'Orange Is The New Black' Star Uzo Aduba Is Expecting Her First Baby At 42!

Uzo Aduba is going to be a mama bear!

The actress, who gained worldwide prominence through her years-long run on "Orange Is the New Black," has announced that she is pregnant. Since this would be her first pregnancy, Aduba announced it in style, following in the footsteps of female stars like Rihanna and Serena Williams, who debuted their pregnancies at mega ceremonies during the year's first half.

The 42-year-old unveiled her bulging baby bump as she walked the red carpet at the 2023 Tony Awards at the United Palace Theater in New York City on Sunday, June 11. She decked out in an orange three-piece Christian Siriano combo featuring a long-sleeved suit jacket, a halter-style cropped bra top, and baggy pants. 

The 2014 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series unbuttoned the jacket to give viewers a better look at her belly while cradling it as she smiled and posed for the paparazzi.

At the same time, she took to her Instagram page to upload a short reel that panned from the bottom to the top to unveil her holding a white onesie. With a huge smile and a face filled with makeup, she belted out, "Ta-da!" Beneath the video, she wrote:

"What a blessing. My husband Robert and I are so happy to enter this next chapter together as parents. I am beyond excited. I get to be someone's Mommy! I know as the three of us continue to grow, our only, ONLY goal will be to love you, little one. My goodness. Look what God has done."

Since the announcement clip was released to spark excitement, it was no surprise that her fans and fellow celebrities quickly camped in the comments to partake in Aduba's joy.

"YAAAAASSSSS. OH, MY SWEET, BEAUTIFUL FRIEND, BIGGEST CONGRATS!!!" "Jane the Virgin" actress Gina Rodriguez exclaimed, as "How to Get Away with Murder" star Amirah Vann declared, "Ayyyyyy, we welcome you with unconditional love!!"

"If Loving You Is Wrong," actress Edwina Findley commented, "Awww SISTERRRR!!! Our many talks about motherhood mean so much more now! ❤️❤️🥰🥰 Soooo happy for you!!!" 

As for the expectant mother's fans, one typed, "You are gonna be a wonderful, wonderful mama, the coolest around!" and a second penned, "Not me crying! God is so good." A third netizen added, "Omg, congratulations!! ❤️😍💃🏽 So happy & excited for you all!"

One other fan expressed shock that Aduba was letting the cat out of the bag so early about her pregnancy when she kept her marriage to producer Robert Sweeting secret for nearly a year. 

In case you missed it, the "Mrs. America" star broke the news of her and Sweeting's wedding in an Instagram post dated September 12, 2021. The post featured a picture from the pair's 2020 wedding day and a quote from the famous 1989 romantic comedy, "When Harry Met Sally."

She eventually opened up about sharing the good news during a November 2021 episode of "Live with Kelly and Ryan," claiming that she and her husband opted to publicly disclose their weddings in 2021 because their first anniversary was close by.

"We were just taking the year to ourselves to enjoy the time and have some quiet time together, and then we were having our anniversary come up," the "Pearly Gates" star stated.

With an award-winning portrayal of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in "OITNB," questions about Aduba's life and history have often come up in conversations. To that end, The Blast published an article about the life of the American-born Nigerian actress.

The "Blue Bloods" guest star, whose full name is Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba, graduated from Medfield High School in 1999 and proceeded to Boston University, where she studied classical voice. She participated in various track and field activities during her school days, including the 200-meter and 55-meter dash.

Despite her success in sports, Aduba pursued an acting career and almost immediately began to reap its rewards. For one, her 2003 appearance in "Translations of Xhosa" at the Olney Theatre Center for the Art earned her a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Play.

The soon-to-be mom then launched her Broadway career four years later, portraying Toby in "Coram Boy" while being a member of the Original Revival Cast of Godspell in the Square Theatre for a year. Her career has come a long way since then, as she has received multiple recognitions, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2022.