Barbara Palvin is opening up about walking the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show six weeks postpartum.
The model and actress welcomed her first child on Labor Day with her spouse, actor Dylan Sprouse.
“I’m happy to be here because of the help I got and the support I got, but you know, I’m still healing,” Palvin told Good Morning America about returning to the runway Sunday.
Palvin said although she could make a quick comeback, she acknowledged she didn’t do it alone and it wasn’t a goal that made sense for every postpartum parent.
“Everyone’s journey is different,” the 33-year-old new mom said, adding that for her, the motherhood journey has “definitely been a roller coaster.”
“I’m very grateful for the support system I have. My parents flew out here to help me and my friends have been dropping off food at the door,” she said. “I’m just happy to be back. And I was talking to some people — in the U.S., you have to be back to work after six weeks. Maternity leave is like, six to eight weeks, so it’s not that big of a deal, right?”
On the federal level, the Family and Medical Leave Act allows for up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year, including for the birth and care of the newborn.
Some commenters online supported Palvin’s return to the runway.
“If [she] feels healthy enough to walk the runway leave her alone. She probably worked very hard to have a healthy pregnancy and postpartum. let people do what they want to do,” wrote one commenter.
Others criticized the example Palvin’s return could set for young girls and teens.
“As someone who works in health research: chasing these standards drives real harm, like crash diets, anxiety, and poor self-image in teens,” another commented on a Victoria’s Secret Instagram post. “A brand this big has the power to set a healthier example.Nothing against the models, they’re doing their job. But when one brand defines ‘beautiful’ for millions of young girls, it has a responsibility to show the full range of real women.”
At the end of the day, Palvin said her advice to other moms and parents is to “not be too hard on yourself.”
“Every week is different. You think like, oh, now we have a routine. I got it down and then [your baby] throws you for a loop,” Palvin said. “But yeah, don’t be hard on yourself. Take your time.”
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