On Jenner's birthday, August 10, her nails were clear at the base with bright green tips, according to a picture on sister Kim Kardashian's Instagram story,
- But the same day, Jenner's Instagram post to her main feed showed her wearing a skintight green dress and all-over pink nails.
- Fans also questioned whether the fruit growing on a tree behind her was even in bloom - clementines are usually available from November through February, according to Cuties.
- Jenner later posted a picture of herself wearing a bright pink skin-tight dress with the green-tipped clear nails, which seemed to indicate she either wasn't visibly pregnant at the time (assuming she'd attempt to hide the pregnancy ahead of an official announcement) or had altered the photo.
- The next day, she appeared to be wearing the same birthday nails with green tips while doing an unboxing on her Instagram story.
- Jenner's nail artist posted a picture of her with what appear to be the same pink nails from the green dress photo on June 16, which is around when Jenner stopped appearing in public as much.
The different nail sets shown on her birthday raised suspicions among fans, who thought that she may have been posting old photos of herself to avoid showing any sign of pregnancy.
- Late Thursday, August 19, Jenner posted two Boomerangs (GIF-like videos) to her Instagram story. In the first one, Jenner posed for a mirror selfie in a white crop top and black leggings, showing her waist. If you squint, she appears to have light-colored or nude nails.
- In the next Boomerang, as she flips through a birthday wishes book, Jenner appears to have bright red nails.
Fans thought the August 19 nail differences supported their theory.
One theory that contradicts the nail hypothesis is that Jenner could have gotten her nails done on her birthday, in between when she took the green dress picture and when Kim posted Jenner's nails wrapped around her drink.
Fans speculated that Jenner was posting old photos and videos based on her outfit choices
Jenner's outfits also played into some fan speculation.
On August 9, Jenner posted to Instagram stories wearing what looked like the same nails, bralette, sweatpants, and ponytail as stories she posted on June 23, around when her public appearances dwindled.
That night, Jenner's close friend Yris Palmer got engaged, and Jenner wasn't photographed there.
Some fans speculated that Jenner was posting old photos and avoiding public appearances because she was pregnant.
The green dress Jenner posted on her birthday also became a source of speculation.
In one August 10 Instagram story, Jenner showed herself wearing the green dress in a video shot from her shoulders up, so just the green straps were visible (not her full body). Fans wondered if she used an old picture in the full-body Instagram post, and if the story was strategically shot the day of to avoid revealing her pregnancy.
However, as fans have noted, even if Jenner had been posting old pictures, that wouldn't necessarily mean she was pregnant.
The first time she got pregnant, Jenner hid from social media
Jenner was pregnant with daughter Stormi for four months before multiple outlets reported the news in September 2017. Fans had speculated that Jenner was pregnant then, too, because blurry photos taken from far away appeared to show she was hiding a bump.
Still, Jenner didn't reveal her pregnancy on her own terms until after Stormi was born, when she posted a YouTube video that now has more than 100 million views.
The video from February 2018 included a lot of never-before-seen footage of pregnant Jenner, who went to lengths to conceal her baby shower and bump from the public.
Lately, Jenner has been noticeably absent in photos and at events
Jenner seemed to recede from her typical posting behavior, appearing in fewer photos and at fewer public events, after she and Scott attended a New York gala together with Stormi on June 15.
Jenner has celebrated past birthdays with splashy photo ops and extensive multi-day plans yet didn't appear in footage from her August 10 party this year.
Guests at Jenner's uncharacteristically intimate brunch and painting session posted pictures of the decor, the paint activity, the food, and the table settings. But people didn't photograph Jenner.
On a 3-day trip to Mexico, Kendall posted pictures and Kylie didn't. An extremely blurry picture posted to a fan's Instagram story didn't definitively show Kylie getting on the plane, but the caption claimed she had.
Jenner's change in public profile management during this period matches that of her first pregnancy.
There's a 'Kylie Baby' Instagram account and trademark
A "Kylie Baby" Instagram account only added fuel to the online speculation.
The account has over 888,000 followers, is verified, and is followed by Jenner herself.
Fans first noticed the account on May 18, as Cosmopolitan reported, and Jenner tagged it in a picture of Stormi in the bath on June 2. The trademark for "Kylie Baby" was also filed by Jenner's company in May 2019.
The Instagram account doesn't have a profile picture or any content yet.
Fans speculated that a brand launch could accompany the birth of her second child.
Jenner has yet to confirm her pregnancy on her own terms. But one show-stopping opportunity to announce her pregnancy would be at fashion's biggest night: This year's Met Gala on September 13. Jenner has been invited to the event for the last four years.