Hallmark Channel Hallmark
Hallmark stars have a lot of adventures, but perhaps none quite as intense as the time Jen Lilley went into labor while on Hallmark’s red carpet. She even shared with a reporter that she was in labor during their interview and would have to start timing her contractions soon.
She Was in Labor While Interviewing with Reporters on the Red Carpet
In 2019, Lilley wasn’t going to let anything hold her back from attending the Hallmark Summer TCA event in July, and that included going into labor.
She was interviewed by Access when she revealed that she was currently in labor. She was attending the event with her husband, Jason Wayne.
“I’m in labor, yeah,” she told the reporter. “I’m literally in labor… I’m early… I gotta get to my phone at some point to time the contractions, but I’m closer to Cedars than if I was at home. I’m not that close. I can still talk.”
The reporter asked if she should be timing her contractions live on the red carpet. Lilley said, “You know, Hallmark when you’re here you’re family… We might have a baby here tonight… I’m hoping she doesn’t, she’s not born here… She’d certainly steal the show. I am literally having a contraction right now… I’m having a girl, which is fantastic… I have two boys at home — one’s adopted, one’s in foster care. So we were really happy to have a girl this time.”
She then shared that when her mom was in labor the first time, she didn’t realize she was in labor until she was crowning.
“So we all (have) a really high tolerance for pain,” she explained.
Lilley gave birth on July 30, People reported. She said that her contractions were pretty inconsistent at first and she didn’t want to miss the TCA.
She told People: “So I put myself on bed rest to slow down any progress. Our poor driver was absolutely panicked when I told him I might be in labor. But I told him not to worry if he does end up taking us down the road to Cedars [hospital] at the end of the night.”
She said that at one point during the event, her contractions went from being 12 minutes apart to five minutes apart. She said she’d had Braxton Hicks contractions frequently in the past, but these were different.
Ashley Williams, Who’s Also a Doula, Checked in on Lilley During the Event
Fellow Hallmark star Ashley Williams is a doula and was also attending the event, so she checked in on Lilley frequently, People reported.
She told People: “To be at a rocking party and have someone tap me on the shoulder and say ‘Jen Lilley is in the bathroom and she’s in labor!’ I was asked if I was a midwife and if I could help. The answer, of course, is ‘No. I’m a doula!’ But that doesn’t mean I can’t be helpful.”
She said Lilley was “cool as a cucumber” and “completely relaxed.” She explained that sometimes dehydration or excitement can get contractions started even days before actually giving birth. The contractions let up later, so Lilley went home rather than going to the hospital.
Daughter Evangeline Wayne was born on July 30, 2019, People reported. She weighed six pounds and eight ounces and was born after 22 hours of labor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Lilley was 34 when she gave birth to Evangeline and described her daughter as a relaxed and happy baby.
READ NEXT: Hallmark’s Schedule of New Movies for January 2021