Anne Hathaway skips Hot Ones during pregnancy on doctor's orders
Synopsis
Anne Hathaway wanted the Hot Ones experience for real — not just for her character in Verity — but her doctor drew the line, warning the 43-year-old that the spicy-wing gauntlet could trigger early labour. The Oscar winner says she may finally face Sean Evans and his sauces in 2027.
Key Takeaways
Anne Hathaway revealed on the Talk Of The Townsend podcast that her doctor banned her from appearing on Hot Ones due to early labour risk.
Hathaway, 43 , announced her pregnancy in June 2026 and has not yet attempted the ten-wing gauntlet.
Her character in new thriller Verity appears on both Hot Ones and Call Her Daddy as part of the storyline.
She has two sons, Jonathan (10) and Jack (6), with husband Adam Shulman .
Hathaway has had a busy 2026 , starring in Mother Mary , The Devil Wears Prada 2 , and The Odyssey .
She hinted a real Hot Ones appearance could happen as early as next year .
Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway has revealed that her ongoing pregnancy is the reason she has yet to take on the notorious spicy-wing challenge on the popular interview show Hot Ones. The 43-year-old Oscar winner, who announced her pregnancy in June 2026, said her doctor explicitly advised against it over fears she could go into early labour.
What Hathaway Said
Speaking on the Talk Of The Townsend podcast, Hathaway explained that in her new psychological thriller Verity, her character is depicted appearing on both Call Her Daddy with host Alex Cooper and Hot Ones with presenter Sean Evans. She had originally pushed for those cameos as a way to cement her character's cultural credibility.
'Alex Cooper and Call Her Daddy was scripted, and then I just, in a production meeting said, is that enough to establish Verity as an iconic cultural figure? If we could do something, like, get a Gayle King interview and Hot Ones that would be, like, the triple crown trifecta,' she said.
Hathaway also addressed her personal reluctance to attempt the ten-wing gauntlet for the first time on camera. 'I've never done it before. I've never done the ten-piece gauntlet. You don't want your first kiss ever in your life to be, like, an onscreen kiss, you want that to be a real thing where you're not playing a character at the same time as experiencing something physically,' she explained.
Doctor's Orders
The actress subsequently disclosed that the decision was ultimately taken out of her hands. 'My doctor said I couldn't do it because I might go into early labour. So, I still haven't done the gauntlet yet. I'm not sure when that's going to happen. Maybe next year,' she said. Hathaway already has two sons — Jonathan, aged ten, and Jack, aged six — with husband Adam Shulman.
About Verity and the Character Connection
Verity is a psychological thriller that follows a writer hired to complete paralysed author Verity Crawford's unfinished manuscript. Notably, Hathaway has described her on-screen character as closely mirroring elements of her own personality, making the film's fictional media appearances feel particularly personal.
A Packed 2026 for Hathaway
Despite the pregnancy, the actress has had a notably busy year on screen. She has already appeared in several high-profile productions in 2026, including Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and The Odyssey. Hathaway has described relishing the jam-packed schedule. Fans hoping to see her brave the Hot Ones hot sauce lineup may have to wait until at least 2027.
Point of View
But the more interesting thread here is how Hathaway is using the Verity press cycle to blur the line between character and persona. After years of being one of Hollywood's most scrutinised stars, she appears to be leaning into meta-storytelling as a PR tool. With The Devil Wears Prada 2 already generating enormous nostalgia traffic, her pregnancy is almost incidental to what is shaping up to be her biggest commercial year in over a decade. The real story is the strategic curation of her public image through carefully chosen media appearances.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why hasn't Anne Hathaway appeared on Hot Ones?
Anne Hathaway has not appeared on Hot Ones because her doctor advised against it during her pregnancy, warning that the extreme spice could trigger early labour. She said she hopes to take on the challenge next year.
What is Anne Hathaway's new film Verity about?
Verity is a psychological thriller in which Hathaway's character is hired to complete a paralysed author's unfinished manuscript. The film features fictional appearances by real-world media personalities including Hot Ones host Sean Evans and Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper.
When did Anne Hathaway announce her pregnancy?
Anne Hathaway announced her pregnancy in June 2026. She already has two sons — Jonathan, aged ten, and Jack, aged six — with her husband Adam Shulman.
What other films has Anne Hathaway starred in during 2026?
Hathaway has had a prolific 2026, appearing in Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and The Odyssey, among other projects. She has described enjoying her busy work schedule this year.
What is the Hot Ones show?
Hot Ones is a popular US interview programme hosted by Sean Evans in which celebrity guests answer questions while eating chicken wings coated in increasingly spicy sauces, culminating in a ten-wing gauntlet challenge.
