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With the Met Gala returning after having to skip the past year, Halsey's fans were looking forward to seeing them on the red carpet. However, the singer wound up opting to stay home. In a series of now-deleted tweets, Halsey explained that "postpartum does not discriminate," and that due to still being a breastfeeding mom, they felt uncomfortable attending.
"I'm still breastfeeding," Halsey said in a tweet. "I only had my baby 7 weeks ago. There's nothing more 'American fashion' than moms having to go back to work after just giving birth lol."
Halsey gave birth to their first child, Ander Ridley Aydin, on July 14. The "Without Me" singer explained that pumping would be difficult at the event, saying it "would have been insanely painful. I understand I'm incredibly privileged to afford time off but the demands are still prevalent and the biology does not excuse me."
While Halsey acknowledged that they were in a privileged position to be able to afford time off after having a baby, the singer explained, "My only point was people expecting me to be there so soon after having a baby and how it's reflective of a more general social expectation of new moms in far more vulnerable positions. I wasn't complaining at all!!!!!"
Halsey has remained relatively open about their postpartum experience. Last week, the singer shared that they were still learning how to feel comfortable in their new body. "The pressure to look 'androgynous' as a means of gender non-confirming expression (as a big t**** breastfeeding mom ) coupled with the expectation to have a perfect body right after birth is a cocktail of confusion. I'm patiently reminding myself to do me in any way that feels good."
Halsey's most recent album, If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, explores themes of motherhood. The concept album finds Halsey reflecting on the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth, with Halsey saying that "it was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few months."
Rumors that Halsey and their partner, Alev Aydin, had gotten engaged also began swirling last week after the "Bad At Love" singer flashed a diamond ring on social media. An official engagement has yet to be confirmed, but fans have been keeping their eyes out for an announcement.