After Jessica Marie Garcia and Amara La Negra, another poderosa has announced her pregnancy this year. Jackie Cruz, known for her role as Marisol “Flaca” Gonzalez on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black has announced that she is six months pregnant with twins! The Dominican-American actress shared her exclusive PEOPLE photoshoot on Instagram that showcased her pregnant belly and traditional Oaxacan dress, worn to honor her husband Fernando Garcia’s Mexican heritage. She shared in the caption, “I’ve been holding this secret in my heart for a minute and I’m ready to share it with the world. Something that I have been working on with @i.man.fernando for a while, is finally happening. I love how organic and natural the entire process has been. ‘I asked God for a Rose and he sent me a bouquet.’”
“I’ve just been learning a lot about my body and you know what? I feel so sexy,” she said, adding that she’s “never felt so comfortable in my body,” according to PEOPLE.
Cruz and Garcia, who are expecting one boy and one girl in early 2022, were dating for over seven years before tying the knot last August in Oaxaca, Mexico in a conservative twelve-person wedding. This past February, Cruz posted a throwback photo of her and Garcia the day after Valentine’s Day, sharing in her caption: “I’m a sucker for you @i.man.fernando 2013 and beyond.”
Back in 2019, Cruz wrapped up the seventh and final season of the hit Netflix show, Orange Is the New Black after 91 episodes. For her work throughout the series, she and the cast were four-time nominees of the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award from the Screen Actors Guild, winning three.
“Orange is always talking about things happening in the world. It’s the only show that does that and takes it to that level, and I hope more shows continue to open up like Orange,” she previously told Forbes. “Losing it is something special. It felt like we did make history, but I don’t know if it changed a lot. I hope a lot of people feel seen because of us.”
Before the fourth season was canceled, Cruz also starred in a recurring role on the NBC crime television series Good Girls as Rhea. In July of this year, she played a supporting role in the crime thriller film Midnight in the Switchgrass alongside Megan Fox and Bruce Willis.
Motherhood can be both nerve-wracking and exciting, and we’re excited to see Cruz’s family grow! Wishing all the best to Jackie and Fernando!
